I just read the transcript of an interview given by Canada's youngest MP, Pierre-Luc Dusseault.
I hope the media loses the fixation with his age, and judges him on his intelligence and passion.
I remember seeing a billboard years ago, that read "Hire a teenager. Now, while they still know everything." The new youth wing of the NDP will bring not only fresh ideas, but the arrogance of youth. It won't be business as usual. I think, or at least I hope, that they will stand by their youthful convictions and fight for the things that matter to their generation.
For too long Parliament has been dominated by old white guys. It's time for a shake up.
I'm still angry with Layton for abandoning strategic voting, allowing his ego and hatred of Liberals to cloud his better judgement. He would have still been leader of the Opposition but in a Conservative minority, where these people could have really made a difference.
However, I think this young man may be around for a very long time.
The Liberals could learn from this. Bring more youth into the Party, not only as Young Liberals, but as people who can shape policy and eventually legislation.
I'm starting to like the idea of Justin Trudeau as the next leader of the Liberals. Shake off the cobwebs of the old guard and generate some excitement.
Possibly a new generation of Trudeaumania.
When I attended a luncheon with Michael Ignatieff in Kingston, there was a group of Young Liberals travelling with him, and I was so impressed with them.
One young man was cornered by an elderly lady and spent a great deal of time discussing issues. And what I saw from both was a level of respect. Not some smart ass punk, wishing to be anywhere but there. And she viewed him in the way he should have been viewed. Neither were condescending.
Clearly it's time we did politics differently in this country.
I'm going to be working the next few years to promote a renewed Liberal Party, with the possibility of a merger with the Green. They are closer than the Liberals and NDP.
But they will have to create a strong option for the centre. Shake off the stigma of the sponsorship scandal with a fresh new leader and a fresh new outlook.
And I am also going to grade each new NDPer on their own merit. Pierre-Luc Dusseault gets an "A".
No one in Quebec is going to vote for a guy called Trudeau. Same thing out West. And he is both naive and arrogant, immature. And his French is really bad. What is says is poorly thought out, unclear and ill-structured.
ReplyDeleteWould be the Libs' death knell.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-rees/cormac-ignatieffs-the-roa_b_59363.html
ReplyDeleteDo you think Line?
ReplyDeleteYou're expecting the media to give the NDP a break? They're going to find every little flaw they can, just as they started to do last week.
ReplyDeleteNever mind the fact that they're the Opposition in a majority Parliament, it's time to go hunt us up some Commies!
Yesterday I thought I wrote a note and posted it in your comments section but I guess I didnt
ReplyDeleteWe both fought hard to defeat the disgusting Harper regime how ever I felt your analysis wasn’t complete
The Inability of the NDP to not gain at least a minority was caused by right wing Liberals (and they are a substantial amount of them) listening to Harper woo them to vote conservative as they had a lot more in common with him than the “socialist” Incompetent NDP
After all the abuse Harper showered down on them their hatred for any form of socialism still managed to over take their years of abuse by Harpers reformers and they voted conservative !! (its nothing new the right wing of the liberal party have been torpedoing the ndp since Wordsworth & the CCF attacking with characteristic red baiting lying character assignations polive harrassment etc
It Might be worth noting that it wasn’t Steve Harper Stephan Dion Jack Layton or Gil Duiceppe that killed the coalition after Harper prorogued Parliament it was none other than the new leader of the liberal party Ignatiff himself The thoughts of sharing power with the NDP was abhorrent to him
You are correct The New Democrats should have been more willing to work with the liberals in strategic voting how ever the only one successful in voting strategically were the right wing liberals in Ontario .They flocked to endorse Harper (nothing new)
It was nice to see Elizabeth May win her seat an improvement from her disastrous arrogant wrong headed choice (after good advice not to) of challenging Peter McKay And The McKay dynastic in NS
May would make a good small l liberal lite
and the re building of the liberal party will be a formadable endeavour
I remember the days when Red Torys had better social policies than Liberals the same Torys had better principles than most liberals i knew (a subjective feeling on my part )
I want thank you for your excellent articles day after day it was educational and enlightening I convinced a few friends n family to read and all agreed “Pushed to the LEFT was wonderful
good luck on your new endeavour to rebuild a liberal lite party give us lots of notice when you change the name of your blog from pushed to the “LEFT and loving it ” to Pushed to the ???? and loving it !!
I d still like to read your articles for their sheer honestly research and professionalism
F Clancy
Emily, I too think that the Greens should merge with the Liberals. In fact, I have been trying out Elizabeth May as Liberal Leader. She could be a good fit...
ReplyDeleteAnd as for the links between the parties, when I took the CBC quiz about party affinities, I was between Liberal and the Greens; I was surprised how very centrist on many issues the Greens are, but not on the issues which are important to me. Quite a difference from the NDP!
When I took the poll they actually suggested that I should be voting Green. I've read their platform and they are not left wing. They are in the centre.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth May would be a great Liberal leader. Could bring back integrity to party.
As for the NDP, you may be right. However, Jack has not really been in the limelight, so will have to expect more media scrutiny. It comes with the territory.
Yes, I got the same result by the CBC quiz -- to vote Green!
ReplyDeleteShe's the best parliamentarian of the lot; the best debater. If anyone can communicate to Canadians why they should care whether their PM is found to be in Contempt of Parliament, Elizabeth May can.
Plus, what she brings to the party is the transformation the youth arm of the Liberal Party was trying to achieve when they voted in Stephane Dion. Unlike Dion though, I think she could find a way to sell it to the average Canadian.
It is next to impossible to build and grow a new party from scratch, and I just don't see it happening with the Greens. Also, the Greens constitute another vote split, and I think Canadians are tired of that. No, better to get under the Big Red Tent, a brand new and revitalized one. The Liberal Party still has serious bench strength, and impressive ranks. They just need better strategists... And money. Lots of money.
I used to argue that the first-past-the-post-system was a good thing (i.e., it allows a PM to make long-term decisions which do not necessarily cater to opinion polls), but Harper has proven that it is too dangerous and leaves Canadian democracy vulnerable to abuse. I hope that the revitalized Liberal Party commits itself to a form of Proportional Representation.
I agree about Elizabeth May. She'd make a great Liberal leader. A green-thinking Liberal might save this country. I think Justin Trudeau is adorable, but he's young and has a lot to learn.
ReplyDeletePierre-Luc Dusseault is equally adorable, and also in a good position to learn on the job.
I wish all the young people in the NDP and Liberal parties all the best.
All of you folks who want to merge the libs with the greenies take a look at their economic policies and when you have stopped laughing try to reconcile that with the Bay St Guys - lots of luck
ReplyDeleteNo matter who the next leader of the Liberals is, you can bet the smear and slander ads will be run over and over to destroy their reputation. That is why I think it was very unfortunate to lose Michael Ignatieff. He has already be slimed and really can't be hurt much now plus he had nothing to do with Adscam. Cons are just salivating to trash Justin Trudeau and he is still far too young and inexperienced for the position. Elizabeth May is an interesting idea.
ReplyDelete