Jack Layton & the NDP - The Minority Challenge

What the NDP needs more than anything is a consistent, rational economic policy. There is a considerable amount of distrust and lack of confidence in both the Conservatives and the Liberals: both are seen as calculating manipulators whose only goal is to obtain power. If more people felt that the NDP would be good managers of the country's financial house, they might even form a government. Is Jack Layton up to this task? Frankly, I don't think so - the NDP needs a new generation of leadership. Also, I think it is time to really push for proportional representation. I think that most people prefer the current era of minority government to long term Liberal hegemony or the bad old days of Mulroney, and proportional representation would ensure that a party could no longer court 35% of the electorate to form a majority government.

I think Jack might lack integrity in the eyes of many Canadians, hence this is another reason he is not producing in public opinion polls.

My perception is Jack is seen more deep down as a man in desperation for ultimate power rather than the honest and courageous sabre-rattler he is often mistakenly portrayed.

In addition, his party's policies nearly always call for "massive investments" as he and members of his party put it. For instance, his recent charge to build an easier access port in Iqualuit to reduce the price of foods like milk which supposedly costs the consumer $15 a litre. Instead, why doesn't he simply propose a cheaper method like subsidizing the purchase price of milk to those who cannot afford it. If Jack stopped promoting big spending policies and instead chose to promote inexpensive yet sound policies, he and his party would do better.

So in reality, there are two higher reason in my opinion Jack Layton and the NDP are not doing well in public opinion. First, Jack lacks necessary integrity and second, his policies lack pragmatic appeal.

MP Hopeful for Nickel Belt
www.yvesvilleneuve.ca

Hello Nik,

If there is one thing that I am sure of is that you, Nik, must continue to publish regularly in the Sun Media, and not just temporarily.

Jack Layton's leadership is the number one cause for the NDP's decline, although his, is the party who actually communicates best with those interested, and keeps tab and communicates, rather well, to establish more voter participation with the public at large. One just gets the sense that he is politically smart but not worthy of trust when it comes to defining his sense of loyalties. In the last two years all I have seen is Mr. Layton trying to 'grab' power, and without any misgivings about which way he sways when he feels that the going might be good for him.

My last reflection is meritorious to all parties...It is no longer about the people, policies, this Country, but about swaying votes from one party to another. All parties are so concerned about gaining almighty power for themselves, that they have forgotten about the electorate who is still out there, and they are losing confidence from the voters, and (those who will choose not go to the polls at the next election), as each day goes by. Voter appreciation keeps going down. It's all about a power struggle, and this just does not work with the electorate.

Excellent exposee Nik.

Jack Layton and the NDP will never have a better opportunity to make gains but will again miss their window. The Liberals and thier votes will never be more available to the NDP than they are right now with damaged Liberal trademark and a leader who is not resonating with the vast majority of Canadians.
The problem continues to be the NDP's insistence at focusing thier platforms towards the more extremeist left in the country as opposed to reconciling with the more centrist of the population.

The NDP will never get the right of center vote but the center is wide open for them to increase thier numbers and thus enjoy an even more influencial role in parliament as you have already pointed out, that is the best the NDP can hope for in the short term.

Will this split the left vote to a degree? absolutely, but if the NDP have no immediate plans to merge with the liberals to oppose the right they had better use this current opportunity to grab a bigger share of the left to center or they will continue on thier lackluster fringe appeal.

It's my opoinion that if the NDP were to adjust thier stradegies a little more to the center at this time and make some real gains with a lot more Canadians, they will be perfectly positioned for the future Liberal party and thier new leader which I believe will be more competitive with the right of center vote.

[updated Mon Aug 27 11:30:38 EDT 2007]

Nik, I agree with the sentiments expressed in your piece. The NDP under Jack Layton has had an excellent opportunity to advance the cause over the last two or three years. The fact that they increased their position to 29 seats is more due to the voters unhappiness with the other two parties than creditable action on their part. I think they wasted their opportunity.
It seems to me that Layton spent too much time and effort in gaining greater power. He should have been more agressive in stated NDP policies and communicating those policies better. In other words educating the general electorate in how NDP policies would be in keeping with their aspirations.
The core supporters of the Conservatives, the Liberals and the NDP will continue voting for theie respective party no matter what. It's the other non-aligned group he needs to concentrate. Many of them don't vote for Layton or the NDP because they don't know, they are not sure of where they stand.
There is still the myth that NDP means free-spending. They were not when in power provincially and nto very likely federally. People hang on to myths For example they believe that the Liberals also run huge deficits. In reality that's not true either Conservative MIke Harris ran a far bogger deficit than either the Liberals under Petersen, or NDP under Rae. Also Mulroney ran a bigger dificit than Trudeau. The Liberals under Chretien and Martin turn the economy around and created surpluses.
There is also the myth that the NDP will nationalize industries. In contempory times that's not true either.
Layton has not done enough to dispell these and other myths.
He also neglects to run good candidates in every district early enouigh. He has to make sure that the candidate is well known in the district and campaigns agressively. Puting up a candidate that no one has heard of hust 3 or 4 days before an election and sending around a small little pamphlet is not good enough. He failed on account of lack of effort. His own name is not enough. His name will not be on the ballad except in his own district.
And when you are not the incumbent you have to start campainging right after the previous election.

Why is the NDP sliding in the poles? We understand a majority Canadians oppose the war in Afghanistan: the NDP propose we withdraw from Afghanistan immediately. We understand a majority of Canadians have concerns about the environment; the NDP stand in full support of Kyoto and managed in committee to add strong revisions to the conservatives pathetically weak clean air act. We understand the majority of Canadians support the legalization of cannabis; the NDP propose a four pillar approach including harm reduction and at least the decriminalization of cannabis. In other word the policy positions taken by the NDP are consistent with the will of most Canadians. But no-somehow a disconnect occurs.
What about leadership? Seems to me Jack Layton has more energy than the other two leaders combined. If an iron man race were organized for the leaders of the political parties, I know who my money would be on and it wouldn't be fatso Harper nor would it be on the language challenged Dion or the American, Elizabeth May. Jilles Duceppe isn't a contender. A Canadian prime minister ought to possess robust communication and intellectual skills (Jack Layton has a PhD) in addition to the sheer physical stamina required for the job . Mr. Layton has these in spades.
You may suggest the public perception of Jack Layton is one of a man who lacks integrity. This would be an astute observation, however it speaks of the public perception not of Jack Layton's integrity. The real question is: Why does the public perceive Mr Layton in this way? I would suggest this line of inquiry helpful in understanding the NDP's dismal polling results.
In this country you cannot name a single mainstream media outlet whose editorial policy supports the New Democrats. For the CBC the NDP doesn't exist;The Toronto Star shows clear support for The Liberals: Canwest Global, National Post, CTV, Sun Media et al occupy right field. In fact main stream media's complicity in manufacturing consent supporting the parties of free enterprise ensures the NDP will never form government in this country.
Finally I believe religious conviction plays an important role in political preference. As the NDP supports a woman's right to to abortion and choice, you just know there are few pastors or priests who could get behind this position. Scratch a catholic or evangelical and you will find a conservative every time! The pulpit continues to speak loudly in this country.

Jack has 2 chances Slim and Non, (including his wife) who is from the Evil Empire also. Dion and Layton have something in common, their never going to win and be Prime Minister. Discussion is now closed, unles Blossom has something to say

[updated Mon Aug 27 23:31:10 EDT 2007]

I believe the Laytonites and the NDP may better define themselves in the upcoming Quebec by-elections. After their current policy meeting in Montreal , they may better know themselves. In the recent past, the NDP has compromised themselves in the eyes of the electorate with their support of the Martin government and their support of the Harper government.

David Lewis,who coined the phrase "corporate welfare bums" and garnered 31 seats for the NDP, fatally compromised the NDP by supporting the Trudeau minority government. I believe if a party says "this is what I stand for" and they change because it is politically opportune, they lose public trust. Their policies must be consistent and they must not be afraid of an election.

Layton was correct to try to broarden the party's appeal by divorcing the NDP from the "embedded" labour voice---the Bud Hargrove incident---and moving to a more centrist position. This is what Tony Blair did very successfully in Britain. The NDP policies should be yelled loudly and clearly and the alternatives to the current government should be easily seen---but are they ???

At the moment, the leadership of both the Conservatives and the Liberals is not stellar. This HAS to work in Layton's favour but I am not sure that Layton is seen as steadfastly CONSISTENT thus, fully trustworthy.

Provincial governments the NDP have formed in British Columbia get mixed reviews, especially after the Glen Clark government, but, of course, they are not the only governments to get mixed reviews including the current BC government.

Personally, I believe the federal NDP are a good social conscience for the land.

[updated Tue Aug 28 00:58:11 EDT 2007]

Jack Layton and Stephen Harper certainly sing in unison. Both want the imagined american invasion of the arctic to be the number one issue. He even refused to support a bill to get out of Afghanistan by 2009. Jack Layton pretends to dislike Harper, but is certainly in bed with him. Yikes I always voted NDP and still do in provincial matters. This guy is disgusting and dishonest to his own party. Wouldn't be surprised if the federal ndp disappear.

IT should be ABSOLUTE must reading for everyone, so we all understand how the corporations are destroying all that the People have owned, Presently own, and Should own. We are the government, We owned many major companies ie BCTEL, BC GAS, All of Hydro, these were OUR RESOURCES, OUR INVESTMENTS,.! It is Not a dirty word to be OWNED BY THE PEOPLE, YOU THE GOVERNMENT.
THE ABSOLUTE MUST READING is a Book by NAOMI KLEIN, called THE SHOCK DOCTRINE........it is a sad but true account how We have been, and are being manipulated. We can wake up NOW and Stop them, and RECLAIM what should be owned by the CANADIANS of CANADA.................. Other parts of the World are doing just that, waking up, and Reclaiming their Countries.
The NDP need to run on the platform of Regaining what is rightfully the Peoples to OWN.

[updated Mon Jun 23 00:23:00 EDT 2008]