To Nathan Cullen
Thank you, Nathan, for everything you stand for in working for Canadians. It’s been my pleasure to talk to so many people I know about your sincerity, optimism, and your determination to change politics. I hope to see you in parliament for a long, long time to come, fighting for Canadian values that make this country so great, standing with our students, , speaking up for the First Nations community and against the pipelines. It’s been a slice of a race.
After fidgeting and fidgeting, I finally voted in the NDP leadership race.
Ugh, partisans
Brian Topp’s election campaign calls me incessantly; which is fine and dandy, if it wasn’t for their not-so-subtle attacks on Nathan Cullen for his ideas on collaborating with the other “left” parties, such as the Liberals, Greens, etc. I admit this idea has its own flaws, with uncertain details on how to make this a progressive choice, and not one that stalls the NDP into a kind-of-left-but-really-more-centre kind of limbo.
Maybe it’s really more the choice of words that I have a problem with; today, it was a pre-recorded message from Ed Broadbent saying “Brian is proud to be running for the NDP… we want to win as the NDP, and I’m sure you do, too”.
Well, no, Mr. Broadbent, I don’t. I’m not married to the name of being a New Democrat, as proud as I am of my membership. I’m married to progressive policies and inclusive democracy, and whatever party that I feel will take us there. If one day I wake up and I feel that the Conservatives will advance Canada, then they’ll have my vote.
Ditch partisanship. If one party or candidate has been getting your votes systematically, stop, think, and read, and get with the changes.
Hello, Canadian Tumblrosphere.
I’m back with more NDP appeals!
This time, I’m just plain asking you to take some interest in the NDP leadership campaign that’s going on right now. The person who wins the election on March 24, 2012, will succeed the wonderful Jack Layton. Many Canadians are still unaware of this election, what it’s for, who’s running, and why it’s important.
This is especially important because we may potentially be choosing the new prime minister - and first NDP prime minister - of Canada, who will take over the Harper government in 2015. Stephen Harper and his little minions have been diligently using the absence of Mr. Layton, or a figure who can fill his shoes, to push their many horrifying agendas: Privatized prisons, the Ethical Oil fiasco, name-calling of the democratic citizens who oppose his party, quietly cutting back on essential social services, testing the waters at delegitimizing gay marriages performed in Canada.
Of course, the lack of an opposition leader is second in the list of reasons allowing Harper this kind of momentum; the first and foremost is that the Conservatives have a majority government.
Personally, I’m afraid that many Canadians will see the New Democratic Party as a weak opposition who did nothing to stop the travesties of this majority government; and will not vote for them in the next election; and that, in 2015, the NDP will not get a chance at forming a progressive government.
But I’m still optimistic that the leader we choose as a party in March will speak for those who collectively oppose the Harper government. Please join the NDP. It costs $25, or $5 or less if you’re under 26 years of age, or un(der)employed.
Here are some of the things about some of the candidates that may (or may not) be of interest to you:
- Peggy Nash, MP of High Park-Parkdale in Toronto, is advocating for a federal childcare system as one of her main platforms. She’s also pushing for an advancements in LGBT rights, and equality of women.
- Nathan Cullen, MP of Smithers/Skeena-Bulkley Valley, has put forth an idea for a system in which the Liberals, Greens, and NDP will put forth one joint nomination in Conservative ridings, to stop the vote-splitting on the left resulting in a Conservative win (good god, I’m not very good at wording that).
- Brian Topp, president of the NDP, runs ACTRA, and is an avid supporter of the CBC. He’s proposed a new federal income tax bracket of 35% on incomes in excess of $250,000, which some critics say will cause him to lose the support of wealthier Canadians, should he come to lead the opposition to Harper.
- Thomas Mulcair, MP of Outremont, QC, has put forth extensive plans to cap the climate change pollution by expanding on the idea of “polluters pay”. He would also ensure 50% of all appointees to government boards are women, which he says will advance women’s equality in Canada.
These are just 4 out of 8 candidates. All 8 candidates jointly oppose the Pipelines, Bill C-10, and call for reconciliation over assimilation regarding First Nations, as well as making massive changes to - or scrapping altogether - the Indian Act of 1951 (first of all, why is it still called the “Indian” Act?). They also want to reform the changes and conditions the Harper government is imposing on immigrants, refugees and foreign workers. To put it really simply and probably inappropriately, they really hate Harper, and I hope that’s enough for some of you to take interest in this election.
There’s another leadership debate happening tomorrow, Sunday January 29. You can find out more here, and watch it live too.
Apathy is the saddest thing happening in Canadian politics. Politics is personal, so take some goddamn interest.
PSA OUT.
ps - I don’t pretend to be a great expert on all candidates. If I’m wrong about something, or if you want to add something to this, or if you have a comment on how sad it is that this is what I do in my spare time, send me a message.
