Tom Mulcair

Fri, 2015-05-15 12:47

NorthReport

Mulcair says NDP will ride wave of popularity to federal win

This week, a new poll of B.C. residents from Insights West found Mulcair has a 52 per cent approval rating, slightly ahead of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau at 46 per cent and Green party Leader Elizabeth May at 44 per cent, and leaps and bounds in front of Prime Minister Stephen Harper at 35 per cent.

Mulcair, once judged an aloof politician from Quebec, is now getting higher numbers in B.C. polls than the late NDP leader Jack Layton got in federal elections in 2004, 2006 and 2008, pollster Mario Canseco said.

“To be five months away from an election at a 52 per cent rating — that shows they are connecting,” Canseco said.

“[Mulcair] is the one talking about Bill C-51. He’s the one talking about [suspended senator] Mike Duffy. The way [Mulcair] has behaved in the House is something that many people who are voting here are actually paying attention to.”

- See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/mulcair-says-ndp-will-ride-wave-...

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/mulcair-says-ndp-will-ride-wave-...

Fri, 2015-05-15 13:50

#53

Sean in Ottawa

NorthReport wrote:

Hootsuite founder, C-51 critic Ryan Holmes tweets NDP thanks

Hootsuite founder praises NDP's 'class' on Twitter

Hootsuite founder and CEO Ryan Holmes was part of a group of tech and business leaders who wrote a public letter about their concerns with the Harper government's anti-terrorism legislation, bill C-51. His tweet thanking NDP Leader Tom Mulcair for writing him a thank you letter in reply is in heavy circulation on Twitter Thursday. (CBC)

In politics, as in life, it's rarely a bad idea to say thank you.

Just ask the New Democrats, who triggered a wave of Twitter-driven goodwill — and free publicity — after going out of their way to acknowledge the efforts of an outspoken critic of the government's proposed anti-terror bill.

On Wednesday night, Hootsuite founder Ryan Holmes tweeted a picture of a letter he had just received from New Democrat Leader Tom Mulcair, with the following comment:

View image on Twitter

Follow

"Myself and 140+ tech leaders were called unpatriotic … then this from @NDP_HQ, class."

As of Thursday morning, Holmes' message had been retweeted 512 times.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/hootsuite-founder-c-51-critic-ryan-holme...

Correction 853 times until I saw it-- now 854 times.

Sat, 2015-05-16 17:00

#54

NorthReport

Mulcair vows to repeal bill C-51 at NDP rally in Surrey

The fieriest invective of the night came from Jinny Sims, NDP MP for Newton—North Delta, who during her introduction of Mulcair chastised Trudeau for his support of Bill C-51, which she attributed to a fear of being criticized by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. She and Jaspir Sandhu, NDP MP for Surrey North, took to Harper over what they characterized as a lack of support for the RCMP and gang prevention services in Surrey, which has seen a dozens of gang-related shootings in 2015.

“I’ve been waffling between the Liberals and the NDP, and after [Liberal Leader Justin] Trudeau voted in favour of Bill C-51, it made up my mind for me,” said Todd Beernink, a New Westminster resident and instructor at Greystone College, who attended the rally.

Shakti Ramkumar, 18, came to the event looking for clear policy on how the NDP would deal with the oil sands in Alberta.

“[Mulcair] didn’t really clarify that, but what he did say about the environment, I’m optimistic about it,” said the University of British Columbia engineering student, who lives in Surrey.

The party’s supporters were riding a slew of good news from the last weeks. The Alberta NDP’s victory, positive polling and a rally of 1,300 in Victoria on Thursday—the party’s largest rally ever in BC, said an NDP organizer—all made for “a collective spring in people’s step,” according to George Smith, Mulcair’s executive assistant.

Mulcair’s visit to BC was partly to talk up BC NDP candidates for the upcoming election as recent numbers appear to show a boost in the party’s popularity in the province.

http://www.vancouverobserver.com/news/mulcair-vows-repeal-bill-c-51-ndp-...

Sun, 2015-05-17 12:43

#55

knownothing knownothing's picture

Tom Mulcair Political Ninja

Tom Mulcair Political Ninja 2

Tom Mulcair Political Ninja 3

Tom Mulcair Political Ninja 4

Sun, 2015-05-17 13:15

#56

NorthReport

Video of Tom hangin' in BC.

New polls indicate support for the federal NDP on the upswing.

http://www.cheknews.ca/new-polls-indicate-support-for-the-federal-ndp-on...

Mon, 2015-05-18 11:11

#57

mark_alfred

I was at a Victoria Day BBQ yesterday with a group of friends (in Toronto). Some work in retail, others work in business. They default Liberal. One (Wil, a blue Lib) said that the best leader is Mulcair, but Wil said he could not vote NDP due to his mistrust of how they'll handle "debt reduction", and he could not vote Harper because Harper and the Conservatives are simply too awful. Myself and an orange Liberal friend, Dave (who's openly now opting for the NDP) were glad to hear that Wil felt Mulcair was the best (it was a bit shocking to hear, actually).

Another friend, Fred, is working on the Liberal campaign in Davenport, and said he could not vote Mulcair because he doesn't trust that he has the skill set to run the country (IE, doesn't have a business sense). I countered with that I had similar concerns about JT, at which point he exclaimed, "Oh, don't I know it! But there will be reliable people behind him to properly run things." (the "reliable people behind him" line is often used by Liberals when asked about Trudeau's skills). He stated that despite being a diehard Liberal, that he would prefer the NDP to the Conservatives, and was pleased by Alberta's result.

Months ago Mulcair didn't even register in the minds of these voters. In fact most of them didn't know who Mulcair was. Trudeau was seen as fabulous. Not now. There's a growing sense of unease over Trudeau with these Liberals.

It's a small sample, but it did give me the feeling that things are starting to change even in Toronto.

Mon, 2015-05-18 14:24

#58

Sean in Ottawa

mark_alfred wrote:

I was at a Victoria Day BBQ yesterday with a group of friends (in Toronto). Some work in retail, others work in business. They default Liberal. One (Wil, a blue Lib) said that the best leader is Mulcair, but Wil said he could not vote NDP due to his mistrust of how they'll handle "debt reduction", and he could not vote Harper because Harper and the Conservatives are simply too awful. Myself and an orange Liberal friend, Dave (who's openly now opting for the NDP) were glad to hear that Wil felt Mulcair was the best (it was a bit shocking to hear, actually).

Another friend, Fred, is working on the Liberal campaign in Davenport, and said he could not vote Mulcair because he doesn't trust that he has the skill set to run the country (IE, doesn't have a business sense). I countered with that I had similar concerns about JT, at which point he exclaimed, "Oh, don't I know it! But there will be reliable people behind him to properly run things." (the "reliable people behind him" line is often used by Liberals when asked about Trudeau's skills). He stated that despite being a diehard Liberal, that he would prefer the NDP to the Conservatives, and was pleased by Alberta's result.

Months ago Mulcair didn't even register in the minds of these voters. In fact most of them didn't know who Mulcair was. Trudeau was seen as fabulous. Not now. There's a growing sense of unease over Trudeau with these Liberals.

It's a small sample, but it did give me the feeling that things are starting to change even in Toronto.

Unfortunately the unease they express is difficult to counter even if it is built on myth. Some work ahead for sure.

Mon, 2015-05-18 23:22

#59

socialdemocrati...

Those conversations are familiar though. Funny how they fit the profile of some of the people I'm working to convince. (And some of them have been convinced, thanks to Mulcair's courageous stand on Bill C-51.)

My main thing about "the people behind Trudeau" is that should be a liability, not an asset. Is Trudeau just a spokesmodel for a Liberal party that has lost its way? Is it the same strategists who brought us the slashing of health care to pay for corporate tax cuts? Is it the same operatives behind the sponsorship scandal?

Mon, 2015-05-18 23:58

#60

montrealer58 montrealer58's picture

I think many centre-left people in Toronto felt they had no choice but to vote Liberal to stop the Cons. If you had asked them 6 years ago if they had to choose between NDP and Conservative, they would have said NDP. There also used to be a social contract between the Liberal party and centre-left people, which was largely destroyed by Paul Martin, and the knife was put in over C-51.

What will be left will be those whose personal and family ties to the Liberals would prevent them from leaving. It is pretty clear from the Alberta result that if a goodly chunk of the Liberal and PC vote goes NDP, Conservatives can be defeated.

The general mindset is going to be to ask who has the best chance of beating Harper. All the evidence now seems to point to NDP.

Tue, 2015-05-19 09:11

#61

mark_alfred

socialdemocraticmiddle wrote:

Those conversations are familiar though. Funny how they fit the profile of some of the people I'm working to convince. (And some of them have been convinced, thanks to Mulcair's courageous stand on Bill C-51.)

My main thing about "the people behind Trudeau" is that should be a liability, not an asset. Is Trudeau just a spokesmodel for a Liberal party that has lost its way? Is it the same strategists who brought us the slashing of health care to pay for corporate tax cuts? Is it the same operatives behind the sponsorship scandal?

Yeah, Ontario is going to be a tough nut to crack. After hearing the "the people behind Trudeau" line, I've said that that would lead him to being no more than a puppet of the big business corporate strategists who slashed transfer payments and cut taxes during the Chretien/Martin years. The response is that Trudeau, being a trust fund millionaire, has no reason to sell out. So, he will (in these supporters' minds) use the knowledge of his advisors for good, but will only do so with integrity because he personally does not need to sell out. Underlying this thought is the belief that Trudeau is the only one who has a chance to beat Harper.

Bill C-51 and the Alberta election have begun to shake these beliefs, however. Trudeau is showing himself to be a puppet who'll even sell out his own father's legacy (the Charter). Trudeau's recent policy announcements (tax cuts and means tested childcare) are underwhelming -- the NDP alone owns the mantle of change. And the Alberta results, along with the recent polls, show the NDP is in contention. Given that the NDP are now competitve, I think the debates will really sway people, just like in Alberta. And unlike the 2011 election, where people in Ontario did not have enough time to digest the new reality of the NDP's swing in Quebec, people now will have the time to realize that they are the real and best ticket to ridding us of the Conservatives. Mulcair's slow and steady wins the race approach is a winner.

Tue, 2015-05-19 12:25

#62

socialdemocrati...

The strategic voting thing is powerful. It was an uphill battle for a while, but now that it's turning in peoples' favor, I still prefer to let people decide whether to vote strategically on their own. I make the case for the NDP's values and policies (Bill C-51 is highly topical). And it helps that in Toronto, a lot of incumbents are NDP, and deserve re-election.

mark_alfred wrote:
Bill C-51 and the Alberta election have begun to shake these beliefs, however. Trudeau is showing himself to be a puppet who'll even sell out his own father's legacy (the Charter).

And this is what I have to ask. If you believe that Trudeau is surrounding himself with people who will handle all the big policy decisions... who has he surrounded himself with if they've convinced him to shred his father's most important achievement?

Tue, 2015-05-19 12:42

#63

mark_alfred

I should be clear that I hold no such beliefs about Trudeau. I don't even really consider Trudeau. I just look at the policies that Liberals put out in comparison to the policies that the NDP advocate and I think, "hmm, I like what the NDP propose better." I was just pointing out some beliefs I've heard from others who do favour the Liberals. For the reasons I've mentioned, I feel these beliefs that I described have been shaken somewhat by recent events.

Tue, 2015-05-19 13:16

#64

socialdemocrati...

Yeah, sorry, if I said "you", the pronoun was meant to be a stand in for other people I'd be talking to. Liberal apologists, who are relying on people around Trudeau to guide him to sanity, should be worried.

Tue, 2015-05-19 17:29

#65

NorthReport

Please move this thread and all the other election related threads into the Election 2015 section.

Thanks.

Tue, 2015-05-19 17:30

#66

NorthReport

Toronto Star finally clueing into what everyone else in Canada knew months ago, but better late than never.

Thomas Mulcair emerging as the real agent of change: Tim HarperA three-way electoral race will only help Stephen Harper if neither Tom Mulcair nor Justin Trudeau break from the pack.

For the first time since Justin Trudeau was chosen party leader two years ago, the change candidate now appears to be Thomas Mulcair. At very least, the NDP is building momentum at the right time, writes Tim Harper.

SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO

For the first time since Justin Trudeau was chosen party leader two years ago, the change candidate now appears to be Thomas Mulcair. At very least, the NDP is building momentum at the right time, writes Tim Harper.

If we are heading to a change election in October, the battle to establish oneself as the real agent of change is key.

For the first time since Trudeau was chosen party leader two years ago, the change candidate now appears to be Mulcair. At very least, the NDP is building momentum at the right time.

Mulcair and his caucus endured, through mostly gritted teeth, the soaring of the Trudeau star soared through the political skies, the predictions that the political alignment appeared headed back to its traditional two-party battle between Conservatives and Liberals.

They endured as they were ignored by a Conservative government with a near-obsessive fixation with Trudeau.

Now, as Canadians begin focusing on the next vote, it is the NDP that offers the clean break from a tired government in its 10th year.

Trudeau and his Liberals are offering tentative change, a lurch to the middle with little daylight between them and the Conservatives.

Much has been made of the Rachel Notley sweep in Alberta, but that is not enough to realign the country.

It does show there is nothing frightening about voting NDP. It gives those seeking that change tacit permission to do it decisively.

But a drill down on the national numbers is needed because Canadians will really be casting their ballots in a series of regional showdowns in the fall.

The Liberals will be strong in Atlantic Canada, the NDP poised to hold most of its Quebec strength, with the GTA and 905 no longer merely a battle between the Liberals and Conservatives.

The NDP trails the other two parties in Manitoba, but, helped by redistribution, are playing again in Saskatchewan. The Harper Conservatives will be, for the first time, playing defence in their Alberta home and the Greens will at least play spoiler in British Columbia, where the three larger parties are deadlocked.

Harper is a polarizer and Trudeau is also headed in that direction. It is anecdotal only, but one hears more and more extreme views on the Liberal leader, with those who see him as a poseur not ready for power competing with those who believe he is offering a fresh way of doing politics.

Tuesday evening in Toronto, Mulcair used a McGill alumni event to showcase four of his youngest MPs, touting them as young men and women who have grown into solid MPs, an important generational message.

Mulcair has also benefited from the ongoing Mike Duffy trial and his consistent opposition to the government’s anti-terror legislation, Bill C-51.

On both fronts, he has eclipsed Trudeau.

Harper has regressed after a strong start to the year which included his dumping of Julian Fantino from defence, making nice with Kathleen Wynne, expertly playing to terrorism anxiety, and sprinkling money to key constituencies in the April budget.

Now we see the old habits. His government is using our Parliament and our institutions and our traditions as its sandbox to be exploited for partisan purposes.

He and his ministers are spending tax money on partisan videos and advertising, he is increasingly ignoring Parliament and he has now retroactively changed a law to shield the RCMP against wrongdoing in destroying records related to the long-gun registry.

He is cynically using the discredited Senate to block Michael Chong’s Reform Act and promote the government’s anti-union legislation, Bill C-377.

Faced with similar contemptible behaviour in 2011, voters shrugged and gave Harper a majority. In 2015, they may opt for change. Six months ago New Democrats were weeping in their beer, now they look like the vessel for change.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/05/19/thomas-mulcair-emerging-as...

Tue, 2015-05-19 18:57

#67

Debater

You should probably just quote a few paragraphs of Tim Harper's column rather than copying the entire thing so that we don't get into the copyright issues debate here.

Btw, I posted a column by Lawrence Martin earlier today which is very similar to the Tim Harper one. They both make the same point about Tom Mulcair & the NDP beginning to emerge as stronger contenders for the role of agent of change.

However, it's not "The Toronto Star" which is saying this right now, but an individual columnist. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds over the course of the year.

Tue, 2015-05-19 19:00

#68

Stockholm

It never ceases to amaze me how the Toronto Star can have such excellent coverage of federal politics with columnists like Chantal Hebert, Tim Harper and Thomas Walkom...

but at the provincial level their coverage is abysmal and embarrassingly weak and sycophantic to the Wynne government. Honestly, Kathleen Wynne could shit on the floor and Martin Regg Cohn and Robert Benzie would declare that she had produced Belgian semi-sweet chocolate

Tue, 2015-05-19 19:13

#69

Debater

It's certainly the case that the provincial NDP is not popular with the Toronto Star columnists.

Some of that may also have been exacerbated by the personality differences and leadership style of Wynne vs. Horwath, though.

Wynne appears to have a better relationship with the Toronto press than Horwath. Horwath seems to also be viewed as less friendly and less charismatic. Whether that is true or not, I don't know.

But there just appears to be some sort of chilly interaction between Horwath & the Toronto political media.

Tue, 2015-05-19 22:31

#70

jjuares

Debater wrote:

You should probably just quote a few paragraphs of Tim Harper's column rather than copying the entire thing so that we don't get into the copyright issues debate here.

Btw, I posted a column by Lawrence Martin earlier today which is very similar to the Tim Harper one. They both make the same point about Tom Mulcair & the NDP beginning to emerge as stronger contenders for the role of agent of change.

However, it's not "The Toronto Star" which is saying this right now, but an individual columnist. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds over the course of the year.

Yes, I read both those articles and I couldn't help notice the contrast between those and the beat Harper at any cost argument and simply vote strategically. They seem to be arguing that only the party that ends up providing a real contrast to Harper will win. It also has the added bonus that you are actually voting for something rather than just against something.

Wed, 2015-05-20 09:28

#71

NorthReport

It seems like those Conservative ads against Trudeau has paid off.

Wed, 2015-05-20 11:44

#72

montrealer58 montrealer58's picture

The Conservative ads demonizing Trudeau are screwing up the Conservatives more than the Liberals. That one ad making him look like Satan peddling marijuana to kids was positively medieval, and even made me feel sympathetic to Justin even though I have been very critical over the months.

The Conservatives have no hope to offer. The Liberals have some, and the NDP have the most.

Wed, 2015-05-20 12:00

#73

Sean in Ottawa

Debater wrote:

You should probably just quote a few paragraphs of Tim Harper's column rather than copying the entire thing so that we don't get into the copyright issues debate here.

This is very true and should be observed in all cases -- copying a whole article is problematic.

Wed, 2015-05-20 17:46

#74

NorthReport

Jack Layton's Death Made NDP Stronger, Matthew Dubé Says

Dubé said he believes Layton's death motivates current leader Thomas Mulcair and all New Democrat MPs.

"When you lose someone like that at such as a critical moment — where we were when he passed [having achieved official opposition status and an unheard of 103 NDP seats, including 59 in Quebec] — there is two directions you can go in. You can sort of get lost in your negative energy or you can say he left us a great gift and we are hoping we can share that gift with Canadians come October."

Layton's legacy looms large for New Democrats. In October, the party released an online ad, titled "Our Story," that attempted to highlight links between Layton and Mulcair.

The three-minute video featured several clips of Layton addressing supporters during the 2011 election. Its ends with Mulcair saying: "We've started something special. Now let's get the job done."

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/05/20/jack-layton-thomas-mulcair-matth...

Wed, 2015-05-20 20:21

#75

NorthReport

Good move!

NDP asks Governor General to wade into Senate residency debate

http://www.canada.com/News/canada/asks+Governor+General+wade+into+Senate...

Wed, 2015-05-20 20:22

#76

NorthReport

Harper's absences show 'lack of respect' for Parliament, voters: Mulcair

http://www.canada.com/news/Harper+absences+show+lack+respect+Parliament+...

Wed, 2015-05-20 20:40

#77

NorthReport

NDP making gains in fight for progressive voters

But if this poll is correct, that is changing now – and it could change everything in the fall.

If the New Democrats go into September leading the Liberals, it is they who can claim to be the progressive alternative. They can say, as the Liberals have, that they are the only choice among moderates to dislodge the Conservatives.

The NDP victory in Alberta does not mean an ideological sea-change there, just that voters trust New Democrats with power in a big, rich province (after rejecting them in BC and Nova Scotia). Perception, perception.

Mulcair may not be cuddly but he is effective in Parliament. His principled critique of the anti-terrorism bill – admired by many Liberals – is one reason that public support for the bill has fallen sharply.

In the battle of perception, Trudeau needs new tactics. Fast. He has to show that he is thoughtful, substantial and capable of running a big country. He has to be more natural and less halting than he was talking about the economy – punctuated by umms – at the Empire Club of Canada recently. He has to find a rhythm beyond the teleprompter (a speech coach would help) and weave a storyline, urging Canadians, for example, to take back their country from fear and nastiness.

If he doesn’t, his party will falter and progressives will split evenly between him and Mulcair, creating new three-way races. And the Conservatives will win again.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/cohen-ndp-making-gains-in-fight-f...

Wed, 2015-05-20 23:27

#78

NorthReport

NDP on ‘charm offensive’ with young MPs

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/ndp-on-charm-offensive-w...

Thu, 2015-05-21 17:26

#79

NorthReport

Fantastic!

NDP Leader Mulcair to release memoir before election

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ndp-leader-mulcair-to-relea...

Thu, 2015-05-21 17:29

#80

NorthReport

Medicine Hat to boot!

National Affairs: Increasingly, Mulcair’s New Democrats appear to be Canada’s party of change

http://medicinehatnews.com/commentary/opinions/2015/05/21/national-affai...

Thu, 2015-05-21 17:30

#81

NorthReport

Cash for Canada's 150th a 'slush fund' for Tory MPs: Mulcair

http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/cash-for-canada-s-150th-a-slush-fund-for-...

Thu, 2015-05-21 17:43

#82

NorthReport

NDP would end phase-out of door-to-door mail delivery

The federal New Democrats say if elected they will terminate Canada Post’s phase-out plan and restore service to those households that have already lost their home mail delivery.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/05/21/ndp-would-end-phase-out-of...

Thu, 2015-05-21 23:29

#83

Brachina