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Accidental Deliberations: New column day

Aug

17

2017

Here, following up on my recent posts as to the state of the federal NDP’s leadership race as of today’s membership deadline. For much more material on the leadership campaign, I’ll simply point again to the reference page here. And I’ll encourage anybody interested in the NDP’s place in Canadian politics to sign up and ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Candidate Rankings – August 13

Aug

13

2017

As I noted here, there have been a number of key developments in the NDP’s leadership campaign since last week’s rankings. And two in particular have changed my impression as to the relative likelihood of success for the top two candidates, I’ll assemble a new set of rankings for this week – while noting that ...

Accidental Deliberations: On banked support

Aug

12

2017

A couple of weeks back, I examined the role of endorsements in the federal NDP’s leadership race. Now, I’ll take a quick look at where the current fund-raising numbers and distribution stand – and how they figure to relate to the NDP’s previous leadership campaigns. The closest comparison to this campaign is of course the ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links

Aug

12

2017

The latest from the federal NDP leadership campaign as the August 17 membership deadline approaches. (And for those wondering, it’s possible to both check one’s membership status and sign up online.) – Kyle Duggan reports on a new Mainstreet poll showing Charlie Angus with a substantial lead among identified members – confirming where the candidates ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Jagmeet’s ‘means test.’

Aug

10

2017

It is a trap that more and more New Democratic Party spokespeople are falling into. By denying universality of programs, they think they are attracting voters from the right. They are not. They are setting themselves up for failure with their traditional supporters. It is a losing proposition. And when Jagmeet Singh poses his challenge ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links

Aug

7

2017

The latest from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign. – Peter Zimonjic, Katie Derosa and the Canadian Press each offered coverage of the Victoria debate. – Charlie Angus unveiled Christine Moore’s endorsement, providing him with some potentially crucial Quebec francophone support. Ryan Maloney examined Niki Ashton’s racial justice plan. Fair Vote Canada compared the candidates’ positions ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Candidate Rankings – August 6

Aug

6

2017

I’ve thus far held off on doing candidate rankings for the federal NDP leadership campaign – and may not end up updating them weekly as I have in past campaigns. But for now, let’s put together a first set – as always, intended to reflect my impressions as to the relative likelihood of each candidate ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Money matters maybe.

Aug

4

2017

Never judge a political race by money raised. Whether it is an internal party race for a nomination or a leadership or party fundraising prior to an election, you have to remember that money does not vote. Case in point, the fundraising by each of the four candidates for the New Democratic Party might tell ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017: The Role of Endorsements

Jul

30

2017

In previous leadership links posts, I’ve highlighted a few endorsements which have struck me as particularly significant. That said, I haven’t tried to compile anything approaching a comprehensive list. To put the past endorsements in context, I’ll take a moment for now to look more broadly at where the endorsement count currently stands – and ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links

Jul

29

2017

The latest from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign. – Alex Ballingall reports on Guy Caron’s infrastructure and jobs plan which features both a large investment in public works, and substantial improvements in both wages and working conditions under federal jurisdiction. – Thomas Walkom criticizes Singh’s plan to roll Old Age Security into a means-tested benefit. ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Jagmeet Singh: Not just a pretty face.

Jul

29

2017

The New Democratic Party’s federal leadership race is getting a little more heated. With less than two months to go, the race has taken on some disturbing aspects of the last Conservative leadership in Ontario. It is turning into Jagmeet Singh’s race to win if he is using the same tactics as Ontario Conservative winner ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Running in the Green.

Jul

24

2017

If the federal New Democratic Party is now Green, where does the Green Party get to go? Looking at NDP MP Niki Ashton’s pricy green plan, you really wonder about the grasp on reality of the entire party. Is this the party of Tommy Douglas that cared so much about people? What really worries me ...

In This Corner: The Return of Stuff Happens, week 27: The right moves; Spicer quits, comics cry.

Jul

23

2017

Well, that was decisive. The Wildrose and the Progressive Conservatives — the Hatfields and the McCoys of Alberta politics — agreed to a merger on Saturday. And it wasn’t even close. Rank-and-file members of both parties voted in shocking numbers in favour of the merger of the two conservative parties. Remarkably (or suspiciously, if you’re ...

The Canadian Progressive: NDP demands investigation into allegations of racism, homophobia and Islamophobia at CSIS

Jul

17

2017

“The reports of persistent discrimination targeted at Muslim, gay and black employees by CSIS supervisors are so disturbing that immediate action is required from the Liberal government,” said Matthew Dubé, the NDP critic for Public Safety, in a statement calling for a “comprehensive and credible” investigation. The post NDP demands investigation into allegations of racism, ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Is there any hope for Horwath?

Jul

17

2017

Every once in a while, we are reminded that there are three parties at play for the right to hold the lease on the Pink Palace looking down University Avenue from Queen’s Park. We know lots about the Liberals that currently hold the lease. We know more than we want to know about the Conservatives ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links

Jul

14

2017

The latest from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign. – Mainstreet has released what looks to be the most useful poll of the campaign so far, showing Charlie Angus and Niki Ashton in the lead among a substantial number of self-identified NDP members. But the gap between Angus and Ashton is tiny compared to the number ...

Accidental Deliberations: New column day

Jul

13

2017

Here, on the noteworthy contrast in positions on income supports in the NDP’s leadership campaign (and particularly the recent debate in Saskatoon). For further reading…– Jeremy Nuttall discussed the state of the campaign prior to Tuesday’s debate. And Peter Zimonjic offered a summary of the debate. – I’d previously blogged here about the difference between ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: On being nice to Premier Wynne.

Jul

12

2017

It could be hard to get used to doing this. The problem basically is that as a liberal all my life, it is very difficult to accept Kathleen Wynne as a liberal. She is not a liberal and I do not like the way she has been running Ontario. But…(life is full of ‘Buts’ isn’t ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: NDP searching for succour

Jul

8

2017

Every once in while, we look in on the New Democratic Party’s sputtering national leadership discussion. It is really more of a crawl than a race. And when you look at the four remaining candidates in the selection process for this fall, you wonder why they are bothering. The basic problem is that none of ...

Accidental Deliberations: On graceful exits

Jul

6

2017

Last time fund-raising numbers were released from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign, I noted the possible significance of Peter Julian’s relative lack of donations. And the problem looked to be a double whammy for Julian: while any candidate would have reason for concern in not being able to fund a campaign as intended, it was ...

Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links

Jul

3

2017

The latest from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign. – Jagmeet Singh offered a must-read Multiculturalism Day take on the extra challenges faced by people fighting negative stereotypes, while also announcing his first caucus endorsement from Randall Garrison. – However, Andrew Jackson chimed in with a note of caution about Singh’s plan to fold Old Age ...

Accidental Deliberations: New column day

Jun

29

2017

Here, on how the historical competition between the NDP and the Greens hasn’t precluded cooperation where it counts in British Columbia – and how the governing accord there might offer an example of cross-party collaboration for all levels of government. For further reading…– Martyn Brown wrote about the danger the Greens might have posed to ...

Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Will Mandryk Eat His Privatization Crow?

Jun

27

2017

Has anyone watched Mandryk eat crow about this doozy of a column defending Wall’s last campaign yet? “NDP must get off privatization merry-go-round“ “On Tuesday, Wall emphatically said “no” to selling SaskPower, SaskEnergy, SaskTel, SGI and even STC. He reminded voters he signed the old NDP Crown Corporation Protection Act and noted his only proposed ...

Susan on the Soapbox: The Emotional Mr Kenney

Jun

25

2017

“When it comes to politics, all I can offer is emotion.” — David Sedaris, author of numerous books including “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls” If we didn’t know any better we’d think David Sedaris was talking about Jason Kenney. Mr Kenney is campaigning hard to become Alberta’s next premier. His stump speeches hit all the ...

Babel-on-the-Bay: Granny Wynne knows best.

Jun

25

2017

The current argument between Ontario’s New Democrats and the Ontario Liberals is like a school yard spat over who did what. It is not only childish but it makes both sides of the argument look foolish. They are arguing over who thought of having a mediocre pharmacare plan first. Neither side has much of which ...