We'll Always Have Parrish

[bcholmes]

Prime Minister Paul Martin has kicked Carolyn Parrish out of the Liberal party. Almost certainly because she appeared on a CBC comedy show stomping on a George Bush doll, and talking at great length about how much she dislikes the current Liberal regime. For my part, I actually admire Parrish for refusing to be a good little quiet backbencher, given how much grief Martin has given MPs like her (and Copps, and others). I'm also less than thrilled with Sam Bulte for braying out the party line for the press; c'mon Sam, you know Martin is no friend of yours.

Martin probably gains brownie points with Bush just prior to Bush's planned visit on November 30th, but man, the government is really tenuous right now. In theory, Carolyn Parrish could bring down the government.

Paul Wells commented tonight on CBC that he believed that when the government falls, it will be by more than one vote, and it will be because Martin wants it to fall. Speaking of Wells, I loved his little conclusion to this whole affair:

And now we come to day's most richly entertaining lesson. No prime minister can tolerate a display of open contempt from somebody who is supposed to be a member of his team. The proper response to such behaviour is dismissal. Paul Martin reached that inevitable conclusion today.

Just as Jean Chrétien reached the same conclusion in June, 2002.