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| The New Democrats have a new leader. (h/t Jamie Masse) |
Thomas Mulcair will lead the NDP as head of the Loyal Opposition.
Despite some skepticism by New Democrats, I suspect the Outremont MP will win them over when he leads a smart, disciplined and passionate Opposition to the Harper Government.
From his beginnings as President of l'Office des professions du Québec to today, it is unquestionable that Mulcair functions best when he's tasked with denouncing incompetence and abuse of power.
The current Conservative Party of Canada's agenda should be comfortably within his wheelhouse.
For all the doubts on his position on marijuana, it is almost identical to that of Jack Layton.
For all the doubts on his position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it is almost identical to that of Jack Layton.
Follow Jack Layton’s policy of working with partners for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine, within a framework of respect for international law and UN resolutions including recognition of the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace as independent states within negotiated and agreed-upon bordersThere is no break with tradition and I think the most revealing aspect of his approach to leadership was when Peter Mansbridge read out the talking points that the Conservative Party of Canada had about him. He dismissed them ably and when asked whether he would take out advertisement to counter them, he said he wasn't initially inclined to do so but he'd discuss it with his caucus and the NDP strategists if this was a necessity.
It wasn't about him and he'd much rather put the spotlight on the many missteps by the Conservatives than make his leadership a personal pissing contest between him and Stephen Harper. However, if the Conservatives would be able to define him as they have previous Opposition Leaders, he would do what's necessary to bring back the focus on policy issues.
An even-handed and thoughtful approach.
I'm confident that Thomas Mulcair will win the confidence of all New Democrats with his leadership and hopeful he'll do likewise with the majority of Canadians come 2015.
I have serious doubts about a leader of the party of the left making statements that marijuana leads to mental illness. That is not an informed statement. His regressive stance on pot is a huge step backward for the party supposedly on the cusp of progressive thought.
ReplyDeleteThe scientific evidence of the effects of marijuana on mental illness aren't based on fiction: the BBC had a comprehensive documentary on the subject in 2005.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/4109360.stm
I won't get into the finer details but obviously marijuana should only be available to adults and this would undercut a lot of the argument against prohibition.
Now, I'm with you on decriminalization and even legalization but I have no problem with a carefully laid-out plan established through a commission that establishes the pros and cons and rallies a greater number of people to come to the conclusion that decriminalization is the way to go in this country. If it takes a bit more time, I don't have a problem with that. If he doesn't follow through on his promise to establish a commission, well I'm not married to the party and the man and will hold him accountable.
Marijuana legalization is a slippery slope. It is a lot more potent than the herb widely smoked in the 1960s and is therefore more prone to bringing on psychosis. But there have been instances of dealers doing things like spraying it with the insecticide 'Raid' to make lower quality weed appear of a higher quality: So regulation could put an end to this. But I'm against complete legalization because I don't want to see drivers in the morning with their Tim Hortons and their spliff turning the highway into a psychedelic adventure.
ReplyDelete-The potency thing is a myth.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/hey_wait_a_minute/2002/11/the_myth_of_potent_pot.html
-Rules and regulations would effect driving as well. And if it's not legalized, then they would not be testing for it in breathalyzers, now would they? So legalization makes the whole operation safer while procuring much needed tax revenues as well as tourism dollars.