Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results ~Albert Einstein
Since the election, I’ve taken a step back from the what has essentially become the netherworld of BC politics to work on a few projects, but even I couldn’t pass on this story from Kelowna: http://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/211908851.html
As it was kindly pointed out on my Facebook page, yes, that is a Black Press paper, and yes,the owner would desperately love to build a refinery here in BC. I don’t really care who owns the paper, because in this case it doesn’t make the nattering of NDP candidate Carole Gordon (who is running against Christy Clark in Westside Kelowna) any less laughable.
“Gordon say Premier Christy Clark’s meeting with Alberta premier Alison Redford in Kelowna Friday was a meeting in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Westside-Kelowna NDP candidate, who is running against Clark in the upcoming byelection, said rather than using her time here last week to talk about local issues, the premier did a “very premier-like thing” instead by inviting another premier to come talk to her about provincial issues.
“She’s running (in the current byelection campaign) as an MLA and said she was coming up for two days. It’s local issues she needs to be talking about,” said Gordon
The article goes on to mention all the things Carole Gordon thinks Clark should be doing and what she wants to hear her comment on.
Seriously, someone needs to install a brick wall at the NDP meeting of the minds so those who see the writing on the wall can bang their heads on it a few times. Someone needs to tell Carole Gordon that it’s not her job as a candidate, to worry about what Christy Clark is doing,or how she’s doing it. We all know Christy is an absentee candidate. We all know she rarely engages. So who cares what Clark is doing, Ms. Gordon? The question is, what are YOU doing?
If this is how Gordon and her team make use of the press they do get, this entire thing will be nothing but yet another grand example of the NDP’s weak campaigning skills. Hello, the Liberals just campaigned on fiscal restraint and then gave themselves hefty raises all around, and whining about where the premier is and what she is doing is the best use of newsprint? Insert curse words here!
No new narrative. No new message. No new reality.
Same old candidate. Same old leader. Same old NDP.
Here’s some advice for the BC NDP, if they don’t wish to end up an Error 404 Not Found file wikipedia entry in 4 years.
change
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Every single NDP member, staffer and MLA needs to look inside themselves and really get that word CHANGE – starting with the NDP apologists who either wilfully ignore reality or are so entrenched in their own political agendas they can’t see reality.
Since the election I’ve heard from NDP members and insiders from all over the province who agree with me earnestly in private,but won’t publicly. Why? Fear of party reprisal.
That is absolutely indicative of the culture within the party that needs to change internally, before the people of BC will ever see any real change publicly. Anything else is just window-dressing.
Westcoast Views with Laila Yuile 
Thanks Laila.
Two words: provincial council. Its coming up this weekend. Membership will have its say. In the riding I represent, we had a big debrief, of sorts, for the membership and people are pretty pissed. I get to bring that to pc… It’s going to be an exciting weekend!
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Well Sheldon, I hope something changes but I am not holding my breath. Weren’t the membership pissed off after the loss in 09? And did anything change?
Yes. The leader. Nothing else. 😉 Still a crap load of nepotism in the NDP, for example hiring relatives of executive and MLA’s -I hear a lot of NDP members aren’t very fond of that either, but those with vested interests are going to push back hard.
This isn’t about the people anymore and hasn’t been for a long time I suspect. Sad state of affairs.
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Is it a poor attempt at negative campaigning? I agree, it’s pretty lame and totally beside the point of what’s wrong with Ms. Clark!
I also agree that the NDP needs meaningful change, starting at the top, if they are to be relevant going into the future.
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I know.Everything the Liberal record gives us, the again the NDP flog Clark with featherdusters. And a candidate who the voters didn’t respond to the first time around.
Just saying.
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Looks like Ms. Gordon has seen the light 🙂
http://www.theprovince.com/business/Byelection+vibe+forces+Christy+Clark+rescind+senior+staffers+hikes/8552190/story.html#ixzz2Wlr5zbzD
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They could also become a little less gender and disability conscious and let a little DEMOCRACY infiltrate things.
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Wouldn’t that be a change? Giving the process back to the membership. Sadly, it unlikely it will ever happen until the special interest groups get out of Dodge.
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I disagree with you on this one … not about the NDP in general, but about Carole Gordon in particular.. In my opinion Gordon is the only candidate of the three (Gordon, Upshaw and Sharp) that actually has a comprehensive perspective on the situation in Westside Kelowna (God knows Clark knows nothing about issues there) AND is capable of articulating them clearly to both left and right ends of the political spectrum.
What seems most peculiar to me is that you are making the job of Gordon’s fight to unseat Clark more difficult. In heavens name, why are you doing that? Clark’s candidacy is a farce in terms of what’s good for the people of Westside Kelowna. Never mind the fact that she was rejected by the folks in her previous constituency as unfit to hold her seat, despite the fact that she was the Premier of the province …. she knows nothing whatsoever about the needs of folks in that area of the province, unlike both Gordon or Upshaw. So maximizing the total vote AGAINST Clark in whatever way possible is the ONLY objective that really matters at this point.
While I usually like your material, Laila, I think your article is ill-advised at this time … maybe later, but not right now.
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Gordon lost the first time around by 6200 votes. 6200 votes.
Westside Kelowna is a free enterprise Liberal riding.
Summer vacation is now upon us with kids out of school and how many people and families do you think are going to be gone when they go to the polls? Who do you think is going to get the vote out? Adrian Dix is still the leader.
I’m afraid you missed the point. This isn’t about making it easy for Clark to win, or harder for Gordon to win.
This is about the NDP doing the same thing they did during the election and clearly not learning a damn thing. This is about a failure to react and assess a situation quickly and make accurate choices in a campaign, using what resources you have to the best advantage. And it is terribly ironic that as a supporter, you have just done what many NDP members did during the election and accuse me of making it harder for Gordon( then Dix) to win…. instead of phoning up the NDP and asking them what the hell is wrong this time.
Don’t shoot the messenger for speaking the truth. Ask the NDP and Gordon if they want to win or at least fight a good fight, or if they are just there for show.
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I agree Integralady! You spoke for me on this one. Usually love LY’s work but this sounded bitter and betrayed on a personal level.
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Not personal – I Don’t know Carole nor am I an NDP member,but considering the volume of emails from NDP members who have had enough but don’t want to speak out publically, I think I hit the nail on the head. It is not possible to be betrayed when you hold no allegiance. The only betrayal is that of the NDP towards voters.Using a candidate who already lost once in the same riding is not what I would have done. Especially with the bleak pall of confusion and dissent still thickly hanging over the party.
And frankly, I am growing quite tired of hearing NDP apologists making excuses and coming up with reasons the NDP lost that have nothing to do with the real reason and show little real examination of the issue.Not unlike the justifications that always pop up when I hold the NDP to the same account as everyone else instead of giving them a hall pass.
The NDP is losing good,good people every day. Every single day. And more likely than not, the longer this kind of political ineffectiveness continues they lose future candidates who are strong,credible,presentable,experienced and passionate.
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Looks like Clark is just trying to save face on another “election lie ” surrounding the pipeline. She stated prior to the election that she would not cooperate with the project unless “the price was right” for BC.Then trying to look environmental friendly during the election ,she said she would not approve any project without proper review Now knowing if she does not come onboard it will come to light that her government had signed off and committed long before anyone of those comments were made.
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Nearly everything she said during the election was inaccurate,incorrect or an out and out lie. You get what you vote for. I don’t doubt for one minute she is totally on board with the Enbridge pipeline despite anything that has come out of her mouth in the past.
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Your right…60 % wage hike followed by a $25 rental on wheel chairs of seniors in care. There is a wealth of liberal fodder for the NDP cannon ,but again a missed opportunity. I said it before and I will say it again “it will take a strong female candidate to oust Clark and her lot.” An unapologetic ,no holds barred ,articulate, economic savvy ,strong and intelligent candidate. Judy Darcy I think is an example of what is needed provincially. Someone who will not allow her opponent to lay low below a simple scripted mantra.
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Doesn’t matter – people still see Dix hanging around and know nothing has changed yet.
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The last election sent a very clear message that the BCNDP has become irrelevant. It’s going to take an entire purge of the leadership, insiders and the provincial executive to fix this.
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Would love to be a fly on the wall at the provincial council. Or hear from one 😉
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Agree per Dix, he should have resigned as leader before
this date. Gordon and the NDP must focus on the Kelowna-Westside issues AND all the Liberal lies. Look at the research that the blog ‘The Strait Goods’ has done and pound away. What a bunch of loosers
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Nope, disagree. Jobs and economy will win it again. People buy it everytime when its repeated enough. The damage is done. This nonsense from Carole Gordon is icing on the cake.
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Change NDP rank and file, Change. Reprisals, what reprisals? There is nothing to lose because you lost it all on May 14th.
If Dix is directing what Gordon is doing, it should be apparent to the membership that he is doing a terrible job and is not leadership material. Time to go.
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Clark has rescinded the huge pay raises, and is posturing as if to say, “There I took decisive action on something”. Give us a break. It’s meant to avoid the loss of votes in Kelowna. If you were decisive Christy, and actually had a clue about what you are doing, you would have said no to the raises in the first place. Can’t have it both ways sunshine. Now, rescind the wheelchair charges you shameful person.
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Best free press a premier could have. Didn’t cost her a dime. And you know what? It will work because people will still vote Lib in that riding.
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Did she really rescind those huge pay raises? She gave them, and then took them away to show ‘character”? Giving them had to be the stupidest move I ever heard of.
I had hoped to dig out my old wheel chair (the one I rent for $25/month) and go campaign for the BCCP but time is running out. I don’t know where to go to volunteer.
Any effort to bolster the NDP is a waste of time and money. I do think the Conservatives have a chance at a protest vote.
We’ll see how Lieberal the West-Kelowna electorate is!
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She rescinded all of them except for the woman who replaced Kim Haakstad. That woman gets a raise of 40% over what Hakstaad was paid. But Christy says she’ll be doing more work!!!
What a sham.
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Love this quote from the NW story: http://www.cknw.com/news/vancouver/story.aspx?ID=1988084
“I am rescinding all the changes that were proposed and that’s because people told me, “Christy, you said you were gonna control spending, this doesn’t seem to reflect that” and I think they’re right. so I’m gonna fix it.”
Gosh darn, with all those gonna’s and down home talking, shes sounding more like Palin every day….
And I see another story about Dix up in Kelowna helping Carole Gordon.
I would suggest someone tell the man that his appearance is anything but helpful to a candidate.
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That is definitely a “nail hit squarely on the head” .He should have resigned 2 weeks ago.
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Agree: Dix only reminds us of failure. He should stay away from Gordon. I heard Carole on Tsakumis’ radio show today, I had no idea how involved she has been in the community. That can’t hurt in a relatively small community.
If polls still mean anything, here’s an interesting one from Kelowna’s Castanet:
June 13, 2013 – 1082 votes
If you were voting today, which candidate would you vote for in the Westside-Kelowna byelection?
Christy Clark: 528
Carole Gordon: 506
Sean Upshaw: 48
June 11, 2013 – 413
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Well we know how accurate the polls were in the last election.. 😉
Yes, she is a great person, I never said she wasn’t. I said I think she was the wrong person to run in that riding since she lost by a wide margin once already.
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Being one of the people that chose to vote with my feet I see a perfect opportunity for all like people in Westside Kelowna to send a message by getting out and voting for the NDP. Christy the non premier of BC would lose by a landslide if that were the case. I’m not in that riding but encourage all non voters to get out and turf the lying you know what.
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I sugest that BC Liberals in Westside Kelowna stay home and help get rid of the worst Premier they never voted for!
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Absolutely Laila. “Gosh, darn I’m not a phony crook, I’m a cowgirl and I’m gonna buy me a ranch in the good ol’ Okie-noggin. Now y’all vote fer me, y’heer!”
OK boys, let’s get the hell back to the oyster bar.
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🙂
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So who cares what Clark is doing, Ms. Gordon?
Well Laila, I for one, care what Clark is doing. I don’t see anything wrong with Ms. Gordon making the points she made although I do agree with you that she, and the NDP, need to step it up and start doing some heavy hitting.
However, what struck me most about your post was the tone of it. To me it comes across as being really catty. It seems so unlike you.
btw, I am not a member of the NDP, or any other party for that matter.
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LOL… hey check around,Im not the only one who was talking about this story and that post.There are a lot of people agreeing with my on facebook,twitter and in chat discussions,not to mention the emails from NDPers telling me the same strategy is being used in Kelowna they used provincially in the last election!
She has always been involved in the community, yes. A wonderful person,yes. Read my post. I’m not attacking her character,I’m attacking the same scattered,ineffective strategy and messaging that lost the NDP the election provincially. All the targets the NDP has,and they weakly go after her meeting with Redford in the press? Come on.
Even Dix said, the voters are never wrong. They already said no to Carole Gordon once. She was gifted a second change.Wasted opportunites and scattered messaging will lose the election again.
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I did read your post which is why I commented on it. Sometimes it’s not what we say but how we say it. I stand by my observations about the tone of your post.
If the voters are never wrong then it would seem Christy should not be getting a second chance either. Why single out Ms.Gordon?
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Two totally different situations – Christy is the leader of the Liberals and Carole Gordon is not the leader of the NDP.
Because Gordon was the one making the comments about Christy acting like a premier, not me. We know how Christy is, we’ve seen her in action for far too long already. Ms. Gordon and her team need to be using every press op to their advantage,do you not agree? That could have been one entire article about how hypocritical it was to give pay raises,or any other of the lets not let the public forget reasons, but no, she talked about how the premier was acting like a premier – which she is – instead of campaigning locally.
I’m not the one responsible for the NDP loss. Nothing has changed in the party. Why everyone suddenly expects miracles is beyond me. http://therealstory.ca/2013-06-07/bc-politics/youre-kidding-me/comment-page-1
And I see that Adrian Dix is claiming the rescinding of Christys raises as a victory for Carole Gordons Campaign. Apparently the intense public and media pressure had nothing to do with it…lol..Christy just finally realized the media weren’t letting up province wide and this was going to be an issue.
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I actually see Carole as a breath of fresh air Laila. She is as sincere and committed a candidate that you can find, what she lacks in charisma she gains in knowledge and competence. A few years experience as an MLA would allow her to develop a solid following. If she had someone like Farnworth or Horgan by her side, things could be quite different. She could use the elephant in the room in the riding to her advantage: high unemployment, low living wages and lack of opportunity. Really quite ironic for a “free enterprise” riding; it’s really only free for the select few who voted for the millionaire businessman Ben Stewart.
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If I may.
Everyone needs to read my post again, and my comments.
Knowledge and competence are unfortunately not the biggest selling factors at times, for political candidates. Charisma can make the difference between winning and losing. Look at Dix. People just do not respond to him,or his image.
This riding was won on Jobs and the Economy. repeat, repeat, repeat. It worked for her rival in the last election and worked for the Liberals provincially. The fear was already created by Clark and the Lib campaign to strong effect. It is very hard for Carole and the NDP to change that mindset and they needed and still need, to chose their messaging very carefully. Nattering about the premier acting like a premier, is not hitting the mark and a lost opportunity. She is the premier as leader of the governing party.
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I agree totally Laila that it is all about jobs and economy and repeat until everyone is convinced that’s all the candidate thinks about. It’s really a shame that Carole didn’t use her brief moment in the news to highlight that this riding of free enterprise is really nothing more than old money and rich migrants from Calgary and Vancouver. The vast majority of jobs are seasonal, without benefits and low pay and that is a fact that will most likely never change. So one word from Christy that there’s jobs a plenty coming in Kelowna is an even worse lie than her entire 2013 campaign. Maybe the wacky polls will be wrong again and she’ll be beat. Wake me up when it’s over. 🙂
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I am hoping that the “forgotten seniors” can do wonders for West Kelowna and vote for the NDP. Not necessarily to boost the NDP standings, but to show the BC Lieberals that Kelowna doesn’t want an opportunistic liar as their MLA.
Let’s face it, Kelowna has just as big aged population as Victoria – possibly more. Who knows, maybe with the recent attack on the frail and sick seniors where they are going to be charged $25 a month for wheelchair rental, might just be the proverbial”icing on the cale” or the “straw that broke the camels back” !!!
We live in hope and I for one, would just love to see Clark get soundly beaten in this bye election – a premier with no riding !!!! It suits her to a “T”.
Thanks
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Hey, I would love to see her getting beat as well, which is why its surprising to see the NDP repeating the same mistakes all over again.Seriously.
But then again, as I pointed out. Nothing has changed in the NDP.. yet.
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Laila, I love a lot of what you write, because I am all for well-considered and rationally supported critiques of any and all government abuses of power, and you are great at that. But I think you missed the mark with the OVERALL essence of what I said in my comment. From some other comments it would seem obvious to me other folks heard what I heard.
As I’m sure you know from communication theory, sometimes it’s not what you think you said that matters, but what people actually believed you said. And if you read MY post (as you indicated I should do with yours, which I did) I did not say either the NDP in general or the BC Conservatives (God knows) in particular are on the same wavelength as the majority of BC citizens. That ship has sailed … it’s a done deal.
What I said, and I repeat, is that either Gordon or Upshaw would be a shining light of competence in Westside Kelowna in comparison to the “super-star incompetence” of this un-elected Premier we are stuck with, and may shortly have to live with because AGAIN the Liberals totally miss the point that the majority of BC citizens cannot stand her personally, including many members of her own caucus. To be completely clear, I am certainly not an NDP apologist. I resigned from the NDP during this election campaign LONG BEFORE the election fiasco (and I had been a member of the NDP for 2 decades). As far as I am concerned, both in BC and at the federal level, the NDP have lost their ability to compete for sufficient votes to form a government.
I am doubly disappointed that you missed MY point while coincidentally criticizing my comment for having missed your point. I apologize in advance for my directness in saying this, but frankly you are sounding in your reply like someone who is hidebound to be right on everything. Not my concern in general, but in this instance it’s too important to do that, because the die will be cast only on July 10th. Then we will either enjoy or weep about the outcome. In the meantime, the BC Liberals have consistently swamped the messaging channels with a ton of money to massively dis-inform voters. The other parties have not had that advantage, so I believe it’s crucial that you do not advance the Liberals cause further by sending out any messages that are opaque. That was my ultimate point, and if I was not crystal clear in making it, I apologize (again).
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No, I did get your point and your opinion, and I stand by mine.
I don’t have to be right on anything – my opinion is my opinion, just like my opinion was that the NDP could very well lose the election if Dix didnt step it up a notch and that happened to turn out correct.
I think it was a mistake to run the same person who lost by a wide margin. Is Carole better than Christy? Absolutely. But I don’t live in Kelowna Westside and cant vote so it doesn’t matter what I think – nor does it matter what anyone thinks who lives outside the riding – it is the people who vote in that riding who will decide. That riding is a safe liberal seat that already turned Carole down once. Christy rescinded the pay raises and unless the NDP get on point in their campaign there as they failed to do provincially,it will be a Christy win.
The NDP choose their own fate integra. You know it and I know it. I’ve done so much work and research over the years my record stands for itself and in most cases the NDP failed to pick up on any of it,even when handed over on a platter. What I do, and what I write, along with several other dedicated writers, provided a full record that could have been a huge advantage to a party that was smart enough to pick up on it. When the NDP fail to do their job properly, they give the Liberals the best advantage of all, which we all saw just last month.
Please don’t apologize for your opinions, they are yours and are valuable – but I still disagree. The truth is the truth. There is no difference in the NDP today than there was in the last election.
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When I heard that Ms. Gordon was going to represent Westside-Kelowna again, I groaned so loudly my husband thought I’d stabbed myself with my dinner fork.
I am not, nor have I ever been a Conservative supporter, but if I were living in West Kelowna, I would be voting for Sean Upshaw. However, if one can believe the polls at all, that would be an exercise in futility.
I’m going out of my way to not watch any of the Westside-Kelowna campaign coverage because the outcome is a foregone conclusion. Oh, how I wish Corky Evans would come out of retirement to run for the NDP in that riding, but I’m sure he’s just as disillusioned with the party as everyone else is at the moment.
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I swear something is going on in Elections BC.I have never in my life seen an Ipso Reid poll so far off as during the BC Election.Even stranger was how quickly the Global (Fox News North) TV was reporting a majority win.It is indeed becoming very frustrating.The thought of what state our province will be in after these “Fiberals” continuing to hide the facts is scary.How long do you think it will take after the by election for the wage hikes to be re-introduced? Got to admit her startgetists make Dix and company look like minor leaguers.
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oops
“strategists”
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The NDP are dead as Marley’s Ghost!
The NDP just do not get it and they embarrass themselves by publicly demonstrating that they still do not get it.
NDP – Error 404 Not Found is an apt description of the NDP today and Adrian Dix is another – Error 404 Not Found. Dix should have resigned yesterday and he should take Carole James with him, as defeated premier wannabes are definitely not good advertisement for the party.
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I’m not from BC but I like to read Laila. Has it occurred to anyone that people like Dix and Mulcair are not really NDPers? The federal NDP is chasing non-stories and missing the key damaging material time and time again. This can’t be by accident. Once, okay, but not continuously. I’ve come to the conclusion many of the political leaders (and obviously, some of their inner circle) are plants working for a common fascist agenda – controlled opposition, limited hangouts, whatever you want to call them.
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I have to agree with you Bella. You’re one of the first (here, on this forum) that focuses on what I tend to agree with regarding the political “sphere”. That the NDP aren’t any type of “opposition” but rather a mindless distraction for the incumbent party to continue what they were doing all along, siding with Big Oil and Gas, ignoring the plight of workers here being “under-trained” and siding with more temporary immigration workers to fill the positions that should be filled by Canadians. This includes sending all our raw goods to export rather than manufacturing here ( EVERYONE I talk to says the same thing, we want to see MADE IN CANADA on our goods, so WHY IS THIS NOT HAPPENING???)
After the last election fiasco, I started doing some reading and investigating what the hell happened (Dix happened, but WHY when they had the ball and could have run with it?) with the LIEberal upset and then lo and behold Chrusty raises her cabinets pay (WTH? making hundred + thousand a year and need more? but we’re going to charge people for wheelchairs? Ludicrous.. and yet, it’s happening) after claiming the desire to run a “fiscally responsible” party. Party is right, on the taxpayers dime.
Who is going to pay for Chrusty’s new house should she win in the by-election?
To me, being the vastly suspicious character (of politics and intentions) I am, this just smacked of internal collusion, a purposeful mismanagement of the politicking by NDP for a fail that they (a) were “advised” to do (take a fall) or (b) Dix has a different agenda for the NDP than one of being the elected party.. or opposition for that manner, as they’ve failed miserably on both accounts. Just in it for the paycheck, or is there more to this?
My thought then (when you’ve eliminated the obvious, you’re left with the unlikely “truth”) is there was internal collusion with Dix (NDP) and Harper (CONS).
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/yahoo-exclusive-b-c-ndp-leader-adrian-dix-150927817.html
While the link above doesn’t unequivocally state that the two are “friends” there is obviously a “link” between the two and I believe it was one of the reasons Dix decided to run the campaign “his way” rather than the party way. And, it’s funny how all the people getting “fired” are being rehired as something else (either public or private) and paid way more than they were making before… with no blow-back from their misdeeds (Haakstad is one) http://blogborgcollective.blogspot.ca/2013/05/disgraced-kim-haakstad-licking-stamps.html
Too many people who shouldn’t even be in politics due to their “misdeeds” are pulling in paychecks far greater than anyone I know (and still rising if Clark has her way, which she will once this public nuisance of media has a new focus).
The NDP, BC, and the Canada I’ve known is gone (died with Layton, the Chrusty’s LIEberals and Harpergeddon).
Time for a rebranding and a new leader/party major as the Nationally Disgraced Party is a no-go.
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For those who are interested , you can follow https://twitter.com/jillreports for updates on the NDP provincial council meetings today.
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