The Vote Was Yea

 

The position of the NDP on the Emergency Act does not make sense. Not just that it is founded the lie that the convoy has called for the overthrow of the government, and  the lie that is was violet. But it also does not seem to make political sense. They keep saying that the Emergency Act is made necessary by a failure of leadership. But if there has been such a failure of leadership, it obviously makes no sense to give the same leader more powers.

Why identify themselves with a failing Prime Minister?

The Emergency Act may be popular at the moment, but anyone who knows history can predict that it is going to become a lot less popular soon. The more so as the protesters have remained peaceful, and the government has acted harshly.

And they are turning against the working class. Not just that the truckers are working class, and express widespread working class sentiments. Declaring the Emergency Act against a peaceful protest or even a peaceful blockade sets a bad precedent for union action in the future.

For many years, the NDP has not been the party of the working class, but of petty government officials—teachers, especially. But some of their members do represent working class ridings, and they stand to lose them at the next election.

They also reduce their profile as an alternative to the Liberals, when they were already having some trouble making the distinction. Why vote for the NDP, who have no chance of power, if their platform is too like that of the Liberals, who do have a chance at power?

The obvious explanation is that the government has declared this a confidence vote. If it goes down, they will try to call an election. The NDP does not have the funds to fight an election.

I feel there is also an element of paranoia, in the NDP and in the Liberals. They fear the working class. This comes with a guilty conscience.

I believe the government cannot whip the Senate. They need not fear an election, and there is no official Liberal caucus. Senators should be free to vote their conscience. It may appeal to many to rise to the occasion and justify the Senate’s existence.