I’m back on the old blog page (first time since my second son was born) and need to talk about the upcoming election. Although this election was heralded as the “same ole same ole” this one is shaping up to be a doozy. Less than one week away and there seems to be more interest […]
Continue readingTag: NDP
Pample the Moose: NDP in Quebec: Who are these prospective MPs?
With all the excitement/panic/drama surrounding the apparent NDP wave in Quebec, it’s fair to wonder who might suddenly become the new crop of MPs from Quebec if polling data translates into seats in the House of Commons. I, for one, am very curious. Here in Guelph, the NDP ran fourth in the 2008 election, and even today, a week before the election, there is still no candidate bio on the website for the local candidate, Bobbi Stewart. I have no idea from the website who she is, other than the election preparedness chair for the local riding association.If that’s the case in Ontario, it’s no surprise that speculation is rampant about the Quebec crop of candidates for the party. The Globe and Mail has started digging, and has turned up at least a handful of university students. I’m not surprised at all. When I volunteered for the local NDP candidate in Outremont in the 2004 election, I was rather surprised to discover that the entire provincial campaign was being run out of a single office on St. Laurent Blvd, and that most of the candidates for the province were in fact the campaign management team, based almost entirely out of Montreal, many of them university students, and most of them under thirty years of age. A quick glance through the list of candidates seems to indicate that this is again the case in at least a sizeable number of ridings.As a person who genuinely would love to see the NDP replace the Bloc as the choice of Quebec voters, I’m hoping that some of the blue seats in that province will turn orange, and that the newly elected MPs will do a good job. It’s just that nagging memory of the ADQ surge to become the official opposition in Quebec in 2007 that has me a little concerned of what could happen when a series of placeholder candidates suddenly become MPs. Let’s just say that I’m hopeful, yet concerned…
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: False Consciousness, Part I: On Elections and the Middle Class
The following appeared in the National Post today. We’re in the last week of a federal election campaign, and every party wants you to believe they’re there for the hardworking families of a middle class under enormous pressure. That’s you, right? The idea of the middle class resonates, because it is a notion we all […]
Continue readingApril Reign: Lies, Lies and Damnable Lies
April Reign The Star has picked up and ran with the ball of shit containing the lie that Jack Layton and Olivia Chow lived in subsidized housing From time to time [Jack Layton] has been criticized for saying one thing and doing another, including being caught red-handed in 1985 living
Continue readingCowboys for Social Responsibility: It’s not that hard to do the right thing on the long gun registry. So why won’t the NDP do that?
Sudbury Star
April 23, 2011
Rejecting criticism from Nickel Belt Conservative candidate Lynne Reynolds that he had “lied” about the registry, Gravelle said he simply changed his mind.
“I’ve gotten emails from gun owners who’ve registered their guns an…
Continue readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: Courage in the face of Despair – I’m Voting for the Social Economy
While the Liberals and Conservatives spout on about how well each has handled Canada’s financial economy they are both equally guilty of ignoring Canada’s social economy. What is the social economy? Well it is wide range of community, voluntary and not-for-profit… ..
Continue readingCowboys for Social Responsibility: If Jack Layton won’t put vulnerable Canadians ahead of politics as usual, he won’t get my vote (and he doesn’t deserve your’s)
There’s nothing to suggest that November 25, 2010 – the International Day to End Violence against Women – was an unusual day in Alberta.
On that day, 816 women and 771 children sought assistance from Alberta’s 42 family violence shelters.
Of those …
Continue readingCowboys for Social Responsibility: An open letter to @jacklayton on the future of the Senate
April 23, 2011
Dear Jack,
Recent media reports suggest that you see yourself running to be my next Prime Minister.
As you know, the Harper Tories now hold a majority in the Senate. as you also know, that Harper Tory Senate caucus is more than prep…
Continue readingIlluminated By Street Lamps: The Reality Of The Grit Attack on Jack
Floundering, the Grits have today unsurprisingly gone after the NDP in a new attack ad. It comes a day after Big Blue unleashed an attack of its own. Here’s a reality check on the Grit claims: Grit allegation: NDP refuses a principled stand on the gun registry. Reality check: The
Continue readingCowboys for Social Responsibility: Once upon a time, the NDP cared about fighting gun violence
Until this election, every Jack Layton-led NDP campaign platform has included proposals to deal with illegal guns and gun violence.
These include:
2008: Halt the illegal importation of handguns from the United States and target the sale of illegal wea…
Cowboys for Social Responsibility: NDP happily embraces gun lobby endorsement
It one thing to have been endorsed by the organized gun lobby for opposing the life saving long gun registry as a number of NDP MPs and candidates have been.
That’s disturbing enough.
It’s a whole different degree of disturbing to see an NDP candid…
Continue readingNDP Surge
The NDP vote is surging, especially in Quebec where all the other parties are losing support to the NDP, particularly the Bloc. The NDP is clearly ahead of both of the other federalist parties in Quebec and depending on what poll you look at they are either just behind or
Continue readingCowboys for Social Responsibility: Not all NDP candidates are comfortable with Jack Layton’s disingenuous gun registry approach
Kelowna Capital News
April 22, 2011
Finnis said he personally supports the registry and said he was disappointed some NDP MPs did not.
He said Canadians have to register their cars and boats, so they should also have to register their guns.
Continue readingCowboys for Social Responsibility: NDP throws vulnerable Canadians under the bus as fast as the Harper Tories do staffers
This time, it’s Vancouver Island North Ronna-Rae Leonard NDP candidate who is trying to be all things to all people:
Leonard did not take a stand on the registry itself but said the private members bill to abolish the registry was an opportunity for MP…
Illuminated By Street Lamps: Important Poll Has NDP Ahead of Grits & Canada Fragmenting
A poll released today by Ipsos Reid shows the New Democrats are now polling higher than the Grits in the battle against Big Blue. And, the poll states the NDP is only 5% behind the Liberals in the Grit stronghold of Ontario. Funny that – more evidence that Canada is
Continue readingCowboys for Social Responsibility: Another New Democrat throws vulnerable Canadians to the wolves
Lacombe Globe
April 20, 2011
What should be done about the long gun registry?
Scrap the unrestricted (long gun) registry, but the restricted (handgun) registry should stay.
Continue readingPample the Moose: An Orange Revolution in Quebec: The NDP in la belle province
I’m somewhat surprised by the latest CROP and Ekos polls coming out of Quebec, showing the NDP cruising into first place, and the Bloc vote steadily falling. But as I’ll get to later in this post, there are good historical reasons to explain this tren…
Continue readingCowboys for Social Responsibility: Who’d’ve thunk it?
74% of Canadians support Canada’s integrated gun gun control program.
So why is Jack Layton still pandering to the 22% who oppose Canada’s life saving long gun registry?
Continue readingQuebec voters to break separatist deadlock?
It seems that Quebec voters are warming up to the idea of voting NDP. It was only a matter of time before voters there would tire of separatist parties and would tire of wasting their vote for a party that could never govern or have a meaningful role i…
Continue readingIlluminated By Street Lamps: NDP-Grit Divide Is The Real Story Of Election 41
Shockwave: The NDP has tied the Grits for support as the election enters its final phase, according to a pollreleased by Angus Reid Public Opinion. Both parties are polling at 25% support, putting them both 10% behind Big Blue. Looks like voters do draw a distinct line between the Grits
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