'Liberal / Tory - Same Old Story'
OTTAWA -- A new poll suggests Canada's political parties might want to retract their claws and tone down their bombast as they prepare for today's resumption of Parliament.
According to The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey, Canadians have little attachment to political parties and increasingly view the two main political competitors -- the Conservatives and the Liberals -- as interchangeable.
Joan Bryden
Winnipeg Free Press
Heh! I like hearing that. However, the recent do-nothingness of the NDP on issues of the day (read: Lunn, Gaza) makes me think that the NDP are fast becoming part of that same old story, too.
Posted by berlynn | 10:58 am, January 28, 2008
hey berlynn ... that is part of the reason for the fresh spanking new site 'New Democrats Online' - to make sure that we keep the party moving progressively along. Complacency is the worst thing that could happen to New Democrats - it is a human tendency and needs to be monitored and dealt with.
Posted by leftdog | 11:03 am, January 28, 2008
The article suggests that parties should be less partisan. You get the same media crap in the US and you find even the supposedly pro-change Obama spouting this stuff. Of course parties are all alike but this bi-partisanship just means that corporate capital wants to run the show without all the bickering that is off-putting to the public. It has nothing to do with creating real alternatives which is the most pressing problem.
The NDP is perhaps the best of a very bad lot but not a genuine alternative. There is none. Rae was an NDPer and is now a Liberal but sounds as if he belongs with Harper. Janice MacKinnon a former NDP cabinet minister in Sask. is chosen by Brad Wall to chair Enterprise Sask in the Sask. Party govt. You can pick your own examples.
Posted by ken | 5:19 pm, January 28, 2008
Ken, Peter Prebble was also an NDPer, and I think he is more passionate about doing what is right for the environment more than anyone else. Can you tell me of any Conservative, or SaskParty environmentalists?
Posted by sunnyside | 1:21 pm, January 29, 2008
There are no doubt still some progressives and radicals in the NDP on the environment and other issues. However the NDP has trended far to the right and adopted much of the third way strategy in order to gain power.
David Orchard was a well known Conservative environmentalist until he was double-crossed by MacKay. Now he has been double-crossed by the Liberals. Maybe he will go Green or NDP.
Posted by ken | 8:07 am, January 30, 2008
The lines are no longer black and white when it comes to a lot of issues today. You can be an environmental Liberal, NDP, or Conservative. You can care about the people who need to be taken care of, without feeling the need to throw money at the problem. What this country needs are good men and women with innovative ideas to support the common values of this country - which I think we can agree on.
All a party does is put MPs/MLAs in a box, and strongly encourages them to vote within that box.
Personally, I believe the system is archaic and needs to change to reflect the times.
Posted by Eternal Optimist | 12:52 am, January 31, 2008