Common Touch

In Paul Wells book he points out an observation that Jason Kenney made that the LPC has lost touch with the common man and does not have a solid grass roots org. PW also notes that "conservative" parties have been steadily increasing their seat totals and popular vote since 1993. In addition, the NDP and the CPC receive a higher percentage of individual donations as compared to the LPC. Basically, the thesis is that the CPC is doing well now because it connects with the common man or woman. Also, when I was at the Paul Martin send off, a woman beside me who worked for a Liberal MP, noted that how the Liberal hierarchy at the event was segregated from the rest of the crowd and that even some MPs were forced to sit in the crowd, enhancing the idea that the LPC is the party of the "elite". Does the Liberal party need to do a better job of connecting with the common folk (like me) and will the fact that we have picked a leader who is an intellectual instead of going with a Martha or a GK who have more of a common touch going to affect the party's chances going forward? I do not really believe that the party needs to dumb down to make its point like the CPC does, but does it need to simplify its message?

Cash grab?

I have been debating on the Globe site about Baird's comment on the new Liberal environmental policy being a "cash grab". The Globe reports "Companies would be fined for every tonne of emissions above the Kyoto target, starting at $20 a tonne in 2008 and rising to $30 by 2011. The money would go into an independent account and companies could get their money back by investing in emission-reduction technology." However, one rebuttal that I cannot answer is this: "they only get up $10 per tonne back. There is also the issue of only 80% of the total dollars going into the fund. Where is the other 20% going to go???" Any answers?

Also, why is the auto-industry supposedly exempt?