Cherniak on Politics
Here is an interesting set of clips that makes one think. Layton wants a Harper minority with him in the balance of power. Hence his vehemence about siding with Harper to exclude May from the debates.
Canadians were enraged by both of them and they folded like old lawn chairs...but the mutual benefit of feigning a fight is still being played out on the political stage.
Layton is betraying NDP principles and is after personal political power just as much and aggressively as Harper is.
So much for Mr. Social Justice. This strategy by Jack Layton is going to erode his personal credibility and tie his trustworthiness to the same level as Harper...virtually Zero.
Layton and the NDP are running to win. It is not the job of the NDP to bow out or down when the Liberal party is tanking. It is the job of the NDP to be true to their principles as a progressive POLITICAL party. The NDP is not a lobby group or an civil society group. I have worked for both and I understand that each has a very important role to play but their roles are not interchangeable. Progressives who truly want real change and not empty promises followed by a string of annual re-announcements of money that never materializes can continue to waste their votes on the Liberals. I would sooner vote for a party that will bring in cap and trade that will reduce ghg emissions (because there will be a hard cap unlike the Liberal plan that has no caps). I party that will tie corporate subsidies or tax credits to job and enviro guarantees. I could go on and on. Ken - I can respect you if you are a Liberal but I have little patience for 'progressive' people who isn't that the only option no matter how anemic is the Liberal Party.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you Patricia. We will disagree without being disagreeable - unlike the neo-Republicans of the CPC.
ReplyDeleteHard caps are a requirment - not an option. Please come back and "go on and on" - I would appreciate the intelligent enchange.
Don't forget all the neo-republican extremists in the PC Party of Alberta. No one there supports hard caps.
ReplyDeleteSo if alleged collusion by Layton with Harper "...is going to erode his personal credibility and tie his trustworthiness to the same level as Harper...virtually Zero" then,
ReplyDeleteWhat does it say for the personal credibility and trustworthiness of May and Dion, who have an actual collusion agreement, not an alleged one? At the very least there is admitted collusion to enhance May's chances of unseating Peter MacKay by the Liberals not running an candidate in that riding. Setting aside the apparent anger generated by some local Liberals by not being allowed to have one of their own as a candidate, isn't it an assault on democracy by articifically limited the choices of voters in that specific riding?
Anon @ 9:25 am Harper is intentionally NOT running a candidate against Andre Arthur, in Quebec, the only sitting Independent MP.
ReplyDeleteDon't you think that is inconsistent with your facts about Harper and providing choice to voters in that specific riding?
Anon @ 9:25 am Harper is intentionally NOT running a candidate against Andre Arthur, in Quebec, the only sitting Independent MP.
ReplyDeleteDon't you think that is inconsistent with your facts about Harper and providing choice to voters in that specific riding?
How can Chapman talk about hard caps and yet support Stelmach?
ReplyDeleteHard Caps and Stelmach support is easy. His Environment Minister has comitted to them by 2012 at the latest...and with $2B for CCS - it may be sooner that they are put in place.
ReplyDeleteIf anything the Stelmach conservatives are far mroe right wing than the Harper administration. Glad Chapman supports them!
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