[Eug]

Since the alternative to "Rae days" was firing a lot of people, I think he made the right decision. (Remember that there was a global recession at the time.)

In that context, I agree. I think Rae spent WAY too much money in his budget in the first place, but as far as a near-crisis mode decision after the fact, the Rae days were a reasonable choice.

Anyways, I was just posting what jumps out to me the most about the NDP in the various places. People remember the Ontario NDP just for Rae Days and their huge budget, and not much else.

And as for Quebec, we STILL haven't heard a peep from Ms Brosseau.

 

[kEiThZ]

Rae was just unfortunate to govern during one of the worst recessions in this country, and at a time when most people didn't understand Keynesian economics. Just contrast that time period with public demands for stimulus spending in this recession. His was no leftist government. Centre-left? Sure. Hard left? No way. I think the man should be forgiven.

Unfortunately, the public is too ignorant to appreciate his leadership. And as much as I like him (and I really think he would make an awesome PM), appointing him the Leader of the Liberal Party while they're in opposition would give the Conservatives the motherlode in attack ad fodder. The only way he could become leader is after the Liberals are already in power and he has established his bona fides via a federal cabinet post.

 

[Eug]

 

[GraphicMatt]

This goes to show that the party name is meaningless, or at least not transferable across all provinces. It's not like there is a national cabal of Dippers that run the NDP organizations across the country. They just license or own trademark of the name and logo in each province.

This isn't true for the NDP -- unlike the other political parties, the federal NDP is closely connected with the provincial NDPs. In fact, you can't be a member of a provincial NDP without also being a member of the federal NDP.

 

[Eug]

The cartoonists are getting in on it...

 

[adma]

Yeah. Ruth Ellen Brosseau: the Rebecca Black of elected politics

 

[Eug]

New pic!

 

[Eug]

New Democrat doesn’t have diploma, despite inclusion in biography

“Ruth has a diploma in Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communications from St. Lawrence College in Kingston,” the biography added.

However, the Ontario school said that is not the case.

“She doesn’t have that credential from St. Lawrence College. She didn’t complete her studies for that program and therefore does not have a diploma,” said Gord MacDougall, the college’s vice-president for Student and External Affairs.

NDP spokesman Kathleen Monk said Ms. Brosseau had told the party she didn’t complete the program but was misunderstood.

“When her bio was posted on our website, a party staffer inadvertently changed the wording. We apologize for posting this information in error and regret any inconvenience this has caused Ms. Brosseau,” Ms. Monk said in an e-mail.

The party has removed the paragraph.

The NDP had also blamed a staffer when the online bio of newly-elected Quebec MP Mylène Freeman wrongly said that she had grown up in her riding of Argenteuil-Papineau Mirabel.

 

[adma]

Leave Ruth Ellen Brosseau Alone!

 

[Eug]

She has appeared!

Deputy NDP chief by her side, Ruth Ellen Brosseau at last visits her riding

The Wednesday morning appearance in Lavaltrie, Que., wasn't announced ahead of time. Instead, local media who attended a news conference for the fifth anniversary of a local museum suddenly noticed Ms. Brosseau’s presence, said one participant, Pierre Bellemare, a reporter for L’Action d’Autray.

He said Ms. Brosseau, who was accompanied by NDP Quebec lieutenant Thomas Mulcair, read a prepared statement in French expressing her happiness at representing the riding. She posed for photos but didn’t take questions.

 

[King of Kensington]

Rae's margin of victory was less than I expected...and the NDP pulled 30% with the pretty low-profile Susan Wallace.

And I'm sure Olivia must have won the condo polls this time.

 

[Eug]

I'm impressed. With Mulcair's supervision she presents well, and the NDP are actually getting a fair bit of mileage out of her. People are ignoring her history and giving her the benefit of the doubt.

Video

They also are happy that she seems to be making a real effort… now.

---

According to participants in one meeting, she insisted on struggling along in the language of her constituents — speaking in French even when they addressed her in English.

Later, some of the residents had nice things to say about the initial encounter with their new representative in Parliament. One truck honked as it passed her on Louiseville's main drag.

"It's not bad — she has an accent but at least she speaks French," said Daniel Ringuette.

He said he's just happy she finally visited the riding: "I even invited her to come play tennis with us," he said.

The reaction from local officials was equally generous.

"She speaks French so well, it's surprising," Louiseville Mayor Guy Richard said after their meeting at the town hall.

"I think we will have a very good MP."

An administrator at a small museum in Lavaltrie said Brosseau visited for two hours. Throughout that time, the MP apparently declined several invitations to switch the conversation to English.

Museum director Michelle Picard said the encounter was pleasant. She said Brosseau read a short, prepared speech in French for a few minutes, then asked lots of questions about the museum and appeared to take an interest.

"Her French is quite good," Picard said.

"I think she understands more than she can speak. . . She's a very nice person, very easy to talk to."