I'm very surprised Raybould isn't running for the Greens, I thought it was a sure thing.
It was prime and ripe, but May stated some odd things, not so much as the following quotes infer, albeit I think
@lenaitch was close, if not right, but May's proclamation on pipelines and national energy self-sufficiency violated even New Green realist thinking. May surprised me with that. Not the concept so much, that could have been honed, but the details were practicably and technically not possible. Quebec already imports more bitumen than needed from out West, and doesn't need more. It's light oil that's needed, albeit even that gets a bit complicated. But the *business case* just isn't there to finance a pipeline, all other climate and environmental issues besides. I can guarantee that May has caused a schism within the Green Party. Schreiner, albeit provincial branch, certainly wouldn't have put such an idea forward. And to top it all off, Quebec announced just today:
Legault announces plan to electrify Quebec's economy, reduce oil
May's timing couldn't be worse. As Independents, Raybould and Philpott can vote as a 'bloc' with the Greens, but not be betrothed to them.
then she said that she could work with Trudeau.
To make it that simplistic misses the point. That part is sheer pragmatism. It was her truly odd energy blurt that got her out of her depth.
I wonder if it is possible that the impasse resulted from their demand that she walk that back.
Interviews with both Raybould and Philpott don't give any hint of that. I think on reflection, R&P realized that could do anything that joining the Greens would do for them without being 'under contract' to the Party. To paraphrase JWR: "I'm just not a Party person" and P agreed that applied to her too.
At the very least, this is an 'experiment' for Cdn federal politics. JWR is a very strong woman, I find her very strangely attractive, in a Mona Lisa kind of way, matched by intellect and experience. She'll do fine, polls in her riding put her way ahead. Philpott? The odds are a lot tougher, but we'll see.
Let's flip something over for a moment: If you were 'loose' in political attachment, but savvy and compelled, who would you gravitate toward to form an alliance? May or JWR? It's a no-brainer for me. Hopefully JWR's inertia can keep Philpott above water for this next election, and just like the UK has witnessed, a new 'Independent Group' (not an official Party) can start to flourish. It's a century late, but it has to happen.
Change UK - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change_UK
Change UK – The Independent Group is a centrist, pro-European Union political party in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2019, it is led by Heidi Allen. It has 11 Members of Parliament(MPs) in the House of Commons.
European Parliament (UK seats): 1 / 73
Political position:
Centre
European Parliament group:
European People's ...
Leader:
Heidi Allen (interim)
History ·
Reactions ·
Structure and aims ·
Members of elected bodies
It's a bloc formed of like-minded Labour and Conservative members, the latter three all women. The template is alive and working in the Westminster Model. Their Parties don't like it, but are fracturing so rapidly that they'd be fools to expel them, and Trudeau's Liberals might just end-up in the same dilemma.
Very interesting developments.
Addendum: Something not openly stated by either JWR or Philpott is the possibility/probability of *migrations* of other Libs and Dippers (The NDP Party already has a schism) to the 'Independent Centrist Cause' in the House. Again, by not being a 'whipped' Party, and not 'formally married' it actually promotes inward migration by the individuals able to remain as such, and accountable only to their electorate.
What a concept...informal discussion could/would take place between the Independents. no matter how close or eccentric the orbit, and decide to vote on like-minded issues as a bloc.
Addendum: And the latest development in the UK
"Lib-Dems" are a rough analogy to the NDP in size and importance in the UK House, without the 'labour' baggage, which of course sits heavy with the Labour Party, which is also fracturing under the Brexit Broo Ha. The 'Parliamentary Model' is evolving...
Here's more, the fractures are spreading fast:
