New Democratic Party leader Thomas Mulcair dismissed on Tuesday criticism of him from the premiers of B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan, saying they’re simply acting as Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s “messengers” in the NDP’s fight with Harper over the impact of the oil sands industry on the Canadian economy.
Mulcair said Harper, an economist, knows the NDP is correct in asserting that booming bitumen exports hurt Canadian manufacturers and cause huge job losses.
“He’s not going to try to contest that. What he’s going to try to do is send in messengers to take that argument to me. I’m not responding to any of them,” Mulcair said in an interview.To be fair, Mulcair was more reserved in subsequent comments, but this dismissive tone towards three Premiers, nothing good can come of it politically. Never mind the political orientation of the "messengers", Mulcair's Achilles heel shows here, seemingly driving wedges without considering the ramifications.
The chief problem I foresee for Mulcair, shedding this well deserved perception that he "can't work with anyone". A leader has to demonstrate certain tact and nuance, Mulcair here seems to relish making enemies, his reference was derogatory. As well, the "I'm not responding to any of them" denotes a certain dismissive arrogance. A federal leader can't just fluff off multiple premiers as though bit players in a bigger battle with Ottawa, that's a recipe for trouble, BIG trouble.
Mulcair also floats a conspiracy theory flavour, something he's done before, a trait that will translate into Canadians NEVER giving him the keys if it continues. The PM is on the phone directing provincial leaders to undermine Mulcair, even if true, basic political acumen says NEVER go there.
What started out as an economic argument- one with some merit that does deserve intellectual consideration- is quickly morphing into an unhelpful pissing match. Mulcair's personality is taking this argument in needless directions, rather than a constructive argument about regional disparity and overarching national interests, we are witnessing a bit of a "bull in a china shop" scenario.
Mulcair may not respond to "any of them", but I suspect "all of them" will respond to the messenger cracks and it won't be flattering. Again political leanings aside, there isn't much upside in going to war unnecessarily, tit for tat, a more diplomatic and careful tone a much better navigator. Instead, Mulcair has managed to alienate in short order. Mulcair's brief reign already demonstrating the concerns many in his own ranks expressed were justified.
So far, not so good....
23 comments:
Your liberal bias is showing
Lol. Actually your bias is...
Yawn.
If you lived in BC would you vote for lino clark?
I'd vote NDP without any hesitation
Show me some polls that say this isn't working.
I've commented on the favourable polls, as well as the good electoral math here. Let's wait and see how this plays out over the coming months, if Muclair keeps down this path I suspect it won't reflect favourably. There are regional considerations and then there is a sense of a true leader in waiting, separate considerations.
I think you have offered a good analysis here, but I have to confess that I am struck by the absolute hypocrisy of pundits (Rex Murphy, for example) who opine about Mulcair's divisiveness while choosing to offer no reference to our master of national division, Stephen Harper and his puppet Mr Flaherty, who misses no opportunity to denigrate Ontario at every opportunity.
Couple that with the fact that Harper, in his environmental policies, has entirely dismissed Quebec, and one begins to see who the true leaders in division are.
"absolute hypocrisy of pundits"
I note a couple more "pundits" today pumping certain findings. Oh that left wing media, where art thou?
And I'd probably vote NDP too in B.C. and Manitoba. :P
Hey, during the last Manitoba provincial election, federal Liberals backed provincial NDPers. Liberals are flexible. ;)
Show me some polls that say this isn't working.
The battleground is over Ontario. Both arguments would appeal to the province. Manufacturing's important to the province, but so's federal unity. Funny thing, I think the story's not getting a lot of play in Ontario, but it's sure being used to whip out people in Alberta and Saskatechwan. (I know, they already vote Conservative, but with the new ridings, and the possible legislation that could alienate the base, there was the chance to make in-roads.)
But it's not the argument as much as Mulcair's possible approach that might get him in trouble. He doesn't like talking to people who aren't on his team -- he's done that in the past. Maybe because he doesn't deal with criticism or attacks well. Poke the guy and out will come Hulk-Mulcair, and like the Hulk, Mulcair has a tendency to lash-out in a reckless and fact-free manner. Irritate him enough and he'll climb tables and chairs.
The Conservatives love to do things like this -- derail the argument by getting under people's skin. See what happpened to Kristy Duncan last night when she tried to question Peter Kent on the Environment -- she fell for the trap and it all became about the carbon tax. (Sigh.) Instead of the debate on the issue, we'll probably hear more about Mulcair's divisive personality. Poke, poke, poke.
"Manufacturing's important to the province, but so's federal unity"
Mulcair's substantive point can get lost if he appears not ready for federalist prime time. This is why I consider his latest musing a "gaffe" because it doesn't show any diplomatic nuance, almost amateurish and paranoid. That presentation will undermine any practical argument he is making, no doubt in my mind.
Maybe it's old habits since he's a former provincial politician. Whip out one province against another. Maybe Mulcair should have talked about the general loss of manufacturing jobs. As Peter Julian notes manufacturing jobs have been lost in Alberta and B.C. too.
There is a way to look the "champion" of Ontario, particularly since these Cons have trashed the province repeatedly. Mulcair has an opportunity, Alberta and Sask are lost to him already, no matter what he does. That said, the dismissive tone and the needless agitation, this is something to watch very carefully moving forward.
As an aside, it is fascinating to see even more "pundits" now piling on, the same people who ignored similar "pitting" from dear leader and his minions, on a million former occasions. Our media in totality is a big problem.
As an aside, it is fascinating to see even more "pundits" now piling on, the same people who ignored similar "pitting" from dear leader and his minions, on a million former occasions. Our media in totality is a big problem.
Oh yeah. It's a farce.
Is it correct that to date Canada has lost 700,000 manufacturing jobs? Albertans are sooo insecure they will pounce upon any comment that isn't a conservative one and doesn't have anything to do with the Tar Sands. And what about the darling Ms. Clark. On "The House" last Saturday, she said they are building a liquid gas pipe line and should there be a leak, it will only go into the air...dah, dah and more dah.
Oh yes...my point...and these Premiers are having a gas attack over Mulcair's comment. What do you people happen to think the high Canadian dollar IS doing to the Canadian economy? Any ideas?
What do you people happen to think the high Canadian dollar IS doing to the Canadian economy? Any ideas?
Obviously hurting exports, some exports that is.
It's possible to get the point across without antagonizing the provinces by asking the question on where the future of our economy lies: hewers and drawers of water and wood, or in manufacturing -- turning ideas into reality.
The higher dollar also hasn't resulted in cheaper goods as promised, even Jimbo has complained about that recently.
My province has seen businesses coming back in droves when the liberals won the election; over the NDP in a landslide leaving BC NDP with a mere 2 seats. Sounding a little similar to the Mulroney days? Homes starting selling all over BC. Instead of remaining idle with a lot of foreclosures. BTW, The poll likely results i based on the young people and union workers and not on the average people who have a good memory and common sense. When it comes to internet polls, keep in mind that several voting seniors do not even own Computers.
We as seniors and tax payers are sick and tired of seeing the NDP union party supporting strikes too union workers, teachers nursing and yes even coming to the work place and encouraging the workers too support their party. They literally killed many businesses on Vancouver Island with their greed for higher wages at the expense of ordinary working people who did not belong to the NDP and their unions.
Vancouver Island was and likely and still is NDP territory supporters even though their polices broke the communities that had Lumber mills and logging that either had to close and in some cases sell.. They are lacking common sense by not seeing what their support for NDP did for their very own jobs.
Forcing them to pack up go to the Tar sands; in order to support their families and not lose their homes.
I will not forget that the federal and provincial parties are not at all similar to the federal parties.
I think the mistake is to think the western premiers speaking on behalf of the petroligarchy Harper works for alienates the west: there are lots of people not happy in Alberta to be the home of Isengard, lots of labour that gets the environmental costs: the question is, is Muclair revolutionary enough to steal the radical centre forever away from the liberals after they abandoned it, or is he just being hard to get along with.
marie, the problem was you weren't organized, not that the unions were, that's the fate of the servant class that regularly support the ruling class, especially right wing liberals who aren't democratic enough to keep liberalism radical and anti-corporatist.
Nit picking from one province to the other is the same kind of garbage that causes wars. It is small minded without a hope that those kinds of brains will ever expand and see the light. Why should that sort of thing happen in a country like ours? Perhaps it has to do with not allowing the country...you know...those stick in the mud masses not to learn for example what is exactly going on in Fort McMurray. I don't like my country much anymore.
Mulcair has a golden opportunity to wipe the "it's the economy" smirk off harper's face and repeatedly throw the manufacturing jobs loss data in his face. The truth is that this bunch with their brains soaked in oil, are doing diddly squat to create jobs and they need to have their feet held to the fire as to the emergency contingencies to save any further losses. It is a crisis and Mulcair needs to stay on top of it. He'd be better served to get all of the premiers on his side instead of alienate them. I don't like what I'm seeing either, if he doesn't get his act together, harper will have him in the dust bin with Ignatief and Dion by September. Who can argue with these facts.
I see no down side to "alienating" Christy Clark. She's already the most hated premier in Canada and will be replaced within the year by Adrian Dox of the NDP - who Mulcair will have a very good relationship with for obvious reasons.
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