Progressives will cooperate because that’s what Canadians want

When news broke that a by-election was imminent in Labrador following the resignation of Peter Penashue – the disgraced Conservative MP who stepped down following news about his election financing irregularities – I called Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and asked her to consider having the Green Party EDA not run a candidate in the upcoming by-election. In light of Penashue’s election by a mere 79 votes in 2011, it seemed imperative to consult the local riding associations in question, to see if they felt collaboration was appropriate. The result is that the Green Party announced it will not run a candidate in the Labrador by-election. They even asked the NDP to consider doing the same.

Liberal MPs criticize Hall Findlay’s lengthy attack on Murray’s cooperation proposal

PARLIAMENT HILL—Liberal MPs on Tuesday criticized Liberal leadership candidate Martha Hall Findlay for a lengthy attack against MP and leadership contender Joyce Murray’s central campaign plank calling for electoral cooperation among the opposition parties to defeat Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservatives in the next federal election.

Ms. Hall Findlay posted a 700-word criticism on her campaign website, and emailed it to reporters covering the leadership, calling Ms. Murray’s plan an undemocratic scheme that would guarantee the election of NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair as prime minister, should it topple Mr. Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) and his Conservative government.

New political power paradigm could be on shaky ground if progressives coalesce, say Big Shift authors

The Tories have built a winning coalition between Ontario’s new Canadian suburbanites and the West, but Big Shift authors Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson admit that the majority governing Conservatives’ mastery of Canada’s new power paradigm could be on shaky ground if progressive voters coalesce around one leader.

Mr. Bricker and Mr. Ibbitson have got tongues wagging in Ottawa with their bestselling book, The Big Shift: The Seismic Change in Canadian Politics, Business, and Culture and What It Means for Our Future, a bold revisioning of Canada’s political landscape.

The candidate of co-operation finishing strong again, this time for Liberals

For the second consecutive year, a politician from the west coast, far from the central Canadian political establishment, has proposed fundamental change in the way politics is practiced in this country.

For their efforts, Nathan Cullen and Joyce Murray have faced charges from their own party elite of disloyalty, of abandoning a great institution, of capitulating to the enemy.

But for the second consecutive year, a federal leadership candidate pitching a platform of electoral co-operation among progressives is overperforming in the race.

Green Party of Canada convention: 'Cooperate to defeat Harper'

The Green Party of Canada's three-day long convention in Sidney, B.C. has just wrapped up. Here is an account of the major decisions taken, from one of the nearly 300 delegates who were in attendance.

This year's convention saw discussion of 27 policy motions, six constitutional motions, eight directive motions and three emergency motions.

All of the policy, constitutional and directive motions were subjected to an online vote prior to the convention. Emergency motions were first presented at the convention itself and thus had not previously been voted on. All resolutions will be subjected to a final and conclusive vote by the membership after the convention.

Is Cooperation Among Opposition Parties Dead?

Now that Tom Mulcair is leader of the NDP, what happens to the proposal for cooperation among the opposition parties?

The idea is not dead, because the logic of the single member constituency electoral system punishes parties that fail to coordinate when they compete for the same space on the ideological spectrum.

That said, the NDP strategy under Mulcair is to expand the NDP rather than build alliances (quiet discussion among the leaders, behind closed doors, may still happen). The NDP will try and occupy the space historically occupied by the Liberals. And Bob Rae is not a good person to win that space back: his credentials are that he managed one of the worst provincial NDP governments ever.   
 


If the Tory government continues to govern as if it has the support of a majority of the electorate, it is possible that this will generate enough backlash to enable the NDP to win a majority government in 2015. But that is not likely as long as the economy is in reasonably good shape. The robocalls scandal is a wild card, but so far has not done major damage. Even if the NDP and Liberals do not agree on any formal cooperation, however, they have to think in terms of how they might govern together as a coalition. These are the issue that partisans should be worrying about. But let's look at the situation through less partisan lenses.