5.29.2011

The kind of influence that Jack and the NDP don't have today?


Here we are almost a month after the election and if you read the MSM and the Liberal blogosphere you would think we have nothing but doom and gloom ahead of us for the next four years.  That the NDP is naive to think they can make a difference and should sit back, oppose and hold on for the ride. Further these same people assert the NDP and Jack Layton had more influence in the last minority than they have now.

Lets talk about that minority government.  If my Liberal friends wanted to demonstrate progressive leadership they could have amended budgets and government bills or defeated Harper a gazillion times.  How many votes did the Liberals squander when they had the ability to influence Harper's agenda?  

Im sure you all remember the day Michael Ignatieff said enough is enough.  He said he wouldn't vote for the Conservative government budget unless they brought the results of their work to class so he, the teacher, could review it every few months.  He was putting the government on probation or words to that effect.  How did that work out folks?  Is that the kind of influence that Jack and the NDP don't have today? 

Canadians are opposed to the war in Afghanistan. We have been for many years now, yet when called to end the mission in that country, the Liberals voted with Harper to extend our war efforts.  They ridiculed Jack Layton for suggesting people start talks with the Taliban.  Is that the kind of influence that Jack and the NDP don't have today?

How about the time Liberals, NDP and BLOC joined together to force the government to hand over documents pertaining to the Afghanistan detainee issue.  The government by refusing to hand over documents as demanded by Parliament was almost found in contempt and could have been forced to comply by the speaker.  

The Conservatives proposed a committee and Judge to oversee the process. This committee would see documents after some retired Judge looked at stuff  and said you can see this but not this.  The Liberals proclaimed victory, The BLOC joined the other two and the NDP pulled out of the talks and committee, calling it a sham.  The opposition had actually managed to gain back some of the Supremacy of Parliament from the Prime Minister with the speakers ruling.  The Liberals took all those cards and folded. Is that the kind of influence that Jack and the NDP don't have today?
  
The MSM bought the whole line about a third party and away the Conservatives went, knowing full well they had the tools to run out the clock.  Over a year has gone by, we are further away from the success that was Parliament's before the Conservative committee proposal was agreed to by the Liberals and the BLOC. We know nothing.  

My point with all of this is that minority or not, the last two Conservative governments had their way with the Liberal opposition.

I assert that the NDP enjoys an advantage over the Liberals in opposition. The NDP have great connections with the progressive movements in this country and around the world.  Those movements will be vital in dampening the majority clout of Harper.  The NDP will make propositions to as well as oppose this government.  They will use the house rules where they can, slow the government down in order to rally public support and make the government hear the evidence.

In the end, Harper can ignore the evidence, he can ignore public opinion.  What Harper and I'm guessing a few in the blogosphere and MSM don't know is how Canadians will react when they have had a chance to see for themselves, there is a better way.  

One can hunker down as the Liberals have for the last five years, one can look ahead and see disasters at every turn or you can roll up your sleeves and get to work.

That’s the kind of influence that Jack Layton and the NDP have today. 

8 comments:

susansmith said...

right on!

Jim Parrett said...

I just wish the NDP and Liberals got together, agreed on an agenda and fought the ugly majority as one. It's not going to happen but it's the only way right now to challenge a party that has the media and money to do as it pleases.

rww said...

Remember when the Liberals or Conservatives used to be the official opposition to each other during majority governments. Remember all the talk about how they had no power. Probably not - because their wasn't any such talk.

ck said...

Good grief! What seems to be missing here is Harper is not the typical ol' progressive Conservative of the days of Diefenbaker or Clark or even Mulroney or Jack's father. Harper is a born again Christian, and a dictator. He'll go so far to the right, he won't be able to help himself, just like a kid in a candy store and no one will be able to stop him. I don't know what it takes for people to grasp this concept. Any party in official opposition to an unleashed Harper with no checks and balances is powerless; window dressing. No more. My advice? Anyone who is young enough to get a work visa overseas or has a passport elsewhere, use it. Leave. Don't look back. I have friends already looking into doing just that.

I only wish my husband and I were young enough to be eligible for work visas overseas.

The Mound of Sound said...

Well QT, I stand eagerly waiting to be awed by Wee Jack's prowess in wrestling Harper to the ground.

As for a merger, we saw how well that worked for the PCs. Not a chance. If the Dippers are content to be the new Bloc, more power to them.

leftdog said...

The vile venom that the likes of Mound of Sound and Calgary Grit are throwing around these days leaves everyone pretty much disgusted, even other Liberal bloggers are telling me that. Don't hold out much hope for anything positive or progressive from them and an number of others.

ricky said...

@CK All i can say to you is that I am disappointed. We can paint Harper as a Monster but that doesn't make it so. In fact doing so makes it more likely we miss the opportunity to defeat him.

I don't like Harper. I don't trust him. I expect he will do many things which I disagree with.

I suggest however that we all look at it a little more rationally. He is a right wing Conservative Christian. He is determined to remake Canada.

I determined to stop him. How about you get on that train instead of the one running out of town.

ricky said...

@ Sound Boy - you of little faith. I am sure your willingness to throw your hands in the air scares the hell out of Harper.