Tough Love

Gerald Caplan’s cynicism on the current state of politics seeps through today's Globe and Mail. There is much truth to what he writes.

The government did almost nothing constructive and the Official Opposition offered almost no alternatives, with many media reporting their most fatuous spins at face value. Poor Canada.

But they saved the NDP from itself. Jack Layton had boxed himself into the tightest of corners, going nowhere fast. He and a few self-loving communication types who now seem to run the NDP, with nary a piece of substance to be found, are sighing sighs of relief. The NDP is in no better shape to fight a campaign that the Liberals, and everyone knows it. But both parties routinely assert the opposite.

The leader has reshuffled the front office, but the new efficiency has yet to be proven. The leader stepped into his role with his panniers filled with new ideas and a desire to get things done. His book “Speaking Out” reflects his inspiration and thoughtful ideas. Nowadays, he comes across as a talking bobble head, repetitively trying lines on you. When speaking to him, it is clear that the thoughtful policy mind, the part of him that is still passionate about environmental innovation, is still there. That part is masked behind the TV Layton.

This past session was the time for new ideas, especially on the economy. The Conservative government spent the last month introducing and debating crime and punishment bills while the recession continued to rage on. It is clear that they are devoid of policy ideas, aside from seriously flawed mandatory sentencing and victim of terrorism right to sue bills. The Liberals, following the Green Shift fiasco, are too scared to introduce new policies and are relying on a single idea changing the eligibility requirements for EI. The NDP is traditionally viewed as weak on economics. Now is the time to start shifting that view. The common view that opposition parties are their to criticize out of fear the governing parties will steal the good ideas should not apply to the NDP. We are a fourth place party that constantly fights the criticism of redundancy. Now is the time for new ideas. We promoted the green car policy in the last elections, and then the government turns around and gives billions in loans to the auto manufacturers (loans that will likely never be repaid). Perhaps there was an opportunity missed somewhere in there?

That is not to say that NDP MP’s have not been working their butt’s off. For example, on the last day that the House sat, the Conservative government reversed their stance on Abousfian Abdelrazik, having been converted to the idea of Canadian citizens having rights, and decided that reform of the much maligned NCC was needed. Ottawa Centre NDP MP has been working tirelessly on both matters (see here for praise of Paul’s work on the Abdelrazik, and check out the House of Common’s website to see the similarities between Paul’s private members bills and what the government is proposing on the NCC). As Caplan noted on in an earlier piece,

Luckily, Paul Dewar carried the ball, repeatedly embarrassing though not shaking
an intransigent Harper government. At this low moment in our political life, Dewar reminds us what public affairs should be all about.

Although, the NDP take the brunt of Caplan’s tough love, the media does not go unscathed:

Alas, given the stunted the level of both politics and most reporting in this country, we are, I fear, doomed to return to the same old, same old from the very moment the House returns. Instead of asking how we can fix our country, the only question will be when either of the two big parties thinks it has a momentary advantage worth forcing an election.

Although the NDP is responsible for its own direction, the media’s interest in 15 second sound bites, tabloid tales, and election fever encourages politicians to push theatre over substance. Was it really a news story when Layton said that with the coalition dead he would refocus on making Parliament? Had that not been a news story, would Iggy have contemplated a confidence vote to test the NDP’s resolve? Was it even a story that Canadians cared to read that Iggy, after a weekend’s consideration and two meetings with Harper, decided not to push the election issue? We are caught in a spin cycle where matters of substance barely get covered (quick: what were there main issues debated in Committee regarding mandatory sentencing?) and election speculation is all the rage. It is an easy front page story for the Liberals to suggest that they may bring down the government – whether or not people actually believe them.