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RON LAMBERT per Joe Hueglin
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Date Posted: 10:21:34 02/19/03 Wed
Author Host/IP: d150-99-156.home.cgocable.net/24.150.99.156
A pivotal moment for Manley, Martin, PM
Wednesday, February 19th, 2003
Paul Samyn
OTTAWA -- There was a moment yesterday afternoon when the holy trinity behind the federal Liberal budget came together to smile and shake hands.
In the middle was Jean Chretien who had just witnessed the delivery of his last budget as prime minister.
To one side was John Manley, his rookie finance minister, hoping the budget will give him momentum for the coming Liberal leadership race.
To the other was Paul Martin, the former finance minister who laid the groundwork for Manley's budget and forced Chretien into early retirement.
"Thank you, Paul," Manley said as he took the hand of the Liberal leadership front-runner.
Budget-making should not be about the personal fortunes of the politicians behind the documents.
But in the twilight of Chretien's career, and amid the high-stakes race now under way to replace him, it is hard not to frame this budget in terms of what it means to the three men who put on happy faces as they converged in the Commons.
For Chretien, the spending spree was not only a clear victory for his last agenda, but also a chance to make up for lost time and for promises made but not yet kept.
When the aging prime minister unveiled his ambitious throne speech last fall, there was plenty of talk by suddenly emboldened Martin-supporting backbenchers that they weren't going to allow Chretien to start writing big cheques that their guy would have to end up paying as prime minister.
But while the Liberal caucus has made Chretien sweat on the small stuff, his will and his vision were clear for all to see in the budget.
Not only did Chretien get his way, but he can also lay claim to keeping his word on such previously unfinished social projects as a national day-care plan, home care and, most importantly, more money for health care.
"You don't have to be Columbo to find the prime minister's legacy-seeking fingerprints all over the budget," said Walter Robinson of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
True. But what of Manley? Was he a budget-maker or a dictation-taker?
They say there can be no light between the prime minister and the finance minister and by all accounts Manley has no trouble living with the document that bears his name.
As for momentum, could it come from the fact that Manley can now fairly portray himself to Liberals as someone with a strong social conscience, a politician who -- unlike Martin who made his name hacking and slashing -- cares enough to restore funding to the priorities of Canadians? Could it be that Manley, the tax lawyer with a right-wing streak, now has a softer image more in keeping with the sentiments of Liberals?
Could it also be that some Liberals will rethink their leadership loyalties, now that Manley is the finance minister who said yes to the projects and priorities of both cabinet ministers and backbenchers?
For his part, Martin was not saying much.
"I am not going to be making extensive comments on the budget; this is John Manley's day," Martin told reporters.
But it is more likely this will be the only time it is Manley's day after almost 15 years of Martin controlling the finances of the nation.
From 1993 until his sudden and dramatic exit from cabinet in June, Martin was both director and star performer in the annual budget show. And if he is prime minister by this time next year, he will not only be deciding who delivers the next budget, but the ones that follow.
No doubt then, Martin will have plenty to say about this budget and whether its vision and spending commitments carry foward.
paul.samyn@freepress.mb.ca
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