While meaningless in the long term, the arguments in Canada’s Parliament over the omnibus budget bill have benefitted parliament and the opposition parties. First of all, it has clearly pointed out–once again–to Canadians that they might have erred in giving Mr. Harper and his sycophants a majority government. Secondly, it brought the NDP’s Nathan Cullen into the fore as the Opposition House Leader, where he is doing a solid job. And third, it displayed the tenacity, brains and aggressiveness of the Green Party’s only MP, Elizabeth May. Both Cullen and May could add much to the upcoming Liberal Party leadership.
While the Liberals are hardly without viable candidates who are already members of the Liberal Party, Cullen and May could bring many side benefits to the Liberal race. While the turning in of their respective New Democrat and Green credentials when they take out Liberal membership cards could be a bit wrenching, it would be a solid career choice.
Nathan Cullen has already stated his case for cooperation with the Liberals to defeat the Harper Conservatives. He campaigned on it during the NDP leadership race and gained considerable credibility for being forward thinking. While Cullen did not win in his NDP bid, he knows that the younger people agree with him that the future of the NDP is in some accommodation with the other parties of the left. What better way to lead the movement.
Elizabeth May already has strong credentials with many Liberal Party members. She has made it clear to Green Party adherents across Canada that there are issues that have to be addressed beyond the Green Party agenda. And she hardly needs to revoke her environmentalist standing to work within the Liberal Party. The party is in critical need of her level headed environmental approach in dealing with the Harper pipeline agenda for the Alberta tar sands crude oil.
The adding of these two candidates might seem an extreme approach but you can hardly hold a Liberal Party leadership contest at this time without addressing how you intend to defeat the Harper Conservatives. And nobody is going to buy a right wing answer.
Only the news media are convinced that Interim Leader Bob Rae will be in the Liberal race. We expect that strategically, he will keep his own counsel until the field starts to develop. His only hope of winning is by offering himself as someone who can help rebuild the party. Nobody will expect him to defeat Harper. Nor would his former NDP ties indicate any likelihood of him leading a combined Liberal-NDP party.
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Copyright 2012 © Peter Lowry
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