Paul Martin is about to strike a blow on the port bow of that troller of Liberals, Jack Layton. Turning the tables on the NDP leader, who most recently had been trying to lure Liberals over to the socialist side.
In British Columbia, Liberal forces working under the watchful eye of Paul Martin himself, have been making overtures to some high profile socialists living in BC. Being considered for nomination in BC ridings are Ujjal Dosanjh, former Premier and Attorney General of BC, Labour leader Dave Haggart who is president of the IWA and Shirley Chan an activist and former assistant to Mike Harcourt. To counter balance all those lefties crowding onto the stage, Martin also intends to have David Emerson, the departing president of the giant Canfor forest products company, run for the Liberals as well, in Vancouver-Kingsway. This is the riding that Sophie Leung held for the Liberals, but from which she is apparently stepping aside from, having dropped out of the nomination process this week, leaving a clear road for Emerson.
It's rumoured the four will be handed the nomination without that messy need to go out and actually solicit votes in a riding association meeting. Nor shall they be bothered with that time consuming debating of the issues problem. Essentially having their jump into federal politics fast tracked by the PM. Apparently this is to be considered as the first step in reversing the democratic deficit, I guess by taking out that democratic aspect of the program. Sheila Copps can only shake her head in wonder at the double standard in place. She had to fight tooth and nail to try to keep her nomination (unsuccessfully and treated heavy handed to boot), while over on the West Coast they're being handed out like door prizes at a Tupperware party. (They still have Tupperware parties don't they? I'm a tad out of the loop).
Regardless of the "democratic" optics, it does take some of the steam out of the Layton march on Ottawa. Smilin' Jack over the last few months has been telling one and all that the disenfranchised Liberals are clamoring to jump aboard the brave experiment he's launching. Little did he know that his Left flank was so exposed in what should have been his stronghold. If the three left leaning politicians should jump to the Liberals and accept the nominations, it could seriously affect his totals in B. C.
Needless to say the NDP in BC are shocked by the developments, Ian Waddell expressing the feeling of disappointment that many have regarding Dosanjh's rumoured jump to right. The Prime Minister arrives in Vancouver tomorrow, at which time it's expected he'll be introducing some of his preferred nominees, if the Leftish trio join him for the announcement then Smlin' Jack will be have been torpedoed in what should have been his safest harbour. With all this activity we surely can't be too much farther away from the anticipated Election call.
The vision of dedicated socialists joining a party making a turn to the right, is surely a sign of an impending vote, or maybe just the start of the political apocalypse. Anyone hear any horses in the distance?
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