GT: Federal Election

[OffsideSpecialist]

What's the purpose of the NDP now? I thought they were supposed to be a party for the "working man" (who, incidentally would suffer as a result of their new promises), not a carbon copy of the Greens.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by OffsideSpecialist

What's the purpose of the NDP now? I thought they were supposed to be a party for the "working man" (who, incidentally would suffer as a result of their new promises), not a carbon copy of the Greens.

Pretty much my issue with them. They claim to be for the people, but just aren't

[Resolute 14]

Basically, the NDP have decided to become the political wing of the Occupy idiots?

That'll work well.

[jayswin]

So shut down the industries that don't require tax payer dollars and expand all the industries that do. Then a little man in green snaps his fingers and Canada's economy just works = profit?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by OffsideSpecialist

What's the purpose of the NDP now? I thought they were supposed to be a party for the "working man" (who, incidentally would suffer as a result of their new promises), not a carbon copy of the Greens.

I laughed today reading the paper when Lewis justified this as creating 70,000 good unionized jobs in Alberta. So I guess when we all get canned we'll go on the government payroll.

[CaptainCrunch]

I just want to do the Rocket Racoon Hey idiots thing when I look at the people that signed up for and support this absolutely stupid concept.

[c.t.ner]

Notley is in a really hard spot now. Even though her speech on Saturday apparently was a strong statement against the Leap Manifesto, she's now stuck with it hanging around the party's neck.

The only way she can really safe face from this is to push to have the Alberta NDP cut ties with the Federal NDP, but with that will come the loss of a lot of organizational help, funding and a lot of support.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by c.t.ner

Notley is in a really hard spot now. Even though her speech on Saturday apparently was a strong statement against the Leap Manifesto, she's now stuck with it hanging around the party's neck.

The only way she can really safe face from this is to push to have the Alberta NDP cut ties with the Federal NDP, but with that will come the loss of a lot of organizational help, funding and a lot of support.

Yeah, I couldn't see that happening in a million years.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by c.t.ner

Notley is in a really hard spot now. Even though her speech on Saturday apparently was a strong statement against the Leap Manifesto, she's now stuck with it hanging around the party's neck.

The only way she can really safe face from this is to push to have the Alberta NDP cut ties with the Federal NDP, but with that will come the loss of a lot of organizational help, funding and a lot of support.

I think she's going to have to deal with that. At its heart the Leap Manifesto specifically targets Alberta and its economy.

She might be feeling a little bit betrayed right now, especially with this event being in Edmonton. Now the NDP has gone back to being the lunatic hippy boogey man under the bed.

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I think she's going to have to deal with that. At its heart the Leap Manifesto specifically targets Alberta and its economy.

She might be feeling a little bit betrayed right now, especially with this event being in Edmonton. Now the NDP has gone back to being the lunatic hippy boogey man under the bed.

I must admit I love the AB NDP showing they are not 100% in bed with their fed big brothers. I like some contrast here.

Should it be a minimum standard for a AB premier? Yes, but based on what people think of them it is good to see.

[zamler]

Expand low-carbon sectors of the economy, such as caregiving, teaching, social work, the arts and public-interest media;

What in the actual ####.

[Fuzz]

Which are funded by.....uhm...errr....

[GGG]

Originally Posted by zamler

Expand low-carbon sectors of the economy, such as caregiving, teaching, social work, the arts and public-interest media;

What in the actual ####.

This might be the dumbest statement ever to be included in a platform. Not only does it not make sense but it excludes private media as somehow non desirable.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Which are funded by.....uhm...errr....

the evil 1% and all of the evil corporations that they want to super tax, as well as transaction taxes on all financial dealings (because that won't be billed back to the consumer)

Tariffs on anything coming into the country. Reducing Military spending to zero

They'll also gut all social programs such as EI healthcare, welfare etc and do the guaranteed income thing.

Don't forget that they also want to jack up the CBC budget to 4 billion dollars a year though.

Like first and foremost anytime something is titled as a manifesto, they''re either going to blow up mail boxes or post offices, or they're going to blow up the economy.

The more I read this thing, the more ludicris it becomes, but then I look at the signatories

Celebrities, unions, environmental groups, hypocrites like Suzuki. Then I go, nobody with half a brain and a thimble full of common sense and grade 5 math skills will vote for something like this. Then the NDP proves my thesis.

I had problems with Mulcair, mostly because I don't believe in the NDP platform in any way. But I've always thought that Angry Tom had Layton edged in a lot of ways, where Jack was a greasy used car salesman who would say anything for a vote. Mulcair always seemed more rooted in reality, especially on the fiscal side, he had the notion that there was no free lunch and everything had a price. I really respected his conduct and his abilities in the House of Commons during question period, and he stuck to his gun. If I had a choice for lefties to run the country between Trudeau and Mulciar, I would probably vote Mulcair.

I guess he's too smart and not delusional enough for the NEW NDP.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I guess he's too smart and not delusional enough for the NEW NDP.

I wouldn't get too caught up on this development from the NDP. The NDP historically has viewed themselves and their role in politics more as the 'left-wing conscience' of the nation rather than a party that is constructed to challenge for power or to propose wholesale platforms that actually are grounded in reality.

That changed under Layton when they became more of a force on the national stage as he diluted their policies significantly to become more electable. The value proposition for party members was that they could do a lot for the country if they actually got elected and that was the trade-off for sacrificing the sharpest edges of their principles. Then Tom Mulcair basically moved their policies so far towards the center that they got outflanked on the left by the Liberals and they proceeded to get decimated in the election.

To the hardcore NDPers (which is most of them at the convention), it must feel like the last election proved that they probably can never govern while maintaining any semblance of the core ideology they believe in and if that's the case, they would rather advance policies that are more representative of their true beliefs.

[btimbit]

I love that the Fed NDP and the AB NDP don't seem to be getting along. It's almost as if the AB NDP, now that they're actually in power, realize a lot of the old fashioned NDP ideas simply don't work in reality, then here comes this leap manifesto. I predict the whole thing comes to a head right before the next AB election as well.

[Locke]

They called it a 'Manifesto?'

Jesus...talk about out of touch with reality. See flag in sig.

[CaptainCrunch]

I think that this guy should be the next NDP leader, he already has "me Manifesto"

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Kavvy

I don't understand CPC apologists defending Harper's deficits during all but one year of his rule. I get the downturn he faced, but Harper didn't bring back balance spending vs income quick enough.

There's a question in conservatism of whether balanced budgets trump low taxes or vice versa. Canadians have historically upheld the former, Americans the later. Harper moved the country closer to the American model of conservatism - lower taxes trump everything. If that means chronic budget deficits... [shrug].

Originally Posted by jayswin

So shut down the industries that don't require tax payer dollars and expand all the industries that do. Then a little man in green snaps his fingers and Canada's economy just works = profit?

We need to keep in mind that Avi Lewis and his ilk are not serious-minded people. They're far more interested in proclaiming their utopian ideals (and making money on books and movies) than they are in effecting any feasible changes to public policy.

[CaptainCrunch]

Well that was faster then expected.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...nger-1.3529980

Alberta NDP members are openly discussing splitting from the federal party after delegates agreed to support "Toronto political dilettantes" and their "garbage" Leap Manifesto at the party's national convention in Edmonton.
"I'm spitting angry," says Alberta labour leader Gil McGowan. "These downtown Toronto political dilettantes come to Alberta and track their garbage across our front lawn."

McGowan said some Alberta NDP delegates were so upset over the document, they began to talk about separating from their federal counterparts.
"Members started coming to me to say, 'We have to write a resolution to our provincial convention to split from the federal party.'
"Those discussions are going on right now," said McGowan.