Liberals don't surrender power

OTTAWA–Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla is stepping down from her job as critic for youth and multiculturalism, as part of continuing fallout over alleged mistreatment of two nannies she employed – first reported in the Star this week.

"This morning I called the leader to personally tender my resignation as multiculturalism and youth critic in order to focus my attention on clearing my name," Dhalla said in a statement.

Now we all know full well what a statement like this means in real life: Ignatieff forced her out of caucus to ensure that if she's guilty the party doesn't pay the price.

Now contrast that with this story:

CP24 is reporting that protesters are set to clear the Gardiner Expressway after hearing from Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff's office. Police are currently in the process of opening the Dundas and University corridor as well. According to one protest spokesman, Mr. Ignatieff's office has promised to bring up the issue of economic and diplomatic sanctions against Sri Lanka with the government in Ottawa. "It was a spontaneous event," the Tamil spokesman said in an interview with CP24.

So if you're with a terrorist organization disrupting Her Majesty's highways, Michael Ignatieff is there for you. If you're an MP in his own party facing highly questionable accusations, Michael Ignatieff cuts you loose. Does this make any sense to anybody? Ignatieff was publicly backing Dhalla just two days ago, and then the about-face. What happens when the Tamil Tigers learn that their boy was just stringing them along?

(Canada Free Press is already on this from a similar but different angle)

Incidentally, check out this story about how the protesters may not all have been willing participants. Also this bit:

It’s just about impossible to tell how many Tamils, both in Sri Lanka and around the world, are members of the Tigers. It’s even harder to tell how many support them, and what that support actually speaks to. Most sources report a majority, and the Tigers have claimed 99.9%, but when I speak to local Tamils their support is often conditional or simply pretended, so they and their families are left alone by the militants. Most Tamils I’ve known certainly support the notion of a “national struggle”, and dream of independence from Sri Lanka. But most also quietly confess revulsion at the Tigers’ tactics. I was in a taxi with a Tamil driver last week, and I asked him why the flags were flown even though the Tamil community knew that would hurt their cause. He responded with no humor, “Why don’t you go and tell them to put the flags down? I dare you.”