Is Jack Layton's NDP the New Bloc?

 Maybe!  Along with Jack Layton's NDP's big gains a month ago in the general election, mostly from Quebec, comes more attention and scrutiny as it should be. To the media's credit they're starting to pay attention.

 Tasha Kheiriddin from the National Post - Jack Layton is between a Bloc and a hard place.

Jack Layton may be nimble, but even he is not proving quick enough to escape the nationalist tarpit which has trapped many a federal politician before him.

Don Macpherson, from The Montreal Gazette- Layton is raising unrealistic expectations among Quebecers  and is still making promises.

Because the leader of the New Democratic Party continues to make promises to French-speaking Quebecers.

And in the process, he is raising unrealistic expectations among them that a national party that aspires to govern can act as a New Bloc Québécois, placing their interests ahead of those of other Canadians.

Paul Schneidereit from The Chronicle Herald-The NDP in a la-la-Layton Land with Quebec Sovereignty  

Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton and his party are playing with fire on the Quebec sovereignty issue.

They’ve been playing that dangerous game for a while, too. The irony, of course, is that the controversy that’s now blown up in their faces was inevitable as soon as they achieved a longtime party goal — political success in la belle province.

Even the Globe and Mails Lawrence Martin is weighing in.-Are the NDP more Bloc than the Bloc?

With the demolition of the Bloc Québécois, election day was supposed to be a nice day for federalism.
But that prognosis is already in doubt. After years on the margins of the national discussion, Quebec nationalism is moving to the forefront.
Its new primacy of place is assured by an Official Opposition, the New Democratic Party, that is hostage to many of the interests of Quebec autonomists. With 59 seats, most from former Bloquiste territory, the New Democrats have little choice but to sing their song, minus the ultimate goal of separation.

It seems as if Jack has bitten off a little more than he can chew. Seeing that most of the MSM are starting to ask questions. This issue is not going go away and will not be an easy four years for Jack especially with his the kids in his caucus.
 

PM Harper Doing Us Proud

Some common sense is starting to make a comeback in this country.

First the budget that is due to be tabled June 6 will include the phasing out of the voter subsidies to political parties.

Plans are being made to end the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly.

A bill will be introduced in June first through the Senate for senate reform that would allow for elections and set term limits.

PM Harper at the G8 summit in France resisted offering direct aid to Egypt and Tunisia instead Canada’s backing would come through its existing support of multilateral financial institutions.

He also stood firm with Israel in insisting the final document coming out of the G8 not mention the 1967 borders as starting point for peace.

PM Harper also confirmed we're not going take part in the next round of the Kyoto protocol talks later this year along with Russia,and Japan.

It's a good start and  is  good news for Canada if you're a common sense conservative.  Not so much if you're a lefty.  Heads must be exploding!


I hope to see more of this kind of stuff come out of this government over their four year term.  How about doing something about the CBC and the CHRC next?  That would really put icing on the cake!

Why Are We Funding Anti-Israel,Pro-Palestinian So Called Charities?

Sun Media has a story out stating that our tax dollars are going to a so called charity group that is really an anti-Israel activist group. Alternatives Canada based out of Montreal, is taking part in a flotilla that will try to run the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza with other left wing radical groups later this spring.

Radicals from this country are organizing to take part in a flotilla that will try to run the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. A boat from this country is expected to be part of that flotilla in June and one of the main groups involved gets millions of your tax dollars.

 As Lilley states in his column, that  Alternatives Canada are not what they seem much like KAIROS that Minister Bev Oda judiciously cut funding on. . It's an activist group and has received $5 million of our money from the CIDA for the last five years.

The Montreal-based Alternatives, which has received $5 million from the federal government over the last few years, is not what most people think of when they think of an aid group. They don’t feed the hungry or clothe the naked. They are political organizers.

From NGO Monitor,an organization that keeps NGOs accountable says this about Alternatives Canada,

• Engages in a wide variety of highly unbalanced and politicized activities both within Canada and abroad. Outside Canada, the NGO has partnerships and funded projects, including projects based in the Palestinian Territories.
• Domestic advocacy is unceasingly critical of Israel even as it downplays Palestinian human rights abuses and ignores Palestinian terrorism.

Lilley gave a good synopsis on his show,Byline last night. It's worth watching.Eric Duhaime gives insight to what they're really up to.   Minister Oda did the right thing in defunding KAIROS. Now she can take the axe to radical left wing groups like  Alternatives Canada and other's who may not be what they seem.

Related: PM Harper blocks mention of 1967 border in G8 Mideast statement -Globe
              Canada objects to mention of 1967 borders in G8 statement-National Post
              Canada takes strong pro-Israel line at G8 summit- MSNBC

His support for Israel never waivers and it's nice to see his influence on the international stage!  Makes me proud to be Canadian.

Jack Layton's Quebec Conundrum

Jack Layton during the election campaign made certain promises to Quebec. He had promised he would recognize  50 plus 1 majority  as winning conditions  for Quebec to separate  in the event of a referendum and he would repeal the Clarity Act. in which the NDP had once voted for. Now a large part of Jack's caucus is from Quebec that he'll have a time and half to manage and much will be expected.  Some don't know how they would vote in the case of a referendum.

Now Jack is dodging trying to reconcile his contradiction.

He wound up dodging and weaving when asked to explain how to reconcile the contradiction.
"The position of the Supreme Court (which later became the Clarity Act), was accepted by the two sides of this great debate," Layton said. "So there is no necessity to go further then this because we have an excellent context for this possible discussion on this possible question."
Pressed about whether the NDP still recognizes the 50per-cent level, the furthest Layton would go was to say: "It's there in our declaration.
"We'll follow the decision of the Supreme Court judges," he reiterated. "We think that's an appropriate framework. We don't need to be revisiting legislation.
"But our goal is not to see another referendum. Our goal is to create the winning conditions for Canada in Quebec."
The term "winning conditions," is the one Layton used during the election campaign to portray himself as a strong nationalist or defender of Quebec's interests as a way to crush the separatist Bloc Québécois.

Now both the Quebec Liberal party and the PQ have picked up on Jack's confusion. Where exactly does Jack stand?  I believe this will dog him for the next four years. Jack will have some juggling to do between his Quebec caucus and the rest of the caucus to keep all happy as to prevent a revolt possibly led by Thomas Mulcair .  

He should try to remember Brian Mulroney, Meech Lake and Lucien Bouchard.  It produced the Bloc and the Reform Party.  The PCs were reduced to two seats.

Related: Last night on Sunnews Network former Liberal leader Stephane Dion tried to explain to Charles Adler the Quebec issues.

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Update: From Norman Spector twitter-Mulcair says 50%+1 in referendum would do the trick http://tinyurl.com/3nu4s5p #cdnpoli #NDP #LPC #CPC 
Translation here 

If there were a referendum on Quebec sovereignty, the NDP would accept a majority of 50% + 1, as required by the declaration of Sherbrooke. That at least is what Thomas Mulcair, NDP Deputy Leader and MP for Outremont, in an interview with Pierre Maisonneuve.

 

 

NDP Pat Martin To Bring Civility To Parliament

Ok! Over the top always outraged about something or someone NDP MP Pat Martin is going to turn a new leaf and get this, lead a movement for more respect and civility in the House of Commons. 

 OTTAWA -- Manitoba NDP MP Pat Martin hopes to turn over a new leaf in the next Parliament and lead a movement for improved respect between MPs.
Martin admits he is known as a "loudmouth," but he said Tuesday he believes that gives calls by him to be more respectful of others more meaning.
"This is my new policy," Martin said, holding up a handful of party-coloured buttons he had made reading "Opto Civitas."
"I choose civility. That's the new me."

 Is this same Pat Martin who was so rude and disrespectful to Minister Oda just a couple of months ago  during the so called "contempt" hearings and the disgraceful treatment of Candace Hoeppner on CBC Power and Politics?  The treatment of both of those ladies were thoroughly despicable. 

Has Pat suddenly had an epiphany? Has he decided to grow up?  Let's hope so.  A leopard just can't change his spots but let's see if he really has changed.   It's like L.Ian MacDonald says:

But if the New Democrats are to be taken seriously, it's time for them to behave like grown-ups, and lighten up on the sanctimonious grandstanding of front-benchers like Tom Mulcair and Pat Martin. 

I agree there needs to be more civility between parliamentarians in the HOC.  Parliament had become a toxic cesspool  with all the vitriol and petty partisanship.  It might have been a result of the minority situation, I don't know but it become stomach churning.  

Will Pat actually follow through? It would be nice.  I will give him the benefit of the doubt, for now but on the other hand I'm not holding my breath.  I guess we'll just have wait to see what happens.