Once again, I find myself in the position of taking-back something nice I tried to say about the Liberals. In the post below, I gave the Liberals credit for their idea of honouring fallen heroes.
Turns out, it wasn't their idea. Listen to this from the Conservatives' website:
"Today, Paul Martin again ran from his record, announcing the Liberals would support a fund to support emergency first responders (Liberal Party Press Release, January 13, 2006). Liberal cabinet ministers voted AGAINST this idea less than three months ago. The facts: 57 Liberal MPs – including 32 cabinet ministers voted AGAINST this policy less than 3 months ago."
In fairness, here's the Liberals' response:
"The Liberals countered that the [original] NDP motion was only limited to firefighters but that their policy includes all public safety officials."
So, the idea was first presented by the NDP, voted against by the Liberals, and then brought back in expanded format as a Liberal platform plank.
A great idea, soured by Liberal cynicism. I've had about all I can take.
* * *
Who can argue against a heroes fund?
But, it's kind of sad that the relatives of the four slain mounties most likely won't be getting the $250,000 that this plan retroactively offers. It seems almost unkind of the Liberals to dangle this in front of these particular families, given the Liberals' place in the polls, and the unlikelihood that they will be able to make good on the proposal.
The decent thing would have been for them to have put this on the back burner, and then just quietly implement it, should they form the government.
Perhaps the Liberal Party will see fit to donate $250,000 to each to these families, should they not be returned to power, as now appears likely.
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