Are we here for a good time, Dave Barrett the new Premier asked at his first cabinet meeting. The answer was yes! Fifty years ago in the fall of 1972, the first NDP government in BC set to work on a powerful program of change to improve life for most in BC. A Landslide Victory […]
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The New Democratic Party (and its pre-1961 predecessor, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation) was once a party with relatively healthy internal democracy and a relatively active membership. While never more than a social-democratic party, it kept its base engaged through riding association meetings, workplace activity through unions, and literal kitchen-table talks in big cities and small […]
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Ontario goes to the polls on June 2. Doug Ford must go. Yet, this seems unlikely with the polls giving him a clear lead. How, after four years of U-turns, cutting services, gaffes and COVID shambles, is this possible? Somehow, Ford has led a charmed life over these years. He started off with policies to […]
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It would be a grave mistake for the NDP and union leaders to assume that everything is back to normal now that the convoy has ended. It isn’t. The convoy provoked a decisive change in Canadian politics, with the alt-right pumped after the successful encampment and US border blockades. But more importantly, these actions have […]
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After months, the worst-kept secret in Canadian politics can at last officially reveal itself: it’s federal election time. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have determined that their best shot at regaining a majority government is right now, with a five-week campaign leading to election day on September 20. The Liberals only have to net 15 […]
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This weekend the federal New Democratic Party is holding its national convention. The Liberal government has signalled its intention to call a general election sometime this year, so this convention will say a lot about how the NDP plans to present itself to voters in the campaign. The party leadership would like to focus on […]
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Updated with full results after postal votes counted. The New Democratic Party (NDP) strolled to a solid victory in the October 24 provincial election. After a delay of three weeks to count the 660,000 postal ballots, the NDP has won 57 seats up, taking two additional seats from the Liberals in each of the Okanagan […]
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Canada has now been under COVID-19 restrictions for three months and many provinces are starting to open up again, although the virus is not under control. Canada is not yet out of the first wave and is certainly not ready to deal with the inevitable second wave. The Liberal government has acted too little and […]
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Written by a BC teacher. TOPICS:British Columbia In British Columbia’s 2017 election, the New Democratic Party (NDP) boldly stated that “After a generation of neglect, it’s time to give schools, students and teachers the investment and support they deserve.” More than two years later, schools, students and teachers don’t seem to deserve very much. Any […]
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Canadians woke up on Tuesday to a parliament vastly different than what we’ve had for the past four years. The new parliament reflects the profound regional differences, an urban/rural divide and diverging visions of Canada’s economy as either primarily resource-based or diversified and “green.” However, the results did not reveal a sharp class divide, although […]
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