Tag: ndp

Has it ever been so good to be a New Democrat?

I can’t think of a time in the party’s 50-year history when it’s likely  been more fun to be a New Democrat. And by “fun”, I mean holding the levers of power or being close to holding the levers of power. I realize there are some New Democrats who believe the federal party are becoming a bunch of vendus, that under Thomas Mulcair the party is ready to sacrifice its founding socialist principles just to form a government.

But I’ll leave that debate for the next NDP convention.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair in the House of Commons
YES, PRIME MINISTER? A new poll shows NDP leader Thomas Mulcair would be PM if a vote were held today. In this picture, he receives a standing ovation from his caucus during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa June 12, 2012.(REUTERS/Chris Wattie)

Continue reading Has it ever been so good to be a New Democrat?

'Dutch Disease' metaphor wrong for Canada

Mike Moffatt, an economist and assistant professor at Western University in London, Ont., and I assess NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair’s claim that Canadian resource development, particularly in the oilsands, have given Canada’s economy “Dutch Disease”:

 

For the Ottawa bubble types: Leaders make staff adjustments

The staffs of party leaders can make a world of difference when it comes to the effectiveness of their chief’s mission so, here on the Hill, we tend to keep a close eye on whose coming and going in key positions. A few changes today: Continue reading For the Ottawa bubble types: Leaders make staff adjustments

In December, psychic predicted Mulcair's win — followed by NDP backstabbing

Back in December on my program the Daily Brief, we invited psychic Blair Robertson to join us to give us a heads-up on what was going to happen in 2012. Though Robertson now lives in Arizona, he was born and raised in Toronto. Among other things, Robertson predicted in December that Mulcair would win the NDP leadership. But he also said at the time that, in his view, the Mulcair win was not going to be a good thing for the NDP, suggesting that the win will produce a great deal of backstabbing. “I feel the NDP is going to be in total disarray. We are going to see a big mess in the future no matter who wins.” Continue reading In December, psychic predicted Mulcair's win — followed by NDP backstabbing

NDP Leadership Convention: The numbers

I’m in Toronto this weekend to cover the NDP leadership convention.

There are 130,000 people eligible to vote. The party has just announced that 55,659 ballots were cast ahead of time using the preferential ballot. The balance will be cast in real-time during each round of voting. The first round of voting begins tonight at 5 pm EDT. The results from the first ballot will be announced Saturday morning at 1000 EDT. (We’ll have all the results live on Sun News Network)

There is an army of media here. The party says nearly 700 “media” credentials have been provided.

And there is also an army of New Democrats here: 4,212 registered delegates at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Has Canada moved left during the Harper decade?

In my column across our chain today, I suggest that the answer to that question may be yes!

Harper has convinced fewer than a million Canadians to move right in the last decade, while Jack Layton convinced a whopping 3.4 million Canadians to move left to vote NDP in same period.

Moreover, a New Democrat looks a good bet to win the premiership in B.C. next year.

A New Democrat is premier in Manitoba and Nova Scotia. New Democrats are the official opposition in Saskatchewan and hold the balance of power in Ontario

Please, if you would, read the rest of my argument at the Ottawa Sun’s site...

Back and forth with the NDP leadership race

A few interesting developments today in the NDP Leadership race:

  • Leadership candidate Martin Singh is telling his supporters that after marking him as number one on the preferential ballot being used in the race, they should mark rival Thomas Mulcair as number two. This comes after a week in which the Brian Topp Continue reading Back and forth with the NDP leadership race

Vote now: Who won the Vancouver NDP leadership debate?

There are nearly 40,000 New Democrats in BC who have voted/will be voting in the NDP leadership race. This afternoon in Vancouver, leadership candidates engaged in the final and perhaps most important all-candidates debate of the campaign. Did you watch? Who do you think won? Vote right here and then tell us why in the comments section: Continue reading Vote now: Who won the Vancouver NDP leadership debate?

An Old Tory reflects on the Liberal convention: Living in a time warp

Keith Beardsley was “on the inside” as a member of Stephen Harper’s inner circle both while Harper was in opposition and, later, as deputy chief of staff to the Conservative prime minister.  After visiting the Liberal biennial convention in Ottawa this weekend, he blogged some observations. Click through Continue reading An Old Tory reflects on the Liberal convention: Living in a time warp