Orange Wave Comes To T.O.?

The recent poll also asked residents which party they would support should a provincial election be held today. Among those residents who were decided / leaning it was found that support was split between the Progressive Conservative and Liberals (34% each; PC up from 32% and Liberals down from 36% on February 25th26th, 2011), followed by NDP (26%; up from 19%), and the Green party (7%; down from 12%).

If interpreted in most obvious manner, you would say that the Green's are going (back(?)) to the NDP.

Getting May Into The Leadership Debate

Jeff has already mentioned one interesting consequence of the Liberal/Green alliance.

And I have argued in several places that the best thing Dion could do for the Green Party would be to support Elizabeth May's attempts to get into the leadership debates. Well, this morning the "blogging editor" of Halifax Live has suggested a "sure-fire" means of achieving this result. Dion could "entice" one of his retiring members to join the Greens!

Honestly, I don't know how practical something like this would be, but it is vastly encouraging to see Greens and Libs trying to think their way into a genuinely new kind of politics (whereas the NDP seems to have become the party of the old days and the old ways).

For Sale: Jack Layton's Soul, Price $30,000,000

According to this morning's Star, the "pact" between Jack Layton's NDP and Stephen Harper's Tories has been sealed with $30,000,000 in pork spending for NDP Environment Critic Nathan Cullen's riding in Skeena-Bulkley Valley:

Before consenting to anything, sources in B.C. and Ottawa said, Layton told Baird he wanted to see a sign of good faith showing the Conservatives were actually committed to the environment, and not just trying to save their minority government from defeat.

"That absolutely happened," said one source. "It was one of many, many components that helped get them over the top on this."

Then, last week, the environment minister arrived in Vancouver to announce a $30-million contribution to an investment and incentive fund to help conserve the Spirit Bear Rainforest. It was matched with $30 million from the British Columbia government for economic development and $60 million in private funds.

"A number of political stars aligned," the source said.

Not that it's a bad cause, but it has absolutely nothing to do with carbon emissions and frankly gives the impression that the NDP will trade on that issue for goo-gaws in other areas. Also, is it a co-incidence that the "goodwill gesture" just happens to be a wad of federal money to the riding of a powerful Dipper? I find that hard to believe.

A bad smell is starting to linger over Jack and his deal making.