Harper-Ignatieff deal to study EI averts summer vote

Again, not surprising:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff reached a deal on Tuesday to examine employment insurance reform, averting the possibility of a summer election following days of speculation over the fate of the minority Conservative government.

Earlier this week, Ignatieff had threatened to withhold confidence in a budget estimates vote on Friday unless Harper provided answers on a series of issues, including the Tories' unspecified plans for more EI proposals in the fall.

But after a series of face-to-face meetings in recent days, the political rivals agreed to create a working group on employment insurance that will have three members selected by the Liberals and three by the Conservatives.

Source. While I'm happy not to have to work on yet another election campaign this summer, I have to wonder what Iggy is actually going to get out of this. When Jack Layton cut a deal with Paul Martin to avert an election in 2005, Canadians got billions of dollars worth of investment in things that matter to everyday folks (housing, transit, education, etc). I have to wonder what's going to come of this "working group". Oh well, I'm sure we'll see soon enough.