Singh’s Gambit – Cannabis News, Lifestyle

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is not a fan of Justin Trudeau. He has called him a “pathetic loser” who “made things worse, not better”. When asked about a coalition with the Liberals during the election, the NDP leader said: “That’s a resounding no for me.” And when the Liberals introduced the emergency law to eliminate peaceful protest, Jagmeet Singh called it a “Leadership Failure”. When Trudeau became involved in the SNC-Lavalin scandal, Singh tweeted:

“It’s now even clearer that Justin Trudeau is more interested in helping his wealthy and well-connected friends at the expense of Canadians. People expect government to actually work for us instead of serving the interests of the rich and powerful.”

https://twitter.com/theJagmeetSingh/status/1161665410682560513?s=20&t=gj4iJoAuY_nbLFBeNjhzkA

supply & trust

So you can imagine everyone’s surprise when Singh’s NDP struck a deal with the Liberals to keep Trudeau in power until at least 2025. The gist of Singh’s gambit is this: when a confidence motion comes before the House (and with this government, that happens more often than not), the NDP has promised to always vote yes.

Normally, under such conditions, the NDP would be rewarded with a few cabinet posts. It would be a true coalition government of the kind the opposition tried to form in 2008 because Stephen Harper was uninterested in deficit spending and bailouts on failing companies.

But there are no cabinet posts here. Instead, Singh signed his party’s autonomy for:

• 10 days paid sick leave for federal employees.

• An “anti-scab” law that prevents state-regulated industries from hiring replacements for striking workers (side note: if people are willing to do your work for less than you’re currently making, you’re earning above-market wages ).

• And a new dental care and pharmaceutical care program, because obviously the government’s other health priorities have been hugely successful.

NDP vs Liberals – What’s the difference?

Canadians on the political center and right already could not tell the difference between Justin’s far-left Liberal Party and Singh’s NDP. Singh’s gambit is the nail in the coffin. And a coffin it is. Justin Trudeau will be in power for ten years by 2025. He is in his third term as Prime Minister. His ratings are at record lows. And now Singh has given the circus his signature. This move could sink the NDP brand among younger, idealistic voters who are not necessarily defined by the traditional left-versus-right.

This is the overall view of Singh’s predecessor, centre-left player Tom Mulcair. In an article for CTV, he called the move a “coup” and said it essentially proved the Conservatives’ case that “the Liberals have gone hard left and cannot be trusted.”

Of course it’s not a coalition. A coalition usually implies some cabinet positions. To which Singh has none. Singh insists this is a “delivery and trust deal”.

In that case someone had better inform Singh about this Nigerian prince who recently lost his royalty status but still has over $50 million in a bank account that he needs help with. Because I’m assuming how gullible Jagmeet Singh is. (Remember, this is the same “Labor Party” leader who wouldn’t even support a legitimate workers’ rebellion in Ottawa last month).

Justin Trudeau now has his majority government.

The NDP is now the orange wing of the Liberal government… But isn’t that what minority governments are all about? Aren’t these coalitions legitimate and perfectly legal under the Westminster system?

And the answer is yes. But from a practical, long-term perspective?

The 2017 provincial election in British Columbia was a slugfest between the ruling Liberals and John Horgan’s NDP. With the support of some Green party seats, Horgan’s NDP formed a minority government. Three years later, the NDP broke the agreement and called new elections just as the Greens had elected a new leader. Horgan got his majority and the BC Greens are once again irrelevant.

The BC Green Party had a lot of influence over those three years. During these years, the provincial government worked out its cannabis regulations. The Greens could have asked for far more than the NDP was willing to deliver. They could have asked for a complete overhaul of the process. They could have demanded more autonomy from Ottawa. They could have turned the energy sector inside out and moved us away from fossil fuels and into hemp biofuels. They could have switched the timber industry to hemp production.

Instead, like obedient lap dogs, they voted with the government. And then, when it didn’t fit anymore, they were thrown out into the cold.

Is this the legacy Jagmeet Singh wants for his NDP?

It sure looks like it. For here lies another possibility for a left-wing party to distance itself from the governing left-wing party. And what could be a better argument for hemp biofuels? Justin Trudeau speaks of a clean environment, but as Singh tweeted, Justin only serves the “interests of the rich and powerful.”

Singh, on the other hand, can market himself as a true environmentalist with a real plan. With enough propaganda, you can even get Alberta and the other western provinces on board. There’s a lot of farmland out there. Instead of growing corn and wheat for the processed foods that make us unhealthy and burden the already strained healthcare system, why not grow hemp so we can actually do something productive for the next generation?

What happened Singh?

Finally, Singh once said in an interview: “I’m scared of Justin Trudeau – and his inaction. I’m afraid he won’t give our children any hope for the future.”

Well, Singh, you had your chance. And you screwed it up. Time will tell, but if the last decade is any indication, the NDP brand’s association with Trudeau’s Linkem is as late in the game as coming out with “Ayds” candy in the 1980s.

The result will likely be an overwhelming Conservative majority in 2025, with (hopefully) Pierre Poilievre at the helm. And an NDP so irrelevant that talks of merging with the Liberals to avoid splitting left votes are becoming more mainstream.