rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog

This Liberal bait should be dismissed

By Fred Wilson

Check out today’s Globe and Mail election web blog “Splitting the centre -left vote” and read Scott Reid’s Liberal Party reply to the NDP campaign.   Reid says “Liberals take note: Jack Layton is trying to put an end to you…  Liberals must counter immediately. That begins by positioning themselves in the sensible centre rather than as the best of the left. They must emphasize their fiscal credentials, sharpen their critique of Mr. Harper and begin now with a blatant appeal to NDP and Green voters that the Liberals alone can keep the Conservatives from a majority.”

I hope Layton and the NDP refuse to take the bait on the Liberal tactic. Two years ago, many progressives were very critical of the NDP for focusing on the Liberals instead of the Conservatives.  No one can say that this has been the case during this campaign.  In fact, the positive trend lines for Layton and the NDP are because of his attack on the Conservatives and the presenting of alternatives that provide real contrast.

If progressives are asked to choose between a Liberal candidate and an NDP candidate, there can hardly be any choice.  It will take more than two years before the Liberal record in office loses its radio-activity for the left.  Even in opposition, the Liberals deserted the left again and again.  Remember their votes on federal anti-scab legislation, which was defeated on third reading when Stephane Dion and a majority of his caucus abandoned labour.

However this election is not about Liberals vs NDP.  To the extent that these two parties exchange seats, nothing changes on the Harper majority equation.  The task for progressives is to stop the Conservatives from winning additional seats towards a majority – and so far, there is no indication at all that the Liberals have the ability to do that.  To the contrary, the only current trend line that can stop Harper is the NDP.

Expect the Scott Reid argument to be thrown around all over the progressive movements.  It should be dismissed for what it is – a grasping attempt to turn a bad campaign around from a party that has not come to terms with its failure to represent progressive Canadians.