There is some irony in the May 2 election results for the NDP. The party tripled its seat count finishing with 103 seats and 30.3% of the popular vote. Their leader, Jack Layton, is now Opposition Leader and sits in the front row on the opposition benches in the Commons. Yet the party’s influence in Parliament has been greatly diminished. That is because after 7 years of minority governments, Canada is now governed by a Conservative majority.
Over the past several years, minority governments have been forced to make compromises with opposition parties in order to ensure passage of bills in Parliament including NDP sponsored amendments to the Accountability Act and the Clean Air Act. Now that Stephen Harper has won his majority, making concessions to opposition parties is officially over. If Harper was loath to do so under a minority government then you can guarantee it won’t happen as long as the Conservatives can hang on to their majority.
The strange thing is that beginning on election night, Layton has repeatedly talked about how the NDP will be working with the government of legislation. It’s like watching a scene out of the 1939 Frank Capra film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. For those who have never seen the movie, it’s a story about a naïve stooge who is appointed to fill a vacant Senate seat in the U.S. Congress who runs into powerful corrupt politicians and business tycoons. So Mr. Layton go ahead and propose your private member bills or amendments to government bills and let’s see how you make out. Oh, and how are you making out raising money for that national boys’ camp?
There are those that believe that the NDP will be able to remain in the centre of the Canadian political spectrum and permanently replace the Liberals as the rivals to the Conservative party. In fact some believe that should the Conservative falter, the NDP could be in a position to form the next government. While others see the recent election results as a one-time aberration and will be correct when the next election is called. The critics don’t believe that the NDP will be able to maintain its status as the dominant party in Quebec. Frankly it’s way too early to predict how this will all play out. One thing is for sure, if the NDP does not grow from being the 4th party in Parliament to the 2nd party, it is inevitable that it will return to historical numbers. It means developing some party discipline and solidarity on policy issues and avoiding controversies like Vegas Girl. Because both the Liberals and Conservatives will be gunning for them.
Over the past several years, minority governments have been forced to make compromises with opposition parties in order to ensure passage of bills in Parliament including NDP sponsored amendments to the Accountability Act and the Clean Air Act. Now that Stephen Harper has won his majority, making concessions to opposition parties is officially over. If Harper was loath to do so under a minority government then you can guarantee it won’t happen as long as the Conservatives can hang on to their majority.
The strange thing is that beginning on election night, Layton has repeatedly talked about how the NDP will be working with the government of legislation. It’s like watching a scene out of the 1939 Frank Capra film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. For those who have never seen the movie, it’s a story about a naïve stooge who is appointed to fill a vacant Senate seat in the U.S. Congress who runs into powerful corrupt politicians and business tycoons. So Mr. Layton go ahead and propose your private member bills or amendments to government bills and let’s see how you make out. Oh, and how are you making out raising money for that national boys’ camp?
There are those that believe that the NDP will be able to remain in the centre of the Canadian political spectrum and permanently replace the Liberals as the rivals to the Conservative party. In fact some believe that should the Conservative falter, the NDP could be in a position to form the next government. While others see the recent election results as a one-time aberration and will be correct when the next election is called. The critics don’t believe that the NDP will be able to maintain its status as the dominant party in Quebec. Frankly it’s way too early to predict how this will all play out. One thing is for sure, if the NDP does not grow from being the 4th party in Parliament to the 2nd party, it is inevitable that it will return to historical numbers. It means developing some party discipline and solidarity on policy issues and avoiding controversies like Vegas Girl. Because both the Liberals and Conservatives will be gunning for them.
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