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Even at the highest ranks of politics, the double hypocrisy is a rare event.

Duplicity we get lots of. But a two-fer, a political BOGO, that’s scarce.

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So aficionados of Ottawa might want to take a moment to soak in the singular spectacle of Canada’s $15 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, which has Liberals and Conservatives alike exposing their lack of sincerity on the same issue at the same time.

The Liberals were first in the game, as new Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion performed his rendition of a man with his feet on fire as he tried to hotstep his way around the Liberal’s refusal to cancel the deal. During the election campaign the Liberals attacked the Conservatives for refusing to release details of the sale, and for failing to stand up to the Saudis on human rights issues, while at the same time revealing they wouldn’t cancel the deal. No one noted that contradiction much during the campaign – everyone was too eager to condemn Stephen Harper – but now that the Liberals are in power the question is being raised.