The NDP convention in Vancouver over the weekend has been making headlines. Seems there's was some controversy over whether to talk about a "socialist" or a "social democrat" party, as well as a possible fusion with the Liberals. The first question has been around for as long as I've been involved in the party, or about 30 years. The second is something that's newer, and comes out of the spectacular success of the NDP in the federal election last month.
Boy, I wish I'd been there. Jack the Leader got a 97.9 per cent vote of confidence, which is hardly suprising. The debate about a possible merger was more or less dismissed, it seems, although certainly there are some in the party who think it would be a good idea.
Uniting the Left, the way the current political configuration that is the Conservative Party of Canada united the right about a decade ago, is probably a good thing. But whether it should come by letting the Liberal Party die its own quiet death or by swallowing it up, is a serious question. The NDP has usually stood for more than center-left opportunism that is the hallmark of the Liberals. The NDP has a well-defined party platform--sometimes forgotten when convenient, admittedly--that should be the basis for any discussion of merger and/or coalition.
Two years from now--provided our ongoing house saga is finished by then--I want to be at the convention to help shape the future!
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