Article content continued

Conservatives have a lot of trouble sustaining that position long enough to reap the political and policy rewards given the mud-storm every time they say something won’t work, especially from the good-intentions crowd saying you must be a meanie who doesn’t want it to work. So they often react in two understandable but incompatible and counterproductive ways.

First, they adopt liberal positions. Second, they become surly and offensive. Hence the most harshly partisan Tories are often also the reddest. Not coincidentally, they win majorities federally only once a generation (1930, 1958, 1984, 2011) and spend the resulting brief term in power thrashing incoherently between what they think and what they said. So it’s not a great plan even compared to mine.

Which is, don’t panic and lurch left or try to get Andrew Scheer jiggy socks. Instead, point out that the Liberals’ good intentions are not working, politely but firmly and at every opportunity. Sooner or later voters will see that you were right. Unless you’re not, in which case you shouldn’t win.

What has government not already promised us?

As for the Liberals, I’m not sure what might qualify for Ivison’s “new slate of ideas … more radical, more inclusive and more ambitious than the last batch.” What has government not already promised us, from freedom from want to freedom from gender to freedom from sin? Shall we repeal the law of gravity and bid farewell to skinned knees? Or outlaw aging? But in any case, their problem is not their failure to dazzle. It’s creeping doubts that they know how the world works, reinforced by the languid pace of legislation in 2017.

So Liberals should combat their natural instinct to close their eyes, click their heels together and repeat “nation to nation reconciliation,” “higher minimum wages,” “big spending balanced budges” or “perfect voting system” and instead try to figure out how to steer a hot air balloon.

Otherwise a bucket of cold water might melt their electoral prospects.