Or to put it another way...

...maybe David Johnston is right that he shouldn't serve as referee in the sense of calling penalties on every single play in Canadian politics.

But if Stephen Harper's tenure has taught us anything, surely we've learned that he's not above claiming that he's entitled to an extra down after failing on a third down gamble. And if Johnston thinks his job is merely to suggest that Harper respect the game rather than enforcing a change of possession, then the ball may stay in Conservative hands long after they've lost the right to control it under Canadian rules.