NDP slammed by huge Union

[HOZ]

A story I didn't expect to see.

On Thursday, Canada's building trades unions, along with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, held a forum in Ottawa focusing on the looming skilled worker shortage in Canada with the hope that policymakers would attend and then act to ramp up apprenticeships for skilled trades as well as increase immigration of accredited skilled workers.

"Conservative MPs showed up, Liberal MPs were there, but not even one NDP MP showed up," said Smillie, who speaks for 450,000 construction union members all across Canada - 40 per cent of whom are actively engaged in the oil and gas industry.

So why didn't any NDP MPs show up? Because their political masters these days are extreme left-wing zealots, all of whom subscribe to environmental extremism and the destruction of Canada's oil industry.

This is why I hope the Liberal do come back, after a long hard cold stay in the hinterlands, as a strong opposition. We need do need a sober, thoughtful alternative(as in not the arrogant, divisive, knee-jerk anti-american, lack of morals thing we put up with since 1970).

[Vulcan]

So Hoz, it's good to hear you're pro union. I never thought you had it in you, congratulations.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

So Hoz, it's good to hear you're pro union. I never thought you had it in you, congratulations.

I think the bigger story here is an anti-union NDP, but whatever.

[blankall]

The NDP is between a rock and a hard place right now. There support is split between left-wing urbanites who are very pro-environment, and union workers, who often work in industries that result in environmental destruction. Meanwhile the Conservative government is going to be pushing through legislation largely designed at stimulating the economy.

The NDP will have to alienate one side of its support within the next 5 years. They will not repeat this success.

[Resolute 14]

I'm confused. How does this relate to Israel?

[vanisleflamesfan]

When did Corbella take her inane, Conservative boot-licking, ramblings from the Sun to the Herald?

[Stay Golden]

NDP is on life support.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by blankall

The NDP is between a rock and a hard place right now. There support is split between left-wing urbanites who are very pro-environment, and union workers, who often work in industries that result in environmental destruction. Meanwhile the Conservative government is going to be pushing through legislation largely designed at stimulating the economy.

The NDP will have to alienate one side of its support within the next 5 years. They will not repeat this success.

Next time they shouldn't promise the world to everyone, and then have to worry about pleasing them down the road.

It is cheap politics and it never works.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Azure

Next time they shouldn't promise the world to everyone, and then have to worry about pleasing them down the road.

It is cheap politics and it never works.

Yup, it would be great if the NDP could find a way to decrease carbon emissions, stop cutting down trees, keep the rivers clean, etc... while simmultaneously increasing jobs in major unions that are totally entrenched in established indurstries...but that's not possible.

You simply cannot always increase workers rights while simultaneously increasing environmental regulation. In many industries the two principles will be at odds.

The NDP needs to decide if it is going to be green party light or a labour party. NDP has always advertised itself as a labour party, but recently their actions don't reflect that. The NDP needs to be honest with itself (and the electorate) and find a true identity.

[Stranger]

Layton would have lost alot of popularity when he had to actually stand up for some of the ideas he had. For years he could just say what he wanted because he knew he would never actually have to follow through with his promises. The NDP is going to have to side with its union roots and leave the environment to the Greens. You can't be everything to everyone.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by blankall

The NDP needs to decide if it is going to be green party light or a labour party. NDP has always advertised itself as a labour party, but recently their actions don't reflect that. The NDP needs to be honest with itself (and the electorate) and find a true identity.

Isn't "NDP actions" an oxymoron?

If the NDP is becoming the big-tent leftist party they need to be to keep growing, they'll need to move away from their union base and not towards harcore environmentalism either. (They need to make sure they have more appeal to strategic-voting Liberals than the Conservatives.)

[bizaro86]

One factor here is the NDP is having a leadership contest, and a bunch of the votes (25% iirc) are held directly by large unions. So a candidate for NDP leadership that comes off as only lukewarm towards unions starts way behind the eight ball in that race.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

One factor here is the NDP is having a leadership contest, and a bunch of the votes (25% iirc) are held directly by large unions. So a candidate for NDP leadership that comes off as only lukewarm towards unions starts way behind the eight ball in that race.

Not sure that that the 25% rule would be in effect: http://bcblue.wordpress.com/2011/09/...ion-vote-rule/

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by blankall

The NDP is between a rock and a hard place right now. There support is split between left-wing urbanites who are very pro-environment, and union workers, who often work in industries that result in environmental destruction. Meanwhile the Conservative government is going to be pushing through legislation largely designed at stimulating the economy.

The NDP will have to alienate one side of its support within the next 5 years. They will not repeat this success.

You make it sound as if the construction union workers are anti-environment. I don't believe this is true as a lot of their work comes from upgrades that make industries more ecologically responsible. The tar sands are a hot potato, but better controls on their way of doing business would probably satisfy most reasonable people and bring more work for the construction industry.