"Read the blog and make up your own mind"

It appears that my friend Amy is not the only public figure to get in trouble over a blog recently. The federal Conservatives were already in a minority position before today's shenanigans with Garth Turner. Mr. Turner's blog is here.

It makes me sad to see that a federal party can't handle internal criticism. I spend a lot of time telling people that it's OK to show diversity, that allowing differences to show is actually healthy and that you can never keep everyone in lockstep no matter how hard you try. In fact, insisting on total agreement is a sure road to failure, because the first time someone even hints that they don't agree, it's taken as a sign that your entire organization is falling apart.

Mr. Prime Minister, breathe. It's OK to have different ideas. It's good to surround yourself with people who have a range of opinions. When people disagree, you might want to take it as an opportunity to appeal to a broader cross-section of the electorate. Goodness knows you could use the votes.