Comments on: NDP and Greens battle it out to be Canada’s third (fourth?) party http://thirdpartywatch.com/2006/12/12/ndp-and-greens-battle-it-out-to-be-canadas-third-fourth-party/ Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:53:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1.3 by: Sean Scallon http://thirdpartywatch.com/2006/12/12/ndp-and-greens-battle-it-out-to-be-canadas-third-fourth-party/#comment-77251 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:06:05 +0000 http://thirdpartywatch.com/2006/12/12/ndp-and-greens-battle-it-out-to-be-canadas-third-fourth-party/#comment-77251 I agree with you Stuart, I find Canadian politics far more fascinating than American politics and I prefer a parlimentary system to a Congressional system. Now it may have been back at the time of the Revolution that the British Parliment was throroughly corrupt and undemocratic which may have influenced the founders thinking, but look at the situation today. MPs, whether in Canada or the UK, do not get paid all that much so don't view the job as a career, don't use the public treasury as trough to benefit their constituencies and have campaign that are short and far less expensive than U.S. ones. Plus, a Parlimentary system allows for more parties to have a voice in government. As for the Greens and NDP, the NDP was founded as a progressive party out on Canada's prairies and has support from Canadian unions. However, as the left grows more cosmopolitian and higher schooled, the working class NDP finds itself in a bind between the Liberals and the Greens. The next election, when it comes, will be a battle between the Greens and the NDP to see who is the leftist party in Canada. I agree with you Stuart, I find Canadian politics far more fascinating than American politics and I prefer a parlimentary system to a Congressional system. Now it may have been back at the time of the Revolution that the British Parliment was throroughly corrupt and undemocratic which may have influenced the founders thinking, but look at the situation today. MPs, whether in Canada or the UK, do not get paid all that much so don’t view the job as a career, don’t use the public treasury as trough to benefit their constituencies and have campaign that are short and far less expensive than U.S. ones. Plus, a Parlimentary system allows for more parties to have a voice in government.

As for the Greens and NDP, the NDP was founded as a progressive party out on Canada’s prairies and has support from Canadian unions. However, as the left grows more cosmopolitian and higher schooled, the working class NDP finds itself in a bind between the Liberals and the Greens. The next election, when it comes, will be a battle between the Greens and the NDP to see who is the leftist party in Canada.

]]> by: Otto Kerner http://thirdpartywatch.com/2006/12/12/ndp-and-greens-battle-it-out-to-be-canadas-third-fourth-party/#comment-76942 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 02:45:20 +0000 http://thirdpartywatch.com/2006/12/12/ndp-and-greens-battle-it-out-to-be-canadas-third-fourth-party/#comment-76942 Based on casual observation, it seems that Green Parties tend to become Just Another Party pretty fast once they get a whiff of real power. They are willing to get with the program. The same would probably happen with a libertarian party, too, under the same circumstances, we just haven't gotten to see it yet. The situation with the Moviemento in Costa Rica last year was pretty close. Based on casual observation, it seems that Green Parties tend to become Just Another Party pretty fast once they get a whiff of real power. They are willing to get with the program. The same would probably happen with a libertarian party, too, under the same circumstances, we just haven’t gotten to see it yet. The situation with the Moviemento in Costa Rica last year was pretty close.

]]> by: Phil http://thirdpartywatch.com/2006/12/12/ndp-and-greens-battle-it-out-to-be-canadas-third-fourth-party/#comment-76509 Wed, 13 Dec 2006 05:06:12 +0000 http://thirdpartywatch.com/2006/12/12/ndp-and-greens-battle-it-out-to-be-canadas-third-fourth-party/#comment-76509 The new Green leader is more like an actual Green, not like the somewhat economically conservative Harris who used to run the party. The Green leader was also born in America, but that's unrelated. Anyways, Dion is putting a huge emphasis on the environment this next election so I think he'll slow the Green monster. They could still pick up an MP in Nova Scotia though. The NDP also has a strong base that isn't going to stray over to the Greens, plus the NDP just has several fundamental differences from the Greens. The new Green leader is more like an actual Green, not like the somewhat economically conservative Harris who used to run the party. The Green leader was also born in America, but that’s unrelated.

Anyways, Dion is putting a huge emphasis on the environment this next election so I think he’ll slow the Green monster. They could still pick up an MP in Nova Scotia though. The NDP also has a strong base that isn’t going to stray over to the Greens, plus the NDP just has several fundamental differences from the Greens.

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