The reviews are in

Matthew Bondy points out how Jack Layton's astute moves on the gun registry resulted in Michael Ignatieff's political games backfiring once again:

Ignatieff’s heavy handedness has peeved his caucus, alienated rural voters and handed authorship of the political narrative over to Jack Layton and the NDP, who now get to exercise the balance of power in the Commons.

Having been thrust into the spotlight, NDP leader Jack Layton has quite frankly graced the stage.

His position on this private member’s bill has always been clear: he wants the Commons to reform the registry to make it less invasive and offensive to rural and aboriginal Canadians while preserving its benefits for law enforcement. But he has also consistently endorsed his caucus colleagues’ right to vote their consciences.

Following Ignatieff’s decision to strip his colleagues of their democratic rights, Layton immediately went to work proffering his compromise position to Canadians and engaging his dissenting MPs in private, persuasive dialogue.

After weeks of sustained effort, on Tuesday afternoon Layton proudly announced he’d convinced enough of his formerly dissenting rural MPs to support the registry, meaning the firearms database will likely survive next week’s crucial vote.

Layton has achieved a parliamentary and political masterstroke that should leave his peer leaders chastened and impressed.

The NDP leader has preserved democratic norms in his caucus; protected caucus unity by bringing his team around organically to a decisive consensus; and successfully withstood media and advocacy-group pressure to whip his parliamentary team. He opted instead for cool, patient persuasion and consistent, common-sense messaging.

Layton has achieved his objective of saving the gun registry while sending the right conciliatory messages to his party’s crucial rural supporters in northern Ontario and the Prairies.

And perhaps most importantly from a political perspective, he’s kept the NDP in the news and looking like a reasonable, responsible opposition party.

See also Andrew Coyne in Tweet form.