NDP victory in Nova Scotia
The NDP has finally been elected in Nova Scotia, and with a substantial majority. They take 31 seats, while the Liberals climb to 11 and the Progressive Conservatives drop to 10.
Naturally, comment boards on sites like the Globe and Mail's are full of dire warnings for us foolhardy Nova Scotians. We are in for the kind of socialist hell that Ontario suffered through in the early 1990s.
According to these folks, I guess, every provincial New Democratic Party will be forever tainted by Bob Rae's government. Bob Rae, of course, is now a Liberal.
As I recall, most media had hysterics the moment Rae was elected. In order to demonstrate that he was not a crazed left-wing radical (see above: Bob Rae is now a Liberal), he brought in Rae Days -- unpaid days off for civil servants -- thereby pissing off both right and left and ensuring his defeat.
Are we to believe that every single NDP government from now to eternity will make the same tactical mistake?
The NDP were elected because Nova Scotians are fundamentally decent people, and Darrell Dexter is a fundamentally decent person who ran a fundamentally decent campaign.
I think that's what tipped the balance in a lot of rural ridings (including my own) that many thought would never vote NDP.
The Conservatives rolled out their scary attack ads, which didn't make clear (unless you read the tiny fine print on your TV) who had paid for them. Instead, they directed viewers to their risky NDP site. They ran misleading, nasty radio ads saying the NDP had accepted illegal campaign contributions from unions, and people saw through them. They claimed the NDP would be fiscally irresponsible, when they are the ones who lied about stimulus projects not going ahead if their government fell, and who tried to fudge the fact that they were going to ignore their own balanced budget law.
The Nova Scotia NDP are hardly socialist firebrands. Their promises were modest. Take HST (that's GST plust provincial tax to most of you in the rest of the country) off electricity. Keep seniors in their homes longer. Keep emergency rooms open. Develop a plan to encourage young people to stay here.
It worked. Good luck to them.
Naturally, comment boards on sites like the Globe and Mail's are full of dire warnings for us foolhardy Nova Scotians. We are in for the kind of socialist hell that Ontario suffered through in the early 1990s.
According to these folks, I guess, every provincial New Democratic Party will be forever tainted by Bob Rae's government. Bob Rae, of course, is now a Liberal.
As I recall, most media had hysterics the moment Rae was elected. In order to demonstrate that he was not a crazed left-wing radical (see above: Bob Rae is now a Liberal), he brought in Rae Days -- unpaid days off for civil servants -- thereby pissing off both right and left and ensuring his defeat.
Are we to believe that every single NDP government from now to eternity will make the same tactical mistake?
The NDP were elected because Nova Scotians are fundamentally decent people, and Darrell Dexter is a fundamentally decent person who ran a fundamentally decent campaign.
I think that's what tipped the balance in a lot of rural ridings (including my own) that many thought would never vote NDP.
The Conservatives rolled out their scary attack ads, which didn't make clear (unless you read the tiny fine print on your TV) who had paid for them. Instead, they directed viewers to their risky NDP site. They ran misleading, nasty radio ads saying the NDP had accepted illegal campaign contributions from unions, and people saw through them. They claimed the NDP would be fiscally irresponsible, when they are the ones who lied about stimulus projects not going ahead if their government fell, and who tried to fudge the fact that they were going to ignore their own balanced budget law.
The Nova Scotia NDP are hardly socialist firebrands. Their promises were modest. Take HST (that's GST plust provincial tax to most of you in the rest of the country) off electricity. Keep seniors in their homes longer. Keep emergency rooms open. Develop a plan to encourage young people to stay here.
It worked. Good luck to them.
Labels: Nova Scotia, Politics
posted by Philip Moscovitch Link
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