The NDP have been going around town trying to keep up appearances and convince us that they’re behaving as an opposition party. They’ve even been accusatory towards the Liberals abstaining, allowing the Conservatives to continue their right wing agenda. While they complain, lately they seem very content with the arrangement. The NDP will not rock the boat. They like things they way they are now because they feel there’s opportunity there to show the public that they can be the official opposition or actually even govern one day. They are seriously mistaken though that this will bring them benefits of any kind. The reality is that the Conservatives are using them and are laughing all the way. Jack and his team need to wake up, smell the coffee and start acting like the opposition they want and claim to be (hint: the Liberals aren’t the government anymore).
The NDP have no right to criticize the Liberals anymore. Their silence on the issue of the death penalty is worse than the Liberals waiting to bring down the government on an issue brought to the floor that they disagree with rather than vote against a vaguely defined agenda or tax cuts they 95% agree with. The NDP’s “nays” mean nothing when they don’t have any real importance to change something, it just gives them blank excuses to make themselves seem principled.
Take a look at ndp.ca. What do you see? Any mention on the main page of the Tories abandoning Canadian’s human rights on the issue of the death penalty? No of course not, instead there’s bashing of the Liberals (who have been very vocal on this issue unlike Jack and his friends) and the NDP’s unfeasible idea to abolish the Senate (which requires a constitutional amendment which won’t happen).
You would have thought the issue of the death penalty would be an issue that the NDP would be up in arms about. The death penalty is a serious social issue, which discriminates against the poor who often don’t get proper legal access and end being the ones on death row. Not only is the new Canadian position abominable from a human rights perspective and turns back 30 years of Canadian foreign policy (and puts us COMPLETELY ALONE IN THE WORLD in our stance) as it stands now it is inconsistent in its treatment of Canadians over Americans, as Americans get protected by this government from the death penalty while Canadians don’t.
The Tories are turning their back on the UN, the Charter of Rights & Freedoms and Canada’s international reputation. Where’s the NDP criticism? NO WHERE.
Jack Layton has decided instead that the issue of senate reform is a much more important issue to the NDP than the UN Charter and the poor and potentially-wrongly accused Canadians who wind up facing the death chamber. And the Tories are all too supportive of their new found relationship. They can continue to bond over bashing the real opposition – the Liberal party, who I believe does the right things at the right time for the right reasons.
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19 comments:
Why you posting this liblogs.ca garbage on this website?
I don't see liblogs posting Conservative opinons so why is your garbage on this website?
Wow Fred is pissed and he no one any idea why? Care to comment on anything that was actually written in the post Fred?
Wow Fred is pissed and he gave no one any idea why. Care to comment on anything that was actually written in the post Fred?
the Liberal party, who I believe does the right things at the right time for the right reasons.
Like sitting on their hands and collecting their paychecks.
Ok Greg, what a way to cherry pick the post eh? I trust you fully agree with everything else DT said then?
And the fact is the Liberals have not been sitting on their hands on this issue, the NDP has! They have nothing to say on the Conservatives stance on the death penalty, they'd rather play up Harper's Senate agenda instead and let Canadians die.
What the hell is more important standing up for Canadians facing the death chamber on foreign soil or not voing on a frigging throne speech. The NDP don't care about our international reputation or human rights, only getting Jack a bigger caucus. Get some perspective!
Tory, Dipper, same old shitter!
What the hell is more important standing up for Canadians facing the death chamber on foreign soil or not voing on a frigging throne speech.
They are both important. So is getting rid of an undemocratic institution. If Liberals are so worked up about saving Canadians from the death chamber they can use an opposition day motion to condemn the practice. I suspect both the Bloc and the NDP will vote with you.
Oh you got fred upset...what will you do? Nice to tie those right wingers knickers in a knot once in awhile isn't it....lol.
both may be important. But talk about priorities to lay your attention and resources. The death penalty should be numero uno for the NDP right now.
I don't get your point at all. The Liberals stood up in the House and criticized the Cons on this...so did Joe Comartin, so did Libby Davies. I've seen Davies on at least 4 occassionas raking the govt over the coals on the government's shifting stand on the death penalty. I saw my NDP MP Paul Dewar speaking out about this in the local Ottawa media, too.
So, you're dissapointed that the party hasn't got something on the Web site? Me, too. But that hardly justifies you're argument at all.
I know that when social justice and human rights issues have been up in the House of Commons the NDP has been the only party that has always stood up and spoken out.
When civil liberties were being trampled after 9/11, the NDP was the ONLY party to speak out against the new anti-terrorism laws. And in that case, it was the governing Liberals who were proposing that garbage.
I for one hope layton and his crew continue holding Liberals accountable for their (in)actions. More harm will be done by the recent gigantic corporate tax-cuts than anything else the govt probably could do, in terms of an attack on our social programs. But you want to call Jack on THIS??? While you want to give dion a free pass on THAT???
I just don't get the logic. Let's put the right-eing record of the Harperites to the test and see what canadians think. I don't see smooth sailing for them.
And really, can't you see that the Liberals are using this as an issue of convienence, like their provincial cousins did in ON, and try and find wedge value issues to debate with the Conservatives that marginalize all other parties? Watching Cdn politics is like a broken record on this...and until the Liberal's 'progreesive' supporters actually start holding the Liberal Party to account rather than the NDP, its really hard to take these criticisms seriously.
And at what point will the Kool Aid brand Liberal partisans choke on the irony that they are the ones who've spent two years losing ground while obsessively slagging a non-governing party? Is this the sound of the Liberal death rattle?
The last commenter is completely out to lunch. If you took a look at all the public statements of Layton Vs. Dion or looked at the parties websites, I think it'd be pretty clear that the NDP spends the bulk of it's time bashing Liberals, while Liberals spend very little time comparatively talking about the NDP. The facts don't lie, perhaps you should check them out some time.
Meanwhile, Mr. Layton is the one who is so obsessive in his hatred of Liberals and that he's actually gone so far as to go on record on Stephen Taylor's (top blogging Tory) website in a personal interview and say that "being a Conservative is better than being a Liberal". How's that for progressive? I guess he just wants to kiss up to Harper. After all, if you compare the Harper to Martin government, Jack's gotten way more results this time hasn't he? But results for people don't really matter to him or else he'd actually want a LIBERAL MINORITY, again the facts don't lie - the NDP gets more done with a Liberal vs. Con minority. All Jack cares about though is just more seats.
Also, if you check out the polls, it's not the Liberals who have lost ground since the last election, they're still where they were last time (wish they were higher, but I pay attention to facts as they are), while polls show the NDP and Cons down 1-3 points since the last election. The FACT is the NDP have gained ZERO ground on the Liberals from all their attacks on them.
And Liberal death rattle? When they are still 10-15 points up on the NDP and the NDP has never cracked 20% in any poll? I'm sorry, but I don't think it's Liberals drinking the koolaid on this one. Give facts to back up your points and maybe I'll listen. Until then, enjoy the dreams of an NDP majority.
"The NDP have no right to criticize the Liberals anymore." - Actually we do. We are not friends, get over it. We have just as much right to criticize the Liberals as the Liberals have right to criticize the NDP... so stop acting like a baby, and defend yourselves... or maybe you can't?
"Take a look at ndp.ca. What do you see? Any mention on the main page of the Tories abandoning Canadian’s human rights on the issue of the death penalty? No of course not, instead there’s bashing of the Liberals." - Actually I don't see any bashing of the Liberals on the main page. I see the NDP talking about big box child care, toxic toys, cultural festivals, the situation in Burma, Senate Reform. Actually I go further further than the front page and click on "Main Stories". And I see stories about the death of an RCMP officer, the crisis in Pakistan, a speech (That does attack the Liberals for good reason, but only after attacking the Conservatives.), the elections act debacle, equalization, party strategy, cancer-causing flame retardant, abuse against women, immigration, veterans, etc....
So yes we do attack the Liberals, but not as much as you make it seem... maybe the media chooses to run more stories where we are attacking the Liberals... but that's not our choice.
Kinch said: "Actually I don't see any bashing of the Liberals on the main page"
Then you aren't looking very closely. The latest attack is the false portrayal of a coalition between Dion and Harper. If Harper is aligned with anyone it is with Layton as the "deal" over Senate reform clearly shows.
As for the renewed interest in Child Care, this is a bit rich coming from the party that pulled the plug on the Martin government. Had they not done so we would have Child Care spaces now.
Abolishing the Senate is like having a baby. There is never a convenient time for either, but both are important.
Ok, maybe I didn't look close enough. But that's one attack on the Liberals out of of 7 possible stories! We have every right to attack the Liberals, we are not your friends.
Hah..!!!
As for the renewed interest in Child Care, this is a bit rich coming from the party that promised that a nation plan for 12 years!!!!!
And the NDP has posted a story on the death penalty situation today on their website.Sure it's two days later than the Liberals... but the website is not the only way the NDP speaks out! They've been speaking out on this all week.
Was there ever any doubt in anyone's mind that the NDP is against the death penalty? Come on be honest. And while you are at it, examine the Liberal caucus. I suspect there are a few "hang em high" types on their back bench (especially the gang from Scarborough).
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