Jim Flaherty jumped ship yesterday. It came as no surprise. When he questioned the wisdom of income splitting, he signalled that he was heading for dry land. He had the temerity to question the central tenet of Harperism. The surplus could not be used to pay down the national debt. And, more unacceptable still, it could not be invested in national priorities. It had to be used for tax cuts.
Tax cuts don't serve the nation. They serve one purpose -- and one purpose only. They buy votes. And, therefore, they keep Stephen Harper in power. It was the equivalent of questioning the Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation. Flaherty had to be ex-communicated. For his part, he was quite willing to leave.
While he issued a statement touting what he feels are his accomplishments as finance minister, it would appear that Mr. Flaherty is content to live in his apostasy. Like Milton's Lucifer, he prefers to reign in hell rather than serve in heaven.
