Monday, August 1, 2011

Is Nycole Turmel A Good Choice For Interim NDP Leader?

Today's poll question; is Nycole Turmel a good choice for interim leader of the NDP? That was the subject of yesterday's Cross Country Check-up, which produced a wide variety of phone calls. Some NDP supporters are doing their best to put a positive spin on the selection, while others are very concerned. In past elections before becoming an NDP candidate, she has endorsed candidates from the Bloc Quebecois and the Québec Solidaire Party, prompting one Liberal Blogger to write a post "Nycole Turmel - Dancing With Separatists". She reminds me of a female Stephane Dion without the experience of having previously sat in Parliament. Where Dion came from academia, Turmel's roots are in big labour, and she rates the needs of public unions above national unity. Who cares if you want to split up the country, what can you do for my union membership?

We all wish Jack Layton the best in his recovery, but if he is unable to return the NDP has some very serious problems. Their large gains in the 2011 election can be almost entirely credited with Jack's personal popularity. He delivered a knock-out punch to Ignatieff in the english debates and followed that up by obliterating Gilles Duceppe in the french debates; helping us win our beloved Tory majority. What happens in the fall is anyone's guess at this point.

UPDATE: Tuesday we found out that not only did she previously endorse Bloc candidates, but that she was a registered member of the Bloc Quebecois! She only quit the Bloc earlier this year to run for the NDP, and all of this was known to Jack Layton and the Party. This news is going to create problems for the NDP outside of Quebec.

17 comments:

  1. If I were a NDP supporter I would say that she is a poor choice. Since I am a Conservative supporter I think she is a Great choice.

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  2. Joe, my words exactly! I saw her being interviewed on Sun News and she was unable to answer a very simple question. Did she support the government taking action against the war criminal suspects, who no matter were here illegally and had deportation orders issued against them. She kept repeating that the NDP believes in prevention rather than the present action and talked about the need for government to provide better social programs. She was asked the same question several times and answered the same. There was nothing difficult to grasp and her reply made no sense as these people came here as adults. They are not victims of Canadian society.

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  3. She is a great choice for the PM and the govt. She has answered every question asked, since being annointed, with the same answer. Reminds me of a wind up doll, pull the string and hear the same message over and over. And she is a female Dion. And the war room does not have to get any commercials out to define her, she has done that herself.
    Mary T

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  4. Anything or anyone is better than Olivia Chow, Libby Davies, Paul Dewar, Pat Martin, or Thomas Mulcair.

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  5. Jack should have picked Libby Davies and then used her as the Poster-person for the NDP's ban on Trans-fats that cause obersity.
    After what the NOW paper and Susan G Cole did to Rob Ford, Lets see how Tolerant the fundamentalist Socialist are when the Obese taget is a female lesbian.
    Too bad jack just showed people that Olivia was a charity case and loose cannon while she was also at rallies for the No On Is Illegal Org that condones Human Smuggling into canada fro mthe USA.

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  6. Based on what I've seen from the NDP since the recent federal Election, I'd say that she is the ideal choice as Interim Leader. She's pro-union, and pro-Quebec. Pretty much their two fundamental priorities since May 2nd.

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  7. Thomas Mulcair would have been a better choice from several perspectives, but if Jack is planing to return then he needs a political non entity who is personally loyal to him to play sock puppet.

    While I in no way agree with Jack Layton's politics, I hope he recovers since Ottawa is a less interesting place without him. The other selfish reason to wich him well is if the NDP splinters without his leadership the Liberals can make a comeback....

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  8. "One of our party's positions is representing everybody, all Canadians, no matter where they come from and no matter who they are. They are all equal for us, so we wanted to make sure to show that we are there for them."
    http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/31/turmel-tries-to-keep-ndp-party-profile-high

    Turmel is saying that she and the NDP are equal to all those Canadians that don't agree with their socialist and stale policies, and that they will represent their views. What a load of crap.

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  9. I guess the conversation between Duceppe and Jack Layton during the coalition deal has begun to take shape. Duceppe is pleased.

    The BQ need not rush to anything since BQ/NDP party is doing it all for them.

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  10. She didn't just endorse Bloc candidates, she was a card carrying member of the Bloc Quebecois until January of this year before she jumped to the NDP to run. I guess that fits the strategy of the NDP now though, they are now the defacto Quebec seperatist party.

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  11. This whole mess just makes me wonder where all the "journalists" are in this country. Why was this not uncovered during the election? They should all be hanging their heads in shame.

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  12. During the election Anonymous (12:29PM, CPAC was doing a segment on the 'campaign trail' I can't remember who the fellow was doing the show. Anyway, this guy went all over canada interviewing regular mps and newly candidates but never did I see him interview the newly appointed ndp candidates.
    While the msm was so hung over at every move the prime minister made like Terry M. was, the NDP were left alone to pull their own stunts without a peep from the media.

    Not one question was ever asked of Ellen Rousseau or any other new NDP candidates during the campaign trail.

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  13. I am more than curious about this, actually suspicious. Layton and his cohorts didn't know this about her? Or she didn't know that she could not be a member with another party and at the same time, even if she was with the BLOC slightly before — she's still associated with a small party, Quebec Solidaire, even more extreme about separation.

    Of course, people cross over, the wise ones become conservative. I don't mind if they switch. However, there seems to be more than one or two who are separatists who joined the NDP. Maybe they figured the BLOC would never be across the country; whereas the NDP are and they can convince others to become more like them, or at least push the enevelope. Maybe I am considering too much of a conspiracy. Nonetheless...

    Layton and the NDP should replace her as interim leader. And this is the chance for the Liberals to gain some ground by going after this fiasco.

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  14. Watching her on the Solomon Show, her English is terrible and she does not make logical arguments when answering questions. Her leadership is a gift to the Liberal Party. On Cross Country Check-up, a few NDP callers kept saying that she was "fully billingual" as a selling point. Her English should not be a selling point.

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  15. I hope Turmel is turfed in favour of Libby Davies as permanent Leader.

    Then we would see the true face of socialism in Canada,and would hear in no uncertain terms,our fate if enough of us were ever stupid enough to vote them into Federal Government.

    The heart of the NDP is anti-capitalism,anti-private property rights,and pro-BIG government. With an NDP government,we 'd be as broke as the Eu PIIGS in a very few years.

    So, let's hope and pray they elect Libby as permanent Grand Pooh-bah of the NDP,and all Canadians will see what they're really all about.

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  16. Seeing the presser today on Sun News, it's obvious that all the NDP is going to do is close ranks around their interim leader.
    'Nothing to see here folks - just move along', is the message being presented.

    Now just thinking to myself, I wonder how the NDP/Liberals/MSM would react if it was found that Stephen Harper was once a card-carrying Bloc supporter and actually donated money to them.
    Would every decision by PM Harper be viewed through a Separatist prism? Should every comment by Turmel be viewed similarly?

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  17. Alan why don't you asked the media reporters that very same question.
    It is about time they do some answering to questions like yours. If they can't respond or give a proper answer then you know where you stand with such reporters in the future.

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