Yesterday's panel on the Mike Duffy show was one for the archives. In addition to the ususal suspects - Tim Powers for the Conservatives, Scott "beer and popcorn" Reid for the Liberals - and incredibly - Ed Broadbent was subbing in for the NDP.Within minutes, it was Ed's show as he punched holes into Reid's weak defence of the Dion-May pact.
An excerpt:
The reality is, the performance of the Liberal Party on the environment - and I cite Michael Ignatieff, never mind New Democrats.
One of the reasons I went back into politics in 2004 was that your party - and Mr. Dion was in the cabinet - was piling up surpluses of billions of dollars in the 1990s
after the deficit was dealt with and did noting about the environment. I repeat, it was Michael Ignatieff that said that and Mr. Dion was in that cabinet.
I went back in because Jack Layton then as now has been the one leader definitely persistently out front on the environment.
As for Ms. May, she actually publicly said she's not a person on the left. She said the Greens aren't on the left. I acknowledge that. She's not on the left. In fact it was a Liberal that Mike quoted that said that she's a social reactionary. That's rather strong language but she's certainly not on left and you're welcome to her.
It was a negotiated deal. Again she talked about this is not back room politics. She only talked, what she said was a dozen times with Mr. Dion on the phone? Well, isn't that -- we're not talking about the 19th century back rooms. That's a negotiated deal over the membership of both parties that they reached and it disenfranchised all those voters in the Nova Scotia constituency who happened - and I respect their choices - happened to want to vote Liberal. It's a simply calculated arrangement between two parties.
Ed's passion for democracy and principled politics is unassailable. On a day full of theatrics and circus acts, it was great to hear someone of his integrety and experience call this for what it was and expose the faux credentials of Elizabeth May and Stephane Dion.
Who's back? Ed's back!
1 comment:
Dion is fishing for the 10 - 15% of the Green vote in any next election, because he is failing to attract Left or Right wing votes to the Liberals. If the recent upsurge in the Green popularity is primarily at the expense of the NDP then it can be said that it's a shot across the NDP bow.
I think that the NDP may benefit from this stupid alliance Dion has with May, as disenchanted Liberals either sit on their hands or swing their vote to the NDP ... all to defeat the disasterous leadershit of Dion.
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