I seldom write about the NDP, because I'm not willing to spend too much time over a fringe party, it doesn't bring me alot of traffic, and frankly its like being a heckler at the Special Olympics. But the following cannot be allowed to pass unchallenged.Blonde blogging uber-babe Kadey O'Malley's is discussing C-6, the Tories infamous "veiled voter bill":
The Liberals are, as far as I know, the only party to officially...oppose the re-tweaked bill - which, rather remarkably, managed to once again omit any requirement that voters present photo identification, thereby rendering moot any reasonable argument in favour of - or, for that matter, against - forcible de-veiling.
I don't want to walk through the whole idiotic history of this bill again, but O'Malley's comments get to the nub of it. The Tories want veiled (Muslim) women to show their faces when they come to vote, while NOT requiring that they (or anyone else) present photo identification. Thus the act of unveiling will not prove that they are who they claim to be, only that they do indeed possess a face.
It isn't surprising that the Bloc should get behind this legislation, representing as they do some of the most regressive elements of Quebec society. The NDP's position, however, seems to waver between upholding reason and common sense and whoring it up for French rednecks in a desperate attempt to scare up votes in La Belle Province. Shame on them and Jack Layton!
I'm so tired of the NDP. I unsubscribed to their Dion/Liberal-bashing email list yesterday, because I'm just fed up.
ReplyDeleteThis issue should be a slam-dunk for them.
This is a blot on the NDP copybook for sure. As Ti-guy says, this is a no-brainer issue for the NDP or at least it should be. It just goes to show you that a party will throw away its most cherished principles if there is a chance of a political payoff. Liberals shouldn't be too smug, they gave up any principles on that same alter, years ago.
ReplyDeletesure, sure, fringe party....17%, 29 seats....not that fringe....and only fringe until they don't do the Liberals bidding...
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, onto the meat of your post (which, really, you could have done without the usual Liberal fallback of bashing the NDP wholesale)....
I agree, the NDP is pandering and it is stomach churning. As a principled NDPer I have made my views clear on this issue several times.
Good show Sean. All joking aside I hope Layton's gang sees the light on this.
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ReplyDeleteLiberals shouldn't be too smug, they gave up any principles on that same alter, years ago.
ReplyDeleteWhat principles? Political Liberalism is non-ideological, so any core principles are treated as guidelines that have to adapt to a constantly changing reality, one being an issue the NDP will never challenge effectively...the power of money and how that shifts depending on the economy. I wish they could find a way to do that, really, I do. But the way it's been operating in the last two years makes me think the Party's leadership is out to lunch.
The Liberals aren't offering the easy false-clarity our mostly insensate and disengaged citizenry and our abysmally lazy media is interested in right now, but that's not really their fault. Blame the provinces for doing a piss-poor job of handling basic education.
The only thing I really blame the Liberals for is not cancelling NAFTA.
Yawn!!
ReplyDeleteNo sense of shame, Leftdog?
ReplyDeleteI'd still like to know why I and two of my kids get mailings (lots of them!) from the NDP... (under parliamentary frank, I might add). How did they get our names and why are they contacting me? None of us voted for them and they don't even represent the riding we live in.
ReplyDeleteI hear you RT. My husband and I are constanty getting mail from Layton - which is promptly placed in my blue recycling bag.
ReplyDeleteDo your children get separate mailings? I often wonder why my husband and I get a joint letter, since our surnames are different and there is no way to know we are a couple unless you look at land titles to see the house in both our names.
The liberals, by the way, send me environmentally friendly emails.
Rahim Jaffer, who is my MP, sends me nothing...which is exactly what he does for our riding so I am not surprised.
What principles?
ReplyDelete(Doing my best Joe Clark): Indeed.
(Doing my best Joe Clark): Indeed.
ReplyDeleteI knew I was going to get dinged for that. Underpinning the whole concept of principle is honesty and there are no worse liars than the ones who claim to be principled. Name one human-induced catastrophe from history that wasn't supported by some grand principle?
Speaking of free franking, who the hell is Pablo Rodriguez, and why would a backbench Liberal from Quebec think he has anything relevant to say to me in Edmonton. Might as well ask a cat.
ReplyDeleteWhen we're we speaking of franking...speaking of which, why the hell is Peter Van Load sending me libelous lying progaganda through the mail? I don't live in York-Simcoe (which is in Alberta, I believe).
ReplyDeleteI second Sean statement...
ReplyDelete................................
..."sure, sure, fringe party....17%, 29 seats....not that fringe....and only fringe until they don't do the Liberals bidding...
Anyhow, onto the meat of your post (which, really, you could have done without the usual Liberal fallback of bashing the NDP wholesale)....
I agree, the NDP is pandering and it is stomach churning. As a principled NDPer I have made my views clear on this issue several times"....
................................
Although I have no use for those politicians,NDP included,that pander for vote.Compared to the Libs and Cons the NDP is by far the more principled.Indeed Libs and Cons are flip sides of the same coin.The only difference being the Libs at least attempt to sound conciliatory,and are a bit more politically sophisticated and savvy. While the Cons bluster and bellyache about issue most Cnd's have no problem with or could care less,-i.e same-sex marriage,marijuana,abortion etc etc-eventually arriving at a more centric position on the issues of the day.
But in the end both represent the interests of big business over that of working Cnd's,i.e the majority.