Thoughts on BC Politics and More

After announcing his departure, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried to reach an agreement with opposition leaders so that his government would survive a few more weeks in Parliament, Radio-Canada has learned. Sources said the day after announcing he would resign on Monday, the prime minister personally called the leaders of the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois. He wanted to obtain a commitment from one or the other to vote in favour of the budget appropriations — a vote of confidence — at the end of March, once prorogation had passed, the sources said ... CLICK HERE for the full story

What is the point of the federal New Democratic Party? It would appear that it’s not to win elections. That’s fine, as far as it goes. There are other purposes for political parties. Some are single or double-issue protest parties, like the Christian Heritage Party, but those tend to be very small, rarely if ever winning seats in Parliament. There are regional parties, like the Bloc Québécois, which runs candidates only in Quebec, advancing their narrow interests with some success. There have historically been splinter parties, like Alberta’s Wildrose Party or the Reform Party, each of which, by splitting historic voting coalitions, had influence over their movements’ reunifications, altering the makeup of the future United Conservative and federal Conservative parties forever .... CLICK HERE for the full story