Yesterday we read Bunkbeck painting a picture of Gary Doer descending into Kim Jong Il-like delusion for simply pointing out that the media has been soft beyond reason on the opposition's hypocrisy: ringing the bells in a futile stunt last session to try and force an inquiry into the Crocus affair (that worked really well), thereby not fulfilling their sworn parliamentary duties; and getting plenty of column inches and airtime since then bitching about not returning to the House at the crack of September.
Of course the answer to why they are getting away with this hypocrisy in the media is simple. It serves the media's interests to have it both ways.
They thrive on conflict and controversy, even when there is little substance behind it. So despite the fact that Crocus has been examined at depth and there seems little more to find out, the call for a public inquiry -- notwithstanding its dubious utility and great expense -- would serve the media and opposition well as a circus to drive their business. So holding the opposition to account for their shirking of responsibility is out of the question.
Similarly, simply dismissing the opposition's gripes about not going into the House as early as they would like -- even though it is they who scuttled the deal that would have meant an earlier start -- wouldn't serve the media agenda either.
So letting the Tories and Libs get away with terminal inconsistency is completely understandable from the Manitoba media's narrow agenda.
Though it may serve the media and the opposition reasonably well, unfortunately it's not much of a public service.
Now, to the substance of what the premier said that seemed to tick off Tom so much -- if the opposition would have actually used their time more constructively during the spring session instead of pursuing a miscalculated stunt, and actually asked questions of the government about these important issues they now raise, one could take their whining a little more seriously.
For example, Jon Gerrard grouses that it is vital to get into the House because Manitoba's job creation stats don't yet match Alberta's.
However, in the last session neither he nor little Kevin asked one single question about job creation.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
They actually opposed the creation of 1,100 jobs in Winnipeg via OlyWest.
Did our intrepid gallery report that? Of course not. Why would they?
Well, with the announcement of a new session starting next month, the opposition parties can now surely stop complaining about the break in between sittings in the leg and get busy working on their best shots for QP.
And perhaps, just perhaps, this will encourage Don (CSI Tuxedo) Orchard to focus more on prepping Hugh for the bad theatre called the legislature, instead of sharpening his shiv aimed straight at Denis Rocan's back.