I hope that other riding associations will follow the lead of WVSCS2SC NDP association and just host their own debate. And I hope that if (when!) they do, the candidates make an effort to participate.
It has always been a mystery to me that, historically, the NDP hasn't taken Québec more seriously given that social democracy is naturally at home in that province. It has been a font from which many of Canada's more progressive policies emerged, the national day care program being a striking recent example.
But the party is an increasingly loose conglomerate of regionalist factions. That's tough to build a national movement from, let alone a competitive one.
In a way, this is a painful side-effect of the English-Canadian obsession with the United States. For the last 35 years in Western Canada I've had to endure lines like "Why should we learn French? More people in the world speak Spanish!"
It is excruciating that I should have to say this, but here's your answer: because it's one of our official languages and the language of one of the founding cultures of our country, that's why.
The Orange Wave had many parents, but one of them was certainly that Jack Layton could speak French well and cared enough about Canada to make the party's performance in Québec a priority. Sure, winning in Québec takes more than a leader who can speak at French at better than Grade 7 level, but it sure as hell starts there.
It is emblematic of the current state of the NDP that this French non-debate was immediately followed by obviously AI-translated mailouts featuring delusional assertions that it was a huge success.
If I were NDP officialdom, I might have allowed this insult to Quebeckers just so I could blame it on Reclaim-The-NDP or NDP-Renewal and then sideline them. If I were Engler, I'd be glad to have dodged a bullet. If I were an NDP member, I'd be wondering how this epic fail was supposed to attract new people or convince me to stay.
As a former long time supporter of the NDP it is not relevant and a total waste of time. The NDP was a quick and easy casualty of neoliberalism. Further more it is a waste of time until we get proportionate representation which appears to be in never never land thanks to Justin Trudeau. Those concerned would be much better off focusing their activism on the many critical issues we now face nationally and internationally.
I hope that other riding associations will follow the lead of WVSCS2SC NDP association and just host their own debate. And I hope that if (when!) they do, the candidates make an effort to participate.
Great observations 👍🏿
As someone who has only ever voted for the NDP since coming to Canada, that debate was beyond frustrating...
Wow they just look so low IQ. I guess they are huh?
It has always been a mystery to me that, historically, the NDP hasn't taken Québec more seriously given that social democracy is naturally at home in that province. It has been a font from which many of Canada's more progressive policies emerged, the national day care program being a striking recent example.
But the party is an increasingly loose conglomerate of regionalist factions. That's tough to build a national movement from, let alone a competitive one.
In a way, this is a painful side-effect of the English-Canadian obsession with the United States. For the last 35 years in Western Canada I've had to endure lines like "Why should we learn French? More people in the world speak Spanish!"
It is excruciating that I should have to say this, but here's your answer: because it's one of our official languages and the language of one of the founding cultures of our country, that's why.
The Orange Wave had many parents, but one of them was certainly that Jack Layton could speak French well and cared enough about Canada to make the party's performance in Québec a priority. Sure, winning in Québec takes more than a leader who can speak at French at better than Grade 7 level, but it sure as hell starts there.
It is emblematic of the current state of the NDP that this French non-debate was immediately followed by obviously AI-translated mailouts featuring delusional assertions that it was a huge success.
Embarrassing.
If I were NDP officialdom, I might have allowed this insult to Quebeckers just so I could blame it on Reclaim-The-NDP or NDP-Renewal and then sideline them. If I were Engler, I'd be glad to have dodged a bullet. If I were an NDP member, I'd be wondering how this epic fail was supposed to attract new people or convince me to stay.
As a former long time supporter of the NDP it is not relevant and a total waste of time. The NDP was a quick and easy casualty of neoliberalism. Further more it is a waste of time until we get proportionate representation which appears to be in never never land thanks to Justin Trudeau. Those concerned would be much better off focusing their activism on the many critical issues we now face nationally and internationally.
If the party doesn't double down on select issues, there won't be a federal party after the next election. Might I suggest:
1. A cross-Canada plan to deal with Trump's tariffs, be they on agriculture, lumber or manufacturing products.
2. Specific policy that addresses the crisis facing auto, steel, and aluminum workers.
3. Policy that persuades Canadians that environmental issues remain front and centre.
4. A commitment to engage with EU allies and to broaden trade partnerships.
5. Open discussion of social democracy and how it differs from Carney's liberalism.
6. Open discussion of Canada's fading role as an international peacekeeper and how an NDP government could reverse that slide.