Are the NDP Now the Only 'Opposition' Party?

[Progressive Tory]

There was an article in our paper this morning stating that Jack Layton now considers himself to be the only real Opposition Party, since Michael Ignatieff has been allowing the Conservatives some freedom in terms of the budget and the economy.

NDP now the only 'opposition'

Stephen Harper is clearly trying to move away from the Left and would never call himself a Liberal; while Michael Ignatieff is just opening up the tent to all and sundry. He's going after the centre and is slowly pushing the Conservatives off that platform, while Harper is scuttling back to the Right. The Liberals are not campaigning against the West or Christians, the way that Paul Martin did, and he's not sitting quietly by like Dion.

I think what Jack Layton may be upset about is that while the Liberals are now ahead of the Conservatives in the polls, much of it has been at his expense.

Canada`s Opposition Liberals Gain Support

"Canada's opposition Liberals have edged past the governing Conservatives in popularity, five months after suffering a sharp electoral defeat, according to a poll released on Saturday.

A Nanos Research survey put the Liberals at 36 percent, up 3 percentage points from the previous poll last month and 10 points from the October election."

Grits top Tories in poll

The Conservatives led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, were at 33 percent support among committed voters, down 1 point from February and off nearly 5 points from the election, when they were re-elected with a minority government.

Much of the Liberal support was picked up from the third-place left-leaning New Democrats, who saw their support dip to 13 percent from 16 percent last month and from more than 18 percent in the election.

So as Stephen Harper is moving back to the Right (Faith, Family and Freedom), and Ignatieff reclaiming centre, it looks like the Liberals are also gaining support from left-wing voters who would never vote Conservative.

I really like Jack Layton, but I think he's taken his party as far as he can and should step down. Pat Martin would get those numbers back up I think.

[Oleg Bach]

Fairly soon Jack Layton will be right. Once the NDP have evolved into a higher state of honesty about who they have become there will be no opposition what so ever. All Layton and his socialist have ever been were blue collar guys that wanted more money so they could shed the blue collar and be more upper class. The dream of the unionist postal carrier was not to have equality and good will among all men - but was to live in one of those big houses that he delivers the mail too. All socialist eventually become what they supposedly oppose - Just like the old feminist leadership - that now are rich and comfortable and have abandoned their poorer sisters.

[Progressive Tory]

Fairly soon Jack Layton will be right. Once the NDP have evolved into a higher state of honesty about who they have become there will be no opposition what so ever. All Layton and his socialist have ever been were blue collar guys that wanted more money so they could shed the blue collar and be more upper class. The dream of the unionist postal carrier was not to have equality and good will among all men - but was to live in one of those big houses that he delivers the mail too. All socialist eventually become what they supposedly oppose - Just like the old feminist leadership - that now are rich and comfortable and have abandoned their poorer sisters.

The new 'socialist' NDP is entirely different from many people's perception. Yes they are pro-union and anti-corporation; but they are not anti-wealth. They just want to share it in a fairer tax system. They also oppose war. Other than that, they are pretty much the same as the Liberals. And there lies the problem. They may become obsolete.

I don't agree that they are the only ones opposed to this gov't. The Liberals and Bloc are still keeping them on their toes. I just don't think Jack saw this coming, that his supporters would go Liberal. I kind of feel sorry for him because he's now fighting two formidable opponents. This isn't a problem for Ignatieff because he is trying to embrace small "c" conservatives and Red Tories. However, Harper would rather be called anything but a Liberal. He'd die first.

[Randy Nicholas]

I like Jack Layton, but cooperation between parties in the house is not treason, it is the point. That they can work together to accomplish things means they are doing their jobs. Though he may not like what they are doing, it doesn't mean that there is no official opposition.

The NDP under Jack Layton have gone as far as they can go. In the last election Layton thought he had a chance for the PMO, now he's become slightly more realistic in thinking he can be Leader of the Official Opposition.

As I see it as long as he keeps acting like this (he comes off as an angry child because the libs under iggy didn't give throw parliament into chaos and give the ndp a few cabinet posts) people are going to continue to ignore him.

[Oleg Bach]

I like Jack Layton, but cooperation between parties in the house is not treason, it is the point. That they can work together to accomplish things means they are doing their jobs. Though he may not like what they are doing, it doesn't mean that there is no official opposition.

The NDP under Jack Layton have gone as far as they can go. In the last election Layton thought he had a chance for the PMO, now he's become slightly more realistic in thinking he can be Leader of the Official Opposition.

As I see it as long as he keeps acting like this (he comes off as an angry child because the libs under iggy didn't give throw parliament into chaos and give the ndp a few cabinet posts) people are going to continue to ignore him.

Could be time to get rid of the advesarial parlimentary system along with the advesarial judical system. This system of us and them goes back a thousand years - time for a change. Could you imagine that instead of hearing the traditional screaming back and forth in parliment..that we had the soft murmer of constructive conversation?

[Progressive Tory]

I like Jack Layton, but cooperation between parties in the house is not treason, it is the point. That they can work together to accomplish things means they are doing their jobs. Though he may not like what they are doing, it doesn't mean that there is no official opposition.

The NDP under Jack Layton have gone as far as they can go. In the last election Layton thought he had a chance for the PMO, now he's become slightly more realistic in thinking he can be Leader of the Official Opposition.

As I see it as long as he keeps acting like this (he comes off as an angry child because the libs under iggy didn't give throw parliament into chaos and give the ndp a few cabinet posts) people are going to continue to ignore him.

Very well put. Opposition parties agreeing to get on with it during this economic crisis, doesn't mean they've caved. They just don't see it as a time for partisan politics.

[Oleg Bach]

Very well put. Opposition parties agreeing to get on with it during this economic crisis, doesn't mean they've caved. They just don't see it as a time for partisan politics.

Who said you have to be fighting all the time to get things done? Maybe that's why governments are so slow to react in a crisis - they spend 90% of the time on auto bicker - and 10% of the time finding solutions.

[Riverwind]

There was an article in our paper this morning stating that Jack Layton now considers himself to be the only real Opposition Party, since Michael Ignatieff has been allowing the Conservatives some freedom in terms of the budget and the economy.

The majority of Canadians want the Libs and Conservatives to work together. Ignatiaff is doing that and he is being given credit.

[Alexandra]

Canada`s Opposition Liberals Gain Support

Grits top Tories in poll

From the same Nanos poll: [but never on this Board has the following been linked to by any of the 'opposition']

QUESTION: Of the following individuals who do you think would make the best Prime Minister?

ANSWER: Stephen Harper

the 'following' individuals were:

Stephen Harper

Michael Ignatieff

Gilles Duceppe

Jack Layton and,

Elizabeth May

Canadians are a contrary bunch of people it seems

.http://www.nanosresearch.com/library/polls/POLNAT-W09-T362E.pdf

[Smallc]

I guess its too bad for him that people don't vote for Prime Minister.

[Alta4ever]

When is the media going to treat Layton (and the NDP) like the little man he is (so full of delusions of grandeur) and just ignore his ramblings, like buzzing noises in the ear.

[DrGreenthumb]

When is the media going to treat Layton (and the NDP) like the little man he is (so full of delusions of grandeur) and just ignore his ramblings, like buzzing noises in the ear.

Maybe when he stops informing the Canadian public about all the evil things Harper wants to do to them. Maybe when he stops getting it right on all the issues... Maybe when he(and the NDP) stops going to bat for the common man, fighting for working class Canadians, and standing up for civil liberties.??

[M.Dancer]

Maybe when he stops informing the Canadian public about all the evil things Harper wants to do to them. Maybe when he stops getting it right on all the issues... Maybe when he(and the NDP) stops going to bat for the common man, fighting for working class Canadians, and standing up for civil liberties.??

Working folks don't give a rats ass for Layton or his phoney empathy, hemce the stagmant % the NDP scrape by with. Anyway, Layton is far more comfortable attending a balck tie Gilbert and Sullivan event than hanging around workers. Workers clash with his cologne.

[Oleg Bach]

Working folks don't give a rats ass for Layton or his phoney empathy, hemce the stagmant % the NDP scrape by with. Anyway, Layton is far more comfortable attending a balck tie Gilbert and Sullivan event than hanging around workers. Workers clash with his cologne.

If no one noticed - unions are now being destroyed and rightfully so - there is no "working man" at 200 thousand a year..Laytons working man platform is gone - it's every man for himself and just watch Layton struggle to maintain his own political entity... where was Layton when some poor father who was denied access to his own children -stood on the roof of his Toronto head quarters - surrounded by a swat team - and threatening to jump ...where was Layton for this working man and his family robbed from him by buddies of his like Boyd who corrupted the family law courts to the point of Draconianism? Where was Mr. Lenin lip?

[ourmodernred]

Clearly, the NDP are not the only opposition party. But it is fair to suggest that Ignatieff must distinguish himself and his party from Harper. For example, he can't vote for Bill C-15 that calls for mandatory minimum sentences for growing marijuana when the Liberals themselves made a (half-hearted, or maybe quarter-hearted) attempt to pass a decriminalization bill. Until Ignatieff shows his party is willing to take a stand against purely ideologically-driven bills (like Bill C-15, but also like most bills the Conservatives have introduced as of late) they will be condemned to stand on the sidelines, irrelevant to actual Canadian politics.

[Slim MacSquinty]

Yes the Libeals should stand against ideology, since they have none of their own it is fair to suppose they should try to prevent everyone else from having any either.

Then we can all sink down to thier mindless moral relativism.