NDP Moves To Stiff Ex-Gay Org

 Delegates with Canada’s newly-minted official Opposition, the New Democrat Party (NDP), passed a resolution calling on the government to revoke the charitable status of groups that support those seeking to overcome same-sex attraction at their policy convention in Vancouver last month.

Introducing the resolution, which was passed unanimously, outgoing “LGBT” co-chair Matthew McLaughlin specifically urged the government to revoke the status of Exodus Global Alliance, and asked that they investigate other ex-gay groups as well.

“Ex-gay organisations … take advantage of LGB people, often in vulnerable family situations or at grips with depression and self-hatred, and browbeat them — saying that LGB people never live happy lives, that we are unhealthy and unwhole, and that we never experience love and that the only hope lies in their therapies,” said McLaughlin, according to the homosexual blog Slap Upside the Head.

The article references this post from Slap Upside The Head, which suggests that a private member's bill is in the works if the Canada Revenue Agency doesn't act on its own.  More generally, it makes it sound as though the NDP has a strategy to push its own issues while in opposition.  Meanwhile, what are the Libs up to?  In therapy, on a bus.  *Sigh*  More with the buses.

NDP Day 1: Populist Bullshit, But Otherwise Not Bad

As Canadians, we all desire that every single senior be lifted out of poverty, just as we wish mothers to be free...everywhere...even in M'banqui.  Of course, as leader of the official opposition, Jack Layton can't do diddley about either of these problems.  But suggesting concrete action on a manageable issue was never the point.  What was the point?  Ms. O'Malley had it pegged correctly:

...which is to say Jack and Co. are taking this "government in waiting" thing right over the top.  Its all bluster, and the notion that the NDP can, for example, choose or not choose an occasion to "bring down" the Harper government, as Mr. Layton has suggested on a previous occasion, is pure madness.  But the rhetoric isn't aimed at the cynical or the knowledgeable; its meant to appear in bits and pieces on the tv screens of the nation and make folks who are otherwise more interested in the hockey game think for one brief instant that this Jack Layton fellow might be PM material after all.  And as crude theater, I suspect it will be effective.

But not for very long.  As soon as the wheels of parliament start turning, as soon as legislation begins to pass, the limits of NDP influence will become swiftly apparent.  Presumably, Mr. Layton will have a speech for that occasion as well.

h/t

NDP: Official Opposition Or Parliamentary Dinner Theatre?

But that’s not what he really wanted to talk about. Mr. Angus wanted to introduce three rookie NDP MPs whose backgrounds are in arts and culture: Andrew Cash, a Juno award-winning musician from Toronto-Davenport who has played in a punk band with Mr. Angus; Longueil–Pierre Boucher MP Pierre Nantel, the a former artistic director for Cirque du Soleil Musique; and Tyrone Benskin, the new MP for Jeanne–Le Ber and former ACTRA national vice-president.

Actually, I am expecting the NDP to infuse the role of Official Opposition with the boundless creativity of youth.  Or we could get four years of this kind of thing. 

Although I must say the notion that a party promoting art as business and getting appalled looks from the Ottawa press corps is more than a little disturbing.  Capitalism, Ms. Taber, is about more than assembling widgets and shovelling pig-shit.

That's Going To Be A REAL Interesting Official Opposition

Whoopsie!  Looks like somebody has whomped up a fake Facebook account.  The first message there is only from about 12 hours ago.   My apologies to Ms. Brosseau.  That is illegal, incidentally, even as a joke.

Fake site here.