All signs are pointing to a knock down drag out election. Chantal Hebert writes:
Based on Justin Trudeau and Andrew Scheer’s performances over the course of back-to-back sessions with the Toronto Star’s editorial board this week, both are reasonably well prepped for what is expected to be a take-no-prisoners battle.
Trudeau has had the job of prime minister for the past four years and he has plenty of chinks in his armour to show for that. But he is also comfortable in the role and, by all appearances, with the choices he has made along the way.
Scheer still has to convince a critical number of voters that he is made of prime ministerial material. As former NDP leader Thomas Mulcair’s experience demonstrated in the 2015 campaign, efficiency — even at a remarkable level — in the role of chief critic of the incumbent does not necessarily lead to a successful audition for the top job.
What is certain is that the early dynamics of Canada’s 43rd federal campaign bear little resemblance to those that attended Stephen Harper’s election call a bit more than four years ago.
And what is truly different this time around is the bad blood between the NDP and the Green Party:
Over the past few weeks, the Greens and the New Democrats have inflicted more hits on each other than on one or the other of the main contenders for government.
Last month, the NDP lost two-term Quebec MP Pierre Nantel to Elizabeth May’s Green party. Over the past week, the Greens and the New Democrats have been at each other’s throats over the size of a New Brunswick contingent of NDP defectors.
Both the Dippers and the Greens have stated that they would not support a Conservative minority government, unless (in May's case) the Tories supported Green environmental policies. Clearly, that will never happen:
May has doubled down on that pledge, stating that the Greens would support neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives unless one or the other comes around to the party’s prescriptions on climate change.
If the exercise the Greens and the New Democrats have engaged in comes across as drawing lines in the moat of a castle in the sky, it is because that is what it is.
So, where does that leave us? Who knows?
Image: CBC.ca
18 comments:
As usual, it leaves us with the media reporting the election as a horse race instead of as a battle of competing ideas and policies.
Hebert says that Trudeau and Scheer meet with the Star's editors. Great! What policies did they propose? How would they pay for them? How would these policies affect ordinary Canadians? Do they realistically address the problems of climate change, income inequality, First Nations poverty, etc.?
I don't care if the NDP and Greens are squabbling about provincial candidates in NB. That's a petty regional issue that doesn't affect me at all. Tell me about the party platforms, dammit! This is the sort of reporting that allowed Ford to get away with running without a costed platform in the last election! We're now paying the price for that.
Cap
I agree, Cap. It's about -- or, at least, it should be about -- policy. I fear that it will simply be about vitriol.
I think that if the NDP and Greens actually got together they could potentially sweep
the Grits and Cons.
Unfortunately, that will take better leadership than what they now have and time is running out.
Just more stupid, wasteful bickering.
- J.
What's happening between them is -- most certainly -- not helpful, J.
I never understood the Greens were spoiling for a scrap with Jagmeet's NDP. In the past it was the NDP busy trying to undercut the Green vote with demands for strategic voting.
The NDP slide is the New Dem's own doing. Singh failed at getting any traction especially in Quebec and, apparently, New Brunswick.
That said, whether it's Trudeau or Scheer, I can't see any federal government taking meaningful action on the environment. Trudeau may claim that we can have a vigorous, expanded bitumen trade and also defend the climate but that's just Liberal horse shit. Conservative or Liberal, we either drive them into the dirt, keeping them to a tenuous at best minority, or we'll squander another four years that we cannot afford to waste. I have never had less confidence in my country or our Parliament to do the right thing.
May is beginning to remind me of Iggy.
We appaered to be paralyzed by our own pettiness, Mound.
This is when we need character -- true vision -- in our leaders, John. We're not getting it.
.. incredible shrinking Party is the NDP.. wandered into the wilderness ..
The so called 'conservatives' - under brain dead Hamish and the war room 'brain drained trust' are just that and even worse.. Ms Raitt indeed suffers selective memory syndrome re throttling of Science and Biology.. dumping of decades of research and data.. but now denies it all.. just lies her face off.. Scheer is just plain failure on the hoof.. daily blathering of contrived idiocy via Twitter qnd Facebook and any TV network seeking to fill a slow news day.. He's shot his wad even before the writ drops.. Do Canadians even deserve 'to get to know him'.. I don't really think we give a damn.. He's a few votes better then Bernier.. and how's that working out ?
Trudeau may be a big winner by default.. The Boss here thinks so..
The Greens ? Who knows.. I'm still waiting for a comprehensive set of policy objectives. Obviously they are not going to take Canada by storm.. not with Scheer and Trudeau getting the old 'auto vote' of approx 75 % to 80 % total.. swinging one way another
Where is the Rhino Party.. ? Where where ?
I lean Green currently.. but I want exemplars who I can believe
If you can't improve on or at least compete with a Michael Chong in Wellington County
or a Nathaniel in The Beaches
you're nowhereville for me.. useless even
Frankly, sal, all of this does not bode well -- and that's depressing.
The big issue of our time is climate breakdown. Period. Conservatives deny it. Libs pretend it's not so urgent that we have to change. The NDP has been captured by social causes which may be important to a few people but really won't matter when the the earth hits 2+. For all their faults the only Party that takes climate breakdown seriously is the Greens. Do we have any choice but to vote Green?
The NDP bow at the altar whilst there are riots in the streets.
Political correctness does not win elections.
Worse still , political correctness is not a way to run a country.
Purity belongs with the religious not the pragmatic.
TB
Good question, Toby. The mitigating factor, of course, is your neighbours. If you're in a minority, and you know that -- under first past the post -- your vote will not count, what do you do?
Exactly, TB, And so, the question is, if you live in a riding that will not vote Green, what do you do?
If the riding you live in will not in all likelihood vote Green for the win, you vote Green anyway, and let the bastards know you're coming.
Hand-wringing over "strategic" voting is the last refuge of the scoundrel. You are either Green and proud to vote that way, or you're just wafflin' around, nattering away about what-ifs and not really committed to change.
Sure, you'd like there to be a Green government or a government held to ransom by the Green party in the Commons to get on and actually do something, or like the average Canuck who wants everyone else to do something about climate change but themselves. You want everyone but yourself to pick the Greens on your behalf. Either you have some principles you hold dear or you're a posing fair-weather friend. You'll only vote Green if you think it's FTW locally. Be proud to support the nearest to the right thing we have among these political parties, or go home and stop mincing about.
Sorry, that's the way I feel on this issue. If I hear one more person say something like, "I'd like to vote Green, but ...", I shall be highly uninterested in their excuses, and will pour scorn on them from on high.
No party is going to offer 100% what you want, so you pick your own personal hot issue from which you will not be deflected, and vote for the outfit that comes closest to your ideal on it, and proceed without constant prevarication and second-guessing. People here on ProgBlog are far more versed in politics than the average soul on the street stuck in social media hell, so a bit of straight-backed conviction on principle, whatever yours is, should be the order of the day.
BM
I hear you loud and clear, BM. But, under First Past The Post, I voted my convictions and got Doug Ford in spades.
When our M.P. left to run provincially, we had a by election in Nanaimo which resulted in a Green M.P., Manley. I'm not impressed. The Greens keep telling us they're Green, but there is little regarding other issues, such as health care, the economy, international affairs, beyond their support for Palestine. What has ruled the Greens out, for me entirely and, wouldn't suggest them as an alternative, is May's position on a choice vote. Don't care what their party platform is, if she can't deliver a Choice vote by any and all Green M.P.s leaves them, in my opinion right next to the Cons.
As to strategic voting, its always a good back up plan. IF I thought the NDP wasn't going to take this riding back at all, and the lIberals had a chance, I'd hold my nose and vote for them. The Conservatives and Greens aren't an option.
It will be interesting to see if the recent Canadian Human Rights decision regarding Indigenous children will become an election issue. Will Trudeau pay it, at $2B., min and up to $4billion. One could expect the Cons to take the same position as harper when it comes to First Nations. the H.R. complaint covers the time the Cons refused to spend an equal amount of money for the health and education of First Nations children's. Harper and his Cons decided non Indigenous children were more important and spent more on them.
People like to talk about the environment, but when it comes right down to it, its all about what they have left in their pockets. Currently the federal Liberals send out cheques each month and that has lifted 250K children out of poverty. That's a lot of families receiving money. All the Cons did was tax breaks. well that doesn't buy you groceries. Scheer is doing his ad with suggesting you'll have more money with him. The ad doesn't explain how. Like is he going to reduce mortgages and rent in B.C.? Is he going to raise the federal min. wage to $20 an hr.? ya, didn't think so. What he might do is reduce taxes, but that defunds the government and what will he reduce then? transfer payments for health care, money for affordable housing, transportation, the military. the last time they were in office, Harper took funds from the RCMP unit which fought child porn. Not a government I would want in office. Lets remember, when the Cons were in office last time, more military personnel died from suicide than from the war they were in. Scheer was part of that government and so are a number of their M.P.s.
In some ridings how the First Nations vote, counts.
It's going to be interesting to see what First Nations voters do this time around. e.a.f. Some commentators suggest that Trudeau will lose support among First Nations people. On the other hand, I don't see them supporting anyone else.
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