The Democratic Deficit just became a Recession. (en francais)

Jack Pack #3

Winnipeg Sun News - Kathleen Harris

Just hours before the historic vote, Minister of State Joe Comuzzi quit cabinet so he could vote against the government's bill. He was among 32 Liberals who voted against the government.

NDP MP Bev Desjarlais was booted to the back row and stripped of her critic's duties as punishment for violating orders from Leader Jack Layton to support the bill.

"I understand it's party policy and recognized there would be discipline, and I can live with that," she said.

• Judy Sgro - "Shades of Gray"? - seems pretty black and white to me. The fact that she is still a member of the Liberal caucus and not under criminal investigation speaks volumes. Paul Martin will probably have her back in cabinet as soon as he can re-shuffle the deck chairs on the Titanic. Maybe Minister of Human Resources so she can arrange cushy jobs for all those visa applicants she approved during the last election. You can't forget your supporters now, can you?
  

• Ujal Dosanjh - yet another display of Liberal ethics and morals. That he remains in cabinet is an affront to Canadians.

...balance these two with:

• Joe Comuzzi - resigned from Cabinet in order to be allowed to vote by choice, not by Paul Martin's orders
  

• Bev Desjarlais - stripped of her critics portfolio and banished to the back benches for having the temerity to actually exercise her vote, as she was elected to do. I guess the Jack Pack doesn't value democracy as highly as some other things.

Three Conservative MPs voted with the government, in support of Bill C-38. They did this with the full knowledge that the CPC policy respects the right of MPs to vote freely, without coercion.

At the rate Paul Martin and the Jack Pack are going, we should be in a full-fledged Democratic Recession by fall.