Same old story

Susan Riley tries to find any meaningful policy distinctions between the Cons and the Libs - and finds that there's nothing to speak of:

(T)he two parties disagree, notionally, on corporate taxes. But there remains a similarity that trumps all other distinctions: neither can be trusted to follow through. The bank lobby might convince triumphant Liberals to change course (remember that Brison used to be a Tory). The Conservatives might decide they can't really afford those cuts, after all. Switcheroos are hardly unprecedented.
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On Afghanistan, Harper appears adamant about withdrawing all troops by 2011, but no one believes him. Ignatieff and Bob Rae appear reluctant to cut and run, especially if NATO wants us to stay. Either way, it sounds like a mission extension.

As for cleavages on the environment, it is a contest between Harper and Ignatieff over who loves the oilsands more. On human rights, both men deplore China's freedom-hating regime and both are willing to smooth over differences in the interests of trade. Neither can stand to be in the same room as anti-Semitic nut-bar Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and both look the other way when Israel's government betrays its own values.
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Given the daily shouting, hissing and harrumphing, there must be profound disagreements between our two major parties. Uncovering them probably just requires more sophisticated instruments.