Yes, we’re at the point in the campaign where we can’t go a couple of days without plenty of developments – even in the absence of formal debates or other major events. So let’s take a look at how the week ended on the campaign trail. – Niki Ashton received
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David Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: Time to loosen up and let federal NDP Quebec caucus learn in public – out here in Alberta
The Liberal Party rises from the dead? Not going to happen. Even Justin Trudeau doesn’t look like the guy with his hand in the air. If you want to skid the Harper Conservatives, it’s NDP you’re going to have to ask to do the job. Below: Lise St. Denis. The
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Issues and Themes in the Toronto NDP Federal Leadership Debate
Part one of this blog’s coverage of the Toronto NDP Federal Leadership debate on January 18th gives an overview of the various candidates more on the side of personality, debating skills, speaking skills, and the like. This second post takes a look at the dominant themes and issues raised in
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Roundup
Last night’s Toronto leadership forum has received plenty of attention, including media coverage as well as personal takes from Ian Welsh and Progressive Proselytizing. Subject to the below my own take on the candidates didn’t change much from what I saw in December’s debate, but a few points do seem
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Toronto NDP Federal Leadership Debate Reactions
I attended the Toronto Area Council NDP Federal Leadership Debate. What follows is a range of reactions about the candidates, policies, and themes in this debate. Crowd: The crowd packed the 850 seat theater at the Bloor Collegiate Institute leaving 150 outside and unable to enter; an excellent showing, especially given that this is
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Candidate Rankings – January 15, 2012
At the outset of this week’s rankings, I’ll offer a reminder that the below is intended to reflect my analysis as to how likely any given candidate is to win the NDP’s leadership race, rather than my own personal ballot or any other endorsement of one candidate over another. And
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Roundup
Yes, it’s only been a couple of days since my last roundup post. But I’ll let the pace of news determine how often I put them up – and the end of this week offered loads of material for discussion. – Niki Ashton made a statement on LGBT equality in
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Roundup
It’s been another busy week in the NDP leadership race, with policies, events and endorsements galore. So let’s jump right in… – Niki Ashton released both a statement on multiculturalism and a health-care plan, with one familiar idea featuring prominently in the media’s coverage in Saskatoon – and will be
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics blog: thomas mulcair comes to edmonton.
Thomas Mulcair Last week I had to opportunity to hear Outremont MP and NDP leadership candidate Thomas Mulcair speak in Edmonton. Aside from being aware of his role as Jack Layton‘s Quebec Lieutenant and that he was once a provincial cabinet minister, my knowledge of Mr. Mulcair was not vast. I
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Candidate Rankings – January 8, 2012
There isn’t anything new in the candidate rankings for this week, as the latest developments have generally left the NDP’s leadership contenders in substantially the same position they’ve occupied for some time. But there may be some major changes in the works over the next little while – so let’s
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Roundup
Not surprisingly, the last week has seen the NDP’s leadership candidates push their campaigns into high gear for the last couple of months of the race. So let’s take a quick look at what’s developed in the first week of 2012. – Niki Ashton spoke to Andy Radia about her
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: First impressions: No false steps that matter for NDP candidate Thomas Mulcair
Your blogger yesterday in a future vanity wall picture with NDP leadership candidate Thomas Mulcair. Thomas Mulcair turned in a virtually faultless performance in Edmonton last night, proving once again that the federal Opposition New Democratic Party is attracting top-quality candidates as it completes its sad duty to replace Jack
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Frances Russell criticizes the Cons’ latest attempts to stifle parliamentary accountability. And the Citizen can only scoff at Tony Clement’s claim to be an advocate for open government: What matters is whether government makes information available. The statistics from access-to-information requests suggest
Continue readingA Different Point of View....: Should we ‘take down’ the banks or try to save the best of capitalism?
It is November 1968, and a writer for Modern Mechanix peers 40 years into the future: “People have more time for leisure activities in the year 2008. The average work day is about four hours . . . . Homes are practically self-maintaining. Robots are available to do housework and
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Travaillons ensemble
Following up on this post, I’ll expand briefly on what looks to be one of the more interesting questions for the balance of the NDP’s leadership race. I’ve pointed out before that one of the subtle advantages of having a leadership race immediately after ascending to Official Opposition status is
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Links and Policy Roundup 3
Assorted policy and punditry from the NDP leadership campaign. – On the policy front, it’s looking like time to give Nathan Cullen full credit for being well ahead of the pack with a well-rounded and detailed set of policies. I missed his democratic reform proposal in my last policy roundup
Continue readingthe reeves report: The cautious politics of choosing a leader
NDP leadership candidates at the first debate held in December, 2011. As the race to replace Jack Layton heats up, it was only a matter of time before the candidates began taking significant steps to differentiate themselves from their fellow candidates. Eight candidates remain in the race to lead the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Anyone But
As promised, let’s take a closer look at the dynamics of “anyone but” movements in leadership campaigns – with a particular focus on whether one looks likely to develop in the NDP’s current race. The most obvious prerequisite for an “anyone but” movement is the perception that a particular candidate
Continue readingDavid Climenhaga's Alberta Diary: The Marxist Analysis of ‘the Wave’ in Sports Stadia
Perfesser Dave at a Blue Jays game, photo courtesy a kindly Yankees fan. Below: Exhibition Stadium – the cheap seats are at left, directly behind centre field! Below that: Thomas Mulclair; Niki Ashton. Maclean’s Magazine once said that the Toronto Maple Leafs – which should be called the Maple Leaves,
Continue readingBrian Topp Sinks to a New (Conservative) Low
What was it that most attracted people about the NDP campaign in 2011? Was it that we offered a social democratic alternative to the hard edged ideology of Stephen Harper? Was it that we actually planned to implement our platform unlike numerous Liberal governments and could therefore be trusted?
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