“Could it be that the best role for the NDP is a perennial opposition party that serves as an advocate for the left from the outside of government?”
The answer I got was vintage Jack - bold and eloquent while skipping over the real point.
“Some people might think that. But I think the best approach is the one that Tommy Douglas used, which was to take the ideals that we stand for and turn them into actual results for Canadians.”
To be fair, the NDP hasn't been bad at doing that. They hold more sway than ever in this era of minority governments, particularly if they hold the balance of power. During close elections other parties (Ok, the Liberals) will crib their promises to win leftist support and occasionally they can shame and shove their opponents into using some of their ideas.
But that's about it. Even under ideal circumsances they couldn't gain a full percentage point of the popular vote last election and once again finished fourth behind a party that doesn't even want to be in Canada.
It's very likely this is all the influence the NDP will ever have. That's not so bad when you look at the tons of failed parties over the years. But it looks like the dream of forming government is now hurting the NDP more than helping them.
The top ranks of the party really seem to want to move toward the centre and take a shot at contending. But at this weekend's convention there was no mistaking the lack of appetite for that amongst the party's grass roots. Even a modest centrist bill to reduce taxes for small businesses was left to the backburner, presumably because of a lack of support.
On the flip side, a motion to legalize marijuana also got scuttled away so far down the agenda it had no hope of surfacing. Legalization is an issue that makes sense in many ways, has tons of Canadians supporting it and would bring the NDP loads of publicity. It's too controversial for the Liberals or Tories to adopt but is it really too controversial for the fourth-place party? The delegates this weekend seemed to think so, which is crazy. The NDP is playing like they've got a ten-point lead when they should be throwing Hail Marys.
If I were an NDP member I'd be screaming for the party to make up its mind one way or the other - move to the centre and try to win, (still highly unlikely despite Darrell Dexter pulling it off) or be a true advocate of left wing ideas. You can't do both effectively.
Darrell Dexter: Second only to Rodney MacDonald
in leading the NDP to a majority government.
in leading the NDP to a majority government.
So for now the NDP will continue to tread water and scrounge to pick up a few more fractions of the popular vote.
I'd like to end off on some cheesy words of wisdom quote but can't think of one at the moment. So instead I'll quote something made up by me, just now: "Not winning isn't so bad if you're able to make the most of losing."
Or even better, this election night quote by Jack Layton I just made up: "I just lost to Stephane Dion and Stephen Harper? To hell with this, I'm gonna go get drunk."
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