Why Conservatives Should Thank Chuck Cadman

"But if you are talking about government functioning in the interests of ordinary Canadians, families, communities and the nation, Parliament functioned better yesterday than it has at any time in the past twenty years. Forget the lack of so-called 'decorum,' the name-calling, the opportunism of the Liberals and the motives of Belinda Stronach. Who cares? If you are keeping your eye on the prize, for the first time in a long time, Canadians actually got out of a federal government what they have been saying for over a decade that they want: a return to activist government which operates in their interests and not in the exclusive interests of corporations and the wealthy.

And they got it because the NDP's leader Jack Layton was able to leverage just 19 seats - a fifth of what the over-represented Conservatives have - to achieve a package of progressive funding arrangements for the environment, cities, affordable housing, child care and universities. All the machinations aside, that is what happened May 19th as the Liberal government managed to win a budget vote by the skin of its teeth"