John Barber: NDP serves only to give victories to Tories

[kEiThZ]

I am skeptical that Canadian parties could function in coalitions. We don't have much of a coalition tradition in Canada. What's more, it's likely that many NDP partisans would feel betrayed if Jack took up with Stephane. There would be little reason to support the NDP if it's just going to be a left wing extension of the Liberals.

 

[Hydrogen]

Also, there are many Liberals who get their backs up at the idea of a coalition with the NDP. Layton spent a considerable amount of time attacking the Liberals as he saw an opportunity to become the official opposition. As the Liberals slowly move more left of centre, the NDP just becomes the competition for the same territory.

 

[MetroMan]

I am skeptical that Canadian parties could function in coalitions. We don't have much of a coalition tradition in Canada. What's more, it's likely that many NDP partisans would feel betrayed if Jack took up with Stephane. There would be little reason to support the NDP if it's just going to be a left wing extension of the Liberals.

I disagree. If the NDP surpasses the Liberals and Layton becomes Prime Minister by tapping into the Liberal's seats in a coalition, I think that would be seen as a stroke of genius. That would be an enormous opportunity to promote the NDP brand as a serious contender – a chance of a lifetime – and an alternative to the alternating Conservative/Liberal tradition.

I'm voting Olivia Chow and hope to see the NDP pick up some more seats in traditionally Liberal ridings. Despite my NDP vote, I'm loving the idea of a coalition with the Liberals, whose platform I'm quite happy with.

On UrbanToronto, we've been talking for ages about how Ontario always kisses the Federal Liberal's ass, despite them paying us little attention to our recurring problems every election (fair deal, cities, etc). Now that Ontario is no longer safe for the Liberals, we're seeing our problems finally addressed in their election platform.

It's time to elect an alternative, even if that alternative won't make it to Parliament Hill on their own. An NDP/Liberal coalition will be the best thing for Ontario in decades.

 

[afransen]

The polls now show NDP @ 20% and the Liberals @ 22. I think Layton has a real chance at taking this one as leader of the opposition.... and I can frankly see the Liberals and NDP pinning their noses and taking the plunge into a coalition – anything to stop Harper from continuing his disastrous policies.

Other polls show the Liberals with 10-12 point leads on the NDP.

Realistically, the Liberal Party would never support the NDP as the governing party as that would lend the NDP legitimacy.


And, I don't understand how you could support both the Liberal and NDP platforms. They are basically ideologically opposed, with the NDP being tax-and-spend, and the Liberals proposing fiscal reform.

 

[afransen]

I am skeptical that Canadian parties could function in coalitions. We don't have much of a coalition tradition in Canada. What's more, it's likely that many NDP partisans would feel betrayed if Jack took up with Stephane. There would be little reason to support the NDP if it's just going to be a left wing extension of the Liberals.

Coalitions don't work in Canada because of FPTP. Electoral results are so wildly sensitive to changes in popular support that gaining 3% in vote share for Harper could have meant the difference between weakest minority in Canadian history and majority government.

Take away that incentive to battle over tiny swings, and parties would be less motivated to go to the polls every time they sniff a small advantage.

 

[MetroMan]

And, I don't understand how you could support both the Liberal and NDP platforms. They are basically ideologically opposed, with the NDP being tax-and-spend, and the Liberals proposing fiscal reform.

I don't whole heartedly support both platforms. It doesn't have to be black or white. My support falls within a shade of grey between the two. A coalition where the NDP would lead with their social issues but the Liberal gravity pulling them closer to the centre – would be my ideal outcome.

With regards to the possibility – or lack thereof – of a coalition, one can argue that there doesn't need to be an official coalition. The incoming minority Conservative government can be defeated, at which point the next largest party (looks like the Liberals at this point) can try to govern. All it takes is for the NDP to prop them up and we have an unofficial Liberal-NDP coalition.

The Liberals would be thanking their lucky stars to be back in power and would be absolutely interested in working with the NDP to insure that they can stay there long enough to reedem themselves with Canadians.

 

[ShonTron]

The Liberals should be totally interested in a NDP coalition. It gives some stability if they want to go through another leadership convention, and it also gives them the 1987 Peterson Advantage - have a happy electorate pleased with many NDP policies implemented while tempered by Liberal pragmatism, then take all the credit once your coalition "fails" and get a huge majority government. Just don't squander it with another early election and you're made.

 

[Uncle Teddy]

With the way the economy is going it might be better for the Liberals if the Conservatives win with a majority. Let Harper and his team take all the lumps. Meanwhile the Liberals can remove Dion and in five years they can come back and takeover for another 10-15 year period.

 

[afransen]

I don't know... there is a phenomenal amount of hatred between the two parties, and neither wants to bolster the other. I can't see a Liberal/NDP coalition being terribly stable.

 

[lordmandeep]

NDP and Liberals hate each other.


the NDP is full of socialists and left wing idealistic loonies.


The Liberals have to get support from Centrists and Moderates, Centre Left and some crazy lefties as well.


So the Liberal imo have to attack the NDP and the Tories at the same time to ever going to being in charge again.

 

[salvius]

NDP and Liberals hate each other.


the NDP is full of socialists and left wing idealistic loonies.


The Liberals have to get support from Centrists and Moderates, Centre Left and some crazy lefties as well.


So the Liberal imo have to attack the NDP and the Tories at the same time to ever going to being in charge again.

Wherever did you get that idea? I'm a card carrying member. Are you? The camp includes some pretty far left socialists - as it should, considering there is no real party to accommodate that particular viewpoint - but the majority of the party is firmly in the centre-left territory. That's where the consensus is.

Very little of the core Liberal party (federally) is centre-left. It hasn't been so for a while now.

 

[unimaginative2]

Very little of the core Liberal party (federally) is centre-left. It hasn't been so for a while now.

You criticize lordmandeep for commenting on the NDP while not being a card-carrying member, and then you go off and do the same thing to the Liberals. How many Liberal meetings have you attended? I can assure you that a vast swath of the party is on the centre-left, as a cursory glance at the results of any policy convention would demonstrate. Not to mention the last leadership where the party chose the most centre-left candidate available.

 

[salvius]

^ I was going to add that that doesn't hold true for the current sacrificial leader. And I'm sure a lot of card carrying Liberals are on the centre-left. However, that was not who dominated the party since the Chretien era.

 

[unimaginative2]

Well, I'd say they must have dominated the party since they selected the leader. And moreover the "right wing" Paul Martin's major achievements were a national day care plan, same-sex marriage, masses of money for medicare, and the Kelowna Accord for first nations. Sounds pretty centre-left to me.

 

[lordmandeep]

However look at the fact that Chretien run a very centre right govt...