NDP breakthrough needs united effort
The advent of the Bloc Québécois has changed the dynamics of the House of Commons. It may be likely to hold the balance of power in any minority Parliament but its sovereignist calling makes it an unpalatable partner for either of the major parties.
That is why the NDP, even though it did not have quite the numbers, did exert real influence in the last Parliament.
In many parts of Western Canada, the NDP is more likely to stop the Conservatives in their tracks than the Liberals, thus preventing the election of a majority government. In other parts of the country, New Democrats do pose an equal threat to both main parties. But after the election, the NDP is more likely to find common ground with the Liberals. The Conservatives for their part have no other party to turn to sustain a minority government.
A record NDP showing could have opened the door to a coalition government with what would have been left of the Liberals. That would seem, at least to this casual observer, to be the only scheme that could have resulted in the advent of a truly progressive government. But such an NDP electoral breakthrough would likely have required the sustained efforts of a united left rather than a recurrent sabotage of the Layton campaign.
TheStar.com – Left’s missed opportunity
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