Writing in The Globe and Mail last Saturday, Lawrence Martin got it right. If, as appears likely, Canada is in for a period of minority governments, our future leaders will be those who are able to find common ground and forge alliances with their competitors for the voters’ favour. The electorate is not showing signs of dissatisfaction with minority government. Ontario’s electoral reform commission almost unanimously endorsed a proposal for parliamentary reform which would guarantee minority provincial governments for the foreseeable future. In the future, success in politics will depend on building alliances.
In reaching an agreement with Green Party leader Elizabeth May with respect to fielding candidates in their respective ridings in the next federal election, Dion and May demonstrated their commitment to the environment surpasses partisan interests. This is “doing politics differently” – something Canadians have been demanding and will reward. Yes, it’s risky, but the Liberal Party needs to be a bit dramatic if it wants to recapture public interest and support.
The Green Party drew 4.5% of the vote in 2006 but, with no seats in the House of Commons and slim prospects for electing anyone in the next election, whenever it occurs, needs an ally to move its agenda forward. The NDP has long been seen as the Green’s most natural partner given the two parties mutual history of relegation to the sidelines of Canadian politics by the two major parties and commonalities in their platforms – environmental concerns, opposition to NAFTA, etc. There is one difference, however. The NDP share of the vote and its position in opinion polls is stagnant. Jack Layton has been unable to grow the NDP vote share, while the Green’s has surged, albeit from a next-to-nothing starting point. The NDP got a scare when it trailed the Green Party in the 2007 London North Centre and dropped 10% in its vote draw.
May was ready to talk co-operation for their mutual benefit but not the leader of the NDP. She couldn’t have been any clearer than when she stated on CTV’s Question Period, “can’t Jack Layton answer the phone? He certainly talks to Stephen Harper a lot.” Jack’s shameless vanity and propensity to seek-out photo ops is well known to those who have observed him in Toronto for decades. Now Canadians across the country can view what a a classless act he is. He would rather play cozy with the PM than commit to replacing the Harper government with a progressive contingent in the House of Commons,
It’s not unlike the treatment given Buzz Hargrove and the CAW by the NDP in the last federal election. Hargrove showed common sense in stating the political enemy was the CPC, not the Liberals and that progressives, whether NDP or Liberal should vote for the candidate in their riding most likely to deny the CPC the seat. For that Hargrove was expelled from the NDP in a move that stated, loudly and clearly, “better Harper than a weakened NDP”.
It merits repeating, if Jack Layton really cared about the environment, he would support the effort to deny the CPC another term at the helm. Instead, he is working with the CPC to promote a toothless clean-air act and to pass other legislation, like amendments to the Criminal Code, that are contrary to long-standing NDP policy.
So along comes Stéphane Dion, with a promise to do things differently. First-up, a demonstration that a shared commitment to a common goal outranks petty partisan bragging rights such as a claim to have candidates in every riding in Canada. Dion is also acknowledging that the LPC’s chance for success in Central Nova is next-to-nil, so why waste resources, which are in scarce supply for the LPC. He is also laying the foundation for future co-operation with the Green Party that might well be critical in some unknown future scenario. It’s an indicator of behavioural maturity that Canadians just may warm to and to which voters will respond favourably. The fear-mongers suggesting it’s a suicidal move for DIon may just be, along with Layton and Harper, parts of the old politics.
I certainly am not afraid.
In reaching an agreement with Green Party leader Elizabeth May with respect to fielding candidates in their respective ridings in the next federal election, Dion and May demonstrated their commitment to the environment surpasses partisan interests. This is “doing politics differently” – something Canadians have been demanding and will reward. Yes, it’s risky, but the Liberal Party needs to be a bit dramatic if it wants to recapture public interest and support.
The Green Party drew 4.5% of the vote in 2006 but, with no seats in the House of Commons and slim prospects for electing anyone in the next election, whenever it occurs, needs an ally to move its agenda forward. The NDP has long been seen as the Green’s most natural partner given the two parties mutual history of relegation to the sidelines of Canadian politics by the two major parties and commonalities in their platforms – environmental concerns, opposition to NAFTA, etc. There is one difference, however. The NDP share of the vote and its position in opinion polls is stagnant. Jack Layton has been unable to grow the NDP vote share, while the Green’s has surged, albeit from a next-to-nothing starting point. The NDP got a scare when it trailed the Green Party in the 2007 London North Centre and dropped 10% in its vote draw.
May was ready to talk co-operation for their mutual benefit but not the leader of the NDP. She couldn’t have been any clearer than when she stated on CTV’s Question Period, “can’t Jack Layton answer the phone? He certainly talks to Stephen Harper a lot.” Jack’s shameless vanity and propensity to seek-out photo ops is well known to those who have observed him in Toronto for decades. Now Canadians across the country can view what a a classless act he is. He would rather play cozy with the PM than commit to replacing the Harper government with a progressive contingent in the House of Commons,
It’s not unlike the treatment given Buzz Hargrove and the CAW by the NDP in the last federal election. Hargrove showed common sense in stating the political enemy was the CPC, not the Liberals and that progressives, whether NDP or Liberal should vote for the candidate in their riding most likely to deny the CPC the seat. For that Hargrove was expelled from the NDP in a move that stated, loudly and clearly, “better Harper than a weakened NDP”.
It merits repeating, if Jack Layton really cared about the environment, he would support the effort to deny the CPC another term at the helm. Instead, he is working with the CPC to promote a toothless clean-air act and to pass other legislation, like amendments to the Criminal Code, that are contrary to long-standing NDP policy.
So along comes Stéphane Dion, with a promise to do things differently. First-up, a demonstration that a shared commitment to a common goal outranks petty partisan bragging rights such as a claim to have candidates in every riding in Canada. Dion is also acknowledging that the LPC’s chance for success in Central Nova is next-to-nil, so why waste resources, which are in scarce supply for the LPC. He is also laying the foundation for future co-operation with the Green Party that might well be critical in some unknown future scenario. It’s an indicator of behavioural maturity that Canadians just may warm to and to which voters will respond favourably. The fear-mongers suggesting it’s a suicidal move for DIon may just be, along with Layton and Harper, parts of the old politics.
I certainly am not afraid.
