the ndp leadership convention
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TheNDPLeadershipConvention!ExpectationsandReality!
DonCurrie,EditorFocusOnSocialism,ChairCPSMarch24,2012
www.FocusOnSocialism.ca
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CanadiansforPeace&Socialismwww.FocusOnSocialism.ca
Box168SlocanBCV0G2C0
Canada
12503552669
The new Canada that many Canadians hoped might emerge at the NDP leadership
convention requiresmore thananew leaderandan imagechange for theNDPcaucus.A
new peoples vision of Canada is required. The global capitalist depression has caused
millionsto
question
the
viability
of
capitalism
itself.
ThomasMulcair, thenew leaderof theNDPwon theNDP leadershipwithoutenunciating
whatthatnewNDPvisionshouldbe.Failuretodothat inthemidstofaglobalcrisiswasa
mistake.MulcairdidnotchallengePrimeMinisterStephenHarpersvisionof the futureof
CanadaproclaimedatDavosSwitzerlandlastyear.1Thatwasanopportunitylost.
PropelledbyamassmovementamongCanadianurbanand ruralvoterswho rejectPrime
MinisterHarpers support forNATOwarsand financecapitalistdominanceover the state
andParliament,theNDPmaybepoisedtowinpowerinthenextfederalelection.
Such is the growing dissatisfaction among Canadian workers and farmers the NDP is
positionedtowinthenextelectionevenifitretainsitscurrentreformistpolicies.
If that happens the federal governmentwill change from Conservative to NDP but the
fundamental conditions of life of the unemployed, working class and farm families will
remainthesamebecausetheprofitsystemwillnothavechanged.
ThesolidsupportfortheNDPofamajorityofCanadiansvotersofurbanandruralCanadais
notassuredjustbecausetheNDPoppositionspeaksupintheHouseofCommonsonbehalf
ofhard
working
Canadian
families.
That
is
not
a
program
to
change
the
country.
That
is
an
elementaryduty. Thatroleisnecessaryandminimal.Butitisnotenough!
1Hhttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/primeministerharperunveilsgrandplantoreshape
canada/article2316795/
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Appealing for labour and farm votes as a kinder gentler variant of the Liberals or
ConservativesisacommitmenttochangetheguardatOttawa,nottochangethecapitalist
systemin
Canada
or
even
its
worst
features.
TheNDPleadershipcandidatesevadeddiscussingthecapitalistsystemanditscurrentstate
ofcrisisandpredationonCanadaanditspeople.
Canada is a G7 NATO monopoly capitalist state. By definition that means 21st Century
imperialism.PrimeMinisterHarperseekstocynicallydetachhisgovernmentfromthecrimes
ofthesystemheupholdsandpromotes.TheHarperConservativespromotean imperialist
foreignpolicyofsupportforUSNATOIsraeliwarswhichmaybreakoutintheMiddleEastat
anymoment.
TheHarperGovernment is theadvocateandpromoterofa singleenergy resourcebased
economy dominated by big private domestic and foreign investors and profiteers. The
Harper Government promotes free trade dealswith despotic regimes. The Conservative
Governmenthasnoplanstoovercomeunemployment,povertyandracisminCanada.
The Conservatives have abandoned the vision of Canada as an integrated, allsided
industrialized technologically advanced manufacturing and industrialized 21st century
country.PrimeMinisterHarperisopposedtosuchaneconomicplanbecausetheonlywayit
can be realized in practice is under a new socialist government. The NDP long ago
abandonedsocialism.
TheHarperConservativessubordinate thegreatpotential forCanada toonepurpose, the
saleofenergyandothernaturalresourcecommodities,combinedwithbillionsspentonthe
militarizationoftheeconomytoparticipate inUSsponsoredNATOwars.That iswhat the
NDPcandidatesevadedspeakingabout.
NotoneofthecandidatesarticulatedavisionofCanadaasapeaceful, independentstate,
renouncingwar and utilizing its own resources and the immense creative abilities of its
peopletobuildanentirelynewkindofCanada,asocialistCanada.
That could not realistically be expected. However something short of that, that would
openly challenge the dominance ofmonopoly capital over all of Canadian domestic and
foreignpolicycouldhaveandshouldhavebeendiscussed.
TheNDPCaucusgoesbacktoParliamentonMondayMarch26thwithoutadeclaredpolicy
on thevital issuespeaceandwar,and independentplannedeconomicdevelopment. The
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NDPwill limit its role to advocating a reform program to alleviate theworst economic
hardshipsfacedbymillionsofCanadians.Intheabsenceofagreatindependentlabourparty
ofsocialism
of
their
own,
the
workers
and
farmers
will
understandably
support
such
efforts.
Thomas Mulcair has mused about leading the NDP to a rightofcentre position in
Parliamentaryelectoralpoliticswhich incapitalistCanadameans inpracticeawayfromthe
influenceoforganizedlabourandtheworkingclassandworkingfarmers.
Mulcair seeks be to a kinder gentler manager of Canada rather than the architect of
changingit.
Within the narrow boundaries of social reformist class collaborationist politics the just
concluded
NDP
Convention
upheld
the
view
that
image
trumps
substance.
Using
that
measure to determine the outcome of the leadership convention, the NDP hasmoved
furthertotheright.
Tobepopular,theNDPestablishmentwantedthatoutcome.Thatmakesthetaskoflabour,
peaceanddemocraticactivistsmoredifficult.
Playingthemediagamethatpersonalitiestrumpsubstance,the leadershipcandidatesand
theirmanagerssquanderedtheopportunitytospeakovertheheadsofthemediapundits
directly to the Canadian people pledging to fight for a foreign policy of peace and a
domestic
policy
of
planned
economic
development.
All of the leadership candidates, with a national audience watching, muted their open
supportof theextraparliamentaryandmilitantmassoppositionarisingonpicket lines, in
studentdemonstrations,amongfarmers,FirstNationsandthe20%livingbelowthepoverty
line.
TheNDPcannotconfine themassmovementsofthepeople toParliamentarypoliticsand
simplycapitalizeonitinthenextelection.
There is a discerniblemovement among voters for a change in capitalist Parliamentary
politicsthatwillnotbedeniedandmaynotgototheNDPifitcontinuestomoveright.
Theprogressive,awareandresponsibleleftmustgivevoicetothatmilitantmovementand
theopportunityitpresentstoclearlyarticulateaworkingclasssocialistprogramthatopenly
challengesstatemonopolycapital.