TORONTO, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Would he dare?
Prime Minister Jean Chretien has threatened to call an election if he finds it too difficult to govern because of a growing crisis within his Liberal caucus.
At least that's what Canada's public television network is reporting, after hearing from sources inside a closed-door Cabinet meeting this week.
The news is a stunning revelation of just how fractured the Liberal Party has become over Chretien's leadership and his plan to step down in February 2004.
Threat or not, several Cabinet ministers apparently replied: "OK, let's go."
The prime minister's comments came minutes before a backbench revolt that saw 56 Liberal members of Parliament vote for an opposition motion.
It called for parliamentary committee chairmen to be elected by secret ballot, rather than being appointed by the prime minister.
The rebellion is being called the lowest point of his political career.
Chetien supporters are pointing the finger at his political foe -- former Finance Minister Paul Martin.
Martin has been campaigning for the prime minister's job unofficially for several months and reportedly raised millions of dollars for his war chest.
It was Martin who promised in a speech weeks ago that, if chosen by Liberals as their next leader, he would push for parliamentary reforms -- like secret votes for committee chairmen.
Members of the Canadian Alliance, not the Liberal Party, raised the idea in the House of Commons.
The relatively mundane housekeeping motion was not a vote of confidence on the country's financial affairs -- one that could have brought down the government.
But it dealt a devastating blow to Chretien and comes as he tries to create a lasting legacy for Canadians to remember him when he's gone.
The big theory gaining steam in Ottawa -- if the Opposition keeps working with Martin supporters, a divided Liberal caucus may create a dysfunctional government and lead to a general election.
For its part, the Prime Minister's Office is scoffing at reports their man made the threat.
As if the Prime Minister's Office isn't busy enough doing damage control, along comes another Cabinet minister facing allegations of political interference.
This time, it's Immigration Minister Dennis Coderre being investigated by the government's ethics counselor.
Opposition critics allege his aides negotiated with ad firm to arrange a series of conferences on amateur sport several weeks before an official contract for the work was actually issued.
Coderre was the minister responsible for amateur sport at the time, and the ad agency is the same one implicated in other government corruption scandals.
Cabinet ministers awarded cushy contracts to the firm without any competition because it was Liberal-friendly.
In some cases, investigators couldn't even find evidence of work the company was paid for.
And finally, government as the grinch that stole Christmas.
Well, almost.
It seems the Ontario government plans to dramatically scale back the usual holiday display of big trees and lots of lights outside the provincial Legislature.
All this comes in an effort to reduce its skyrocketing electricity bill.
The government is suddenly realizing, like every other home and business owner in Ontario, that power rates have sudden gone up -- doubling or tripling in some cases.
And why, Santa's elves would surely ask, is that?
The province decided to deregulate its power generating system this year.
