WHAT NEXT?

The Opposition would need more than the aftermath of the much maligned "Own The Podium" debacle at the Olympic Games, and the Government's status-quo March 4 Federal Budget if it had plans to trigger a spring election.

But the fact of the matter is: Regardless of the rhetoric from the Liberals and the NDP over last December's Prorogation; the Conservative Senate appointments; the Olympic melt-down (forgive the pun); or the gimmick less budget...When Parliament resumes next week, the rhetoric will be lame and merely a play for the media's attention.

And, since the Parliamentary Press Gallery had been idled through much of the winter by Mr. Harper's vastly unpopular Prorogation matter, the Parliamentarians from the sides opposite will get all of the media attention they'll be vying for.

Though the truth is that no one neither wants nor expects the defeat of Mr. Harper's minority Government over whatever supply measures, belt tightening, or "ho-hum" steady as she goes Flaherty Budget scheduled for delivery next Wednesday...nor for that matter any lack-lustre legislative agenda to be contained in Governor-General, Michaele Jean's, last Speech From The Throne the previous day, Tuesday, March 3.

The country is disappointed with Vancouver's medal count; the Federal deficit is a monster hiding in a closet; the economic recovery is slower than anticipated; implementation of the dreaded Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) in Ontario and British Columbia is just around the corner...so the opposition parties are set to let the Tories deal with all of the fall-out and stoke the media fury in the process.

From the Government's perspective meantime: The Prime Minister is set to host both the Summit of G-8 Leaders in Huntsville, Ontario and the G-20 Economic Summit in Toronto in June so bet that the Conservatives (Having eliminated Prorogation as a back-up) will Bobbe, weave, and rope-a-dope to avoid any embarrassing issues and/or controversies that could focus unpleasant attention during the spring term. There are even rumours about Parliament Hill that Mr. Harper may be planning to crown his own spring achievements on July the first by having The Queen herself swear-in Michaele Jean's successor as Governor-General. Buckingham Palace has already confirmed that Her Majesty and Prince Phillip will indeed be in Ottawa on July 1, 2010 as part of a late June early July visit to the Colony.

Thus, all in all the Parliamentary preliminaries to the June and July calendar, starting with next week's resumption of the sitting of the House of Commons, are likely to be pretty lame and tame indeed.