He claims to be the leader of the official opposition for Canada but Tom Mulcair says he'll stay neutral in the Quebec provincial election. Why won't he support the federalist side? Does he think the federal parties should steer clear on some principle? No, it's because he's "waiting for the day there is an NDP in Quebec."
So, Canada be buggered, no provincial NDP, no assistance from the official opposition. Good on ya, Tommy. Now we see your true colours. Party over country, Tom. I always suspected as much.
Update - it didn't take long for some Dipper to claim I 'smeared' Mulcair. This fellow maintained that Mulcair is a fierce federalist. Well, I'm going to go by Mulcair's own words. He stated, quite clearly, that he'll be remaining "neutral" in this election and he said he was going to stay neutral because there's no Quebec NDP in this election. Presumably if the NDP was running candidates in the Quebec election, Mulcair would be federalist in a heartbeat. That's certainly what he indicated.
I know on Planet Dipper any criticism of Tom Mulcair has to be a cheap smear but this is Canada, planet Earth.
15 comments:
In Quebec the federalist side is also the conservative side.
Suspected?
The NDP by their members and their position would likely support independence if they could.
If Mulcair came out strong for a united Canada, he would lose his support in QC and by proxy fall back to 3rd place federally.
Of course the farcical NDP supporters will plead otherwise but that only underscores that their "breakthrough" is only ephemeral.
Now, if Harper does get involved during the elections, it could trigger nationalist sentiments and would be seen as a provocation.
This is a post? Why bother or are you going senile?
Oh good the progressive blogger troll is out of school.
This idiot is a fine demonstration of why an NDP government would be a total fucking disaster, on a par with the disaster that the Harperites have been.
@ doc - Mulcair found the Quebec Libs to his liking well enough until he jumped to the federal NDP and, even then, today's NDP is Latter Day Liberal. It's not like Mulcair would be sacrificing his "socialist street cred" by supporting the Quebec federalists.
These Dippers are hilarious. They sat by deaf and dumb while their party got shanghaied to the Centre, abandoning the Left, but they have to cling to the self-righteous sanctimony of their glory days when they actually stood for something. They're just party hacks of the same sort that fill the Liberal and Tory ranks.
@ Anon. Don't worry, Mulcair's NDP is heading straight back to the cellar anyway. He might as well pretend he's Canada's opposition leader, not just the Dippers'.
@ Anon 1:18 - time for your meds, darling.
You're right, Dana. The smug sanctimony of those who've jettisoned all the high principle they espoused all those years is so predictable.
With a position like that, Mulcair will have given the Harpercon's some heavy duty "Mulcair Doesn't Give A Damn About Canada" whether it be true or not. Dismissing the PQ out of hand is always a mistake, and count on Harper playing it up to the max...
N.
Neil, I'm not sure how well it will go over with the NDP faithful west of the Ottawa Valley either.
Mulcair does have strengths but likeability isn't one of them. It's obvious he's been taking remedial smiling lessons but it doesn't seem to be giving Canadians the warm and fuzzies.
Mulcair doesn't even need to come out openly and support the Liberals or any other federalist party in fear of spoiling the Quebec NDP's eventual launch but he does need to come out with a strong condemnation of Quebec's secular charter and in support of Federalism in general.
If Quebec wants to separate, then they have the tools to do so. If that is what citizens want, then away they go. They live there, not me. So, Mulcair wants them to exercise their right to choose and you have a problem with that? Sorry, sunshine. We want a truly democratic nation, and if democracy comes out with that outcome, then so be it. If outside parties mess with it, what difference is that from the military in Egypt ousting an elected government? From US interpherance in Venezuela? or the Ukraine? None. We have decided that the majority rules, and that outsiders should stfu.
Very dissapointed in Mulclair, but good news for Justin, the decision just got a lot easier for many.
I agree, GAB. Mulcair doesn't have to campaign for the Libs to support federalism in this election. Choosing "neutrality" is not supporting federalism and choosing neutrality because the NDP isn't running candidates reveals Mulcair for what he is.
@ Anon 6:10 - typical simplistic Dipper rant. Read the SCC decision. There are reasons they found "50 + 1" is nonsense. The Canadian public, including most Dippers in western Canada know that Mulcair's policy is bullshit.
@ Steve. You're right. I think Mulcair just put another nail in his party's coffin.
Mound of Sound, you are very insightful and a compelling read. Thank you for blogging. I agree with you.
I have supported the NDP for 40+ years, I have view the direction that the party has taken in the last while different from the needs of the traditional base- the true boot wearing worker- the factory worker, the waiters and waitresses, the forestry industry, the truck drivers and many others - who are under threat of job loss and factory closures.
The ideals of the party has become muted in a quest for greater legitimacy, but it is done at the expense of the marginalised they should represent- those that have become unemployed by factory closures and beset by income inequality. These people have been their base for many years, and likely will continue to provide support, simply because there is no viable alternative that we are able to rely on.
I think that the NDP is a great 3rd party, it pushed policies through the system because it was willing to compromise. Mulcair maybe a great leader, but he is not a great leader for the most marginalized of canadian workers.
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