After previously advocating for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, Mr. Mustache yesterday displayed a stunning piece of leadership by backing the Conservatives in defeating the Liberal motion that would have prevented the government from extending the mission beyond its current commitment to participate until 2009.
Of course, the Dippers insist that this is because they want the mission to end even sooner, but what they want doesn't matter because the effect of this move is what's important, not the principle behind their vote.
If the Conservatives are re-elected – an outcome the NDP seems determined to facilitate – they will have free reign to extend the mission as long as they like. Whether or not you think that's a good thing, the NDP has been clear that they don't. Their 'principled' move has the exact opposite result as their stated objective.
Angus Reid posted its latest poll yesterday which on the surface seems to be a spanking to the May/Dion agreement (Far and Wide has a good analysis, despite its unfortunate and, I think, inaccurate title), but its most significant finding, in my view, is that the deal has the support of 43% of NDP voters. This suggests to me that left-leaning Canadians, who are generally more interested in results than partisanship, are increasingly losing touch with the NDP.
And with good reason.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Can anyone tell me what the NDP stands for anymore?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Actually, if you add up the polling numbers for supporting the deal making they don't add up.
Liberal voters would be more likely to support the NDP candidate (53%) in this riding than the Green leader (41%).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think angus reid screwed up the party affiliation numbers. For starters because the liberal voter preferences add up to 138%. The Conservative voter preferences add up to 111%. It also shows that among NDP voter preferences Loriface is only at 20%, far behind May.
If you were Mr.Layton would you give up 150.grand plus leader pay plus perk pay...plus Olivias pay...add it up well over 400 grand a year together...if he causes an election to happen and he loses seats..he will be replaced. He has just had his house fit with solar panels for 20.000 and needs to pay for it.. you must admit this wacky guys' ideas are all being pushed by the cons...1.transfat..2.seniors..3.bank fees.etc.
''If the Conservatives are re-elected – an outcome the NDP seems determined to facilitate – they will have free reign to extend the mission as long as they like.''
As I understand it, the sitting government has total power over the military missions, and does not need House approval except for spending.
If you remember, the 'extension vote', PMSH as much as said, the mission will be extended regardless of the outcome of the vote, which is the sitting governments right.
The Liberal talking point : 'don't give PMSH a majority because he will have us in Afghanistan for a generation' is nonsense.
With or without a majority, it is the sitting goverment's decision.
You're quite right that the sitting government has the power, and Harper has already clearly demonstrated his utter disdain for the institution of Parliament. All of which then begs the question: who do you want in government? Your hyperbole aside, Minister O'Connor has clearly indicated they are considering scenarios that would see our involvement in the Afghanistan mission continue well beyond 2009. Which I and many Liberal might even consider supporting, if anyone could articulate exactly what that would accomplish. The sad fact is that the mission has lost its way.
But my point is really about the enormous discrepancy between what New Democrats say they want and what their actions are actually delivering.
To Jan's point, I have virtually no confidence in Angus Reid's methodology, so if their numbers don't add up, it will not shock me.
But how this plays out in the riding of Central Nova and how it plays in the rest of Canada are separate issues. Even if Ms. May is unsuccessful in unseating Peter MacKay (an objective I think all Liberal should rally behind – let's remember who we're fighting, can we please?), I think the Liberal and Green candidates across the country are going to pick up a lot of NDP votes.
If this was truly about bringing the troops home instead of moving them from one region to another the libs would have taken Jack up on this amendment;
In an effort to try to find common ground, let me propose the following amendment to determine whether or not the House would be willing to take the appropriate actions. The amendment would read as follows: “That the motion be amended by deleting the words after 'operations in southern Afghanistan' in the preamble and replacing them with the following: 'This House call on the government to begin now to withdraw Canadian Forces in a safe and secure manner from the counter-insurgency mission in Afghanistan and call upon the government to notify NATO of this decision immediately'”.
and other than lazy cheap shots what does his moustache have to do with anything?
New decima...tories nosedive to 30...see ctv
Post a Comment