Former PM Chretien's Legacy

Former PM Jean Chretien got his wish and must be having a swell time right now.

He left Paul Martin a poisoned well, a house with crumbling foundations, a farm that could yield no more crops and then sat back to watch it all turn to ashes in the hands of his successors.

The Martin forces had not been kind to him or his supporters. He paid them back at the price of a once proud party reduced to a shadow of its former self facing a long, painful road back if it is again to deserve the trust of Canadians.

Meanwhile the golfer from Shawinigan will probably quietly drop his futile law suit against Justice Gomery and go on to tee off for another round. It is often said that political parties are greater than the men who make them up and that they survive because of ( of in spite of) their successive leaders.

True enough, but periodically a leader will come around who would rather see his successor bite the dust than see the world evolve without under the leadership other than his own. No wonder potential candidates are reluctant to pick up the challenge, to assume the daunting task of years of toil in the wilderness trying to recruit new talent and mend the sorry state of party finances.

There is no quick fix for this one. Only patient, consistent and arduous work will begin to bring the house back together from the ground up.

Meanwhile, Harper will hopefully make good use of the reprieve circumstances have sent his way, after all, there 103 MPs who will not be ready for an election any time soon. He is also fortunate that the high expectations his election have generated are tempered by his minority status. He can therefore be forgiven for moving forward prudently and incrementally.

As a measure of those expectations, suffice to note that in the week following the election, the Charest government has shot up 10 points in public opinion while support for sovereinty has dropped a similar amount!

Expectations indeed.