Conservatives Just Can't Keep Their Mouths Shut

We all knew that when Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced he would enforce strict party discipline just after taking on his role as Dear Father of the country he would never be able to completely muzzle his minions. He claimed that those who went beyond talk about his party's five priorities would face severe punishment. All MPs were to have their public statements vetted through his office - or else, he proclaimed. Yet, with members speaking out of turn time after time, Harper refuses to mete out any discipline. Witness the weekend comments by Saskatoon MP Vellacott and the response by the PMO:

"I don't think it is the role of the judge, whether left or right or conservative or whatever stripe [he] happens to be, to actually figure to play the position of God," the Tory MP for Saskatoon-Wanuskewin told Lawand.

Vellacott, a former pastor who claims a doctoral degree from Trinity International University in Chicago, then singled out Beverley McLachlin, the chief justice of Canada.

He claimed McLachlin "herself said actually when they step into this role that suddenly there's some kind of mystical power that comes over them, which everything that they've ever decreed is not to be questioned.

"They actually have the discernment and almost prophetic ability to plumb and know the mind of the public."

The chief justice has denied she ever made such a comment and Vellacott knew he'd better apologize if he didn't want to get the boot.

Yet, during Monday's Question Period, when faced with questions from Liberal leader Bill Graham who wanted to know if Vellacott would be disciplined, Prime Minister Harper completely backed away from his role as Dear Father. He stated repeatedly that Vellacott "does not speak for the government" and refused to offer any punishment for the MP. Instead, he defended him.

Has Harper suddenly gone soft? Has he relinquished his ultimate power to control all things Tory in the country? Will other Conservatives realize that they too can just speak out freely without being turfed? Will chaos ensue? Has Harper burned down the woodshed that he promised to take errant members out to in order to spank their pants off when they step out of line? Has he turned into one of those permissive (gasp) parents? Is he losing his grip?

If anyone believed the 'Stephen Harper - Man of Action' mantra he's tried so hard to perpetuate or the fact that he has 'mystical powers' to censor his mean Tories, surely that little bubble has now burst. Those of us who knew what was coming are just shaking our heads and saying, 'I told you so'.