Though not a question one normally asks about the leader of an opposition party, it’s hard not to wonder. Since being elected, Singh has accomplished next to nothing and consistently votes in support of any Liberal measure of substance. His tenure as leader has been characterized by pure showmanship and image-polishing.
While some may note a striking similarity to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s brand of politics, Singh lacks a key element that Trudeau and his team have in abundance: political savvy and ruthlessness. As a result, Singh’s leadership has been reduced to a parade of meaningless words interspersed with the odd good soundbite or idea, which is inevitably taken by the Liberals and presented to Canadians as their own.
His most notable recent accomplishment was arguably his ill-fated attempt to shill for a rocking-chair company on Instagram. Or perhaps it was his supply and confidence deal with the Liberals, if he really is some sort of double agent.
Regardless, Singh’s continued popularity and lack of scrutiny remain mystifying. Chosen as leader at a time when the NDP had over 40 seats, Singh has managed to win no more than 25 in either the 2019 or 2021 elections. A drop of over 40 per cent in a party’s seat count should result in any leader being shown the door, but Singh has skated freely on.
The poor electoral results should be seen as a logical result of the NDP message under Singh, which has taken one of two forms: first, a poorly branded, bargain discount photocopy of ideas the Liberals are already implementing; and, second, fringe lunacy that any sane Canadian immediately recognizes as unrealistic electioneering and pandering to an extremist base.
For those in his riding of Burnaby-South, this is not surprising. Singh is by far the most invisible politician the Vancouver suburb has seen in some time. Since the heady days of Svend Robinson, followed by the affable Bill Siksay — both community-minded individuals with an interest in making the city better — it has seen a precipitous drop in the quality of its MPs.
First there was Kennedy Stewart, who seems to have only used Burnaby as a convenient stepping stone in order to move into Vancouver politics. Then came Singh. No message, no connection and no community involvement are the three highlights of Singh’s time so far on the West Coast.
Anyone could be forgiven for thinking this is all a Liberal inside job. It all lines up perfectly. No challenge to the Liberal message. No real effort at targeting close Liberal-NDP ridings in any election. And no decent fundraising to hold a legitimate election threat over Trudeau’s head if the NDP’s concerns are not addressed.
Even last week’s deal seemed like an agreement between the Liberals and a party that didn’t have the foggiest idea of what it wanted, but was happy someone had acknowledge its presence in the room.
In British Columbia, we saw our provincial NDP pull this trick on the Green party. The B.C. NDP governed for four solid years with almost no interference from the Greens. The government, which also had a minority, managed to govern as if it had a majority thanks to the capitulation of its smaller partner.
So for the Liberals, this deal is clearly a good one, as it should allow them to continue governing until 2025. For the NDP, there is no tangible benefit other than a meeting every quarter with the prime minister. Other than that, the NDP will continue to do what it has been doing all along: support every Liberal motion while posting a lame tweet about how things could be better.
Under Singh’s leadership, the NDP has been listless and incoherent. Its message of social justice has been swallowed whole by the Liberals. Demands to spend more money are laughed at as the Liberals line the streets with $20 bills and pour cash into the most obscure organizations. The party’s attempt to out-woke the Liberals has also failed, as no one has perfected the use of identity politics wedges better than Trudeau.
The NDPs need a new leader — and fast. The party has been reduced to a meaningless rump with nowhere to go but down and an agreement that benefits only the Liberals, who continue their slow takeover of Tommy Douglas’ party. If the NDP is more than an excuse to sell rocking chairs led by a Liberal mole, now would be a good time to show it.
While some may note a striking similarity to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s brand of politics, Singh lacks a key element that Trudeau and his team have in abundance: political savvy and ruthlessness. As a result, Singh’s leadership has been reduced to a parade of meaningless words interspersed with the odd good soundbite or idea, which is inevitably taken by the Liberals and presented to Canadians as their own.
His most notable recent accomplishment was arguably his ill-fated attempt to shill for a rocking-chair company on Instagram. Or perhaps it was his supply and confidence deal with the Liberals, if he really is some sort of double agent.
Regardless, Singh’s continued popularity and lack of scrutiny remain mystifying. Chosen as leader at a time when the NDP had over 40 seats, Singh has managed to win no more than 25 in either the 2019 or 2021 elections. A drop of over 40 per cent in a party’s seat count should result in any leader being shown the door, but Singh has skated freely on.
The poor electoral results should be seen as a logical result of the NDP message under Singh, which has taken one of two forms: first, a poorly branded, bargain discount photocopy of ideas the Liberals are already implementing; and, second, fringe lunacy that any sane Canadian immediately recognizes as unrealistic electioneering and pandering to an extremist base.
For those in his riding of Burnaby-South, this is not surprising. Singh is by far the most invisible politician the Vancouver suburb has seen in some time. Since the heady days of Svend Robinson, followed by the affable Bill Siksay — both community-minded individuals with an interest in making the city better — it has seen a precipitous drop in the quality of its MPs.
First there was Kennedy Stewart, who seems to have only used Burnaby as a convenient stepping stone in order to move into Vancouver politics. Then came Singh. No message, no connection and no community involvement are the three highlights of Singh’s time so far on the West Coast.
Anyone could be forgiven for thinking this is all a Liberal inside job. It all lines up perfectly. No challenge to the Liberal message. No real effort at targeting close Liberal-NDP ridings in any election. And no decent fundraising to hold a legitimate election threat over Trudeau’s head if the NDP’s concerns are not addressed.
Even last week’s deal seemed like an agreement between the Liberals and a party that didn’t have the foggiest idea of what it wanted, but was happy someone had acknowledge its presence in the room.
In British Columbia, we saw our provincial NDP pull this trick on the Green party. The B.C. NDP governed for four solid years with almost no interference from the Greens. The government, which also had a minority, managed to govern as if it had a majority thanks to the capitulation of its smaller partner.
So for the Liberals, this deal is clearly a good one, as it should allow them to continue governing until 2025. For the NDP, there is no tangible benefit other than a meeting every quarter with the prime minister. Other than that, the NDP will continue to do what it has been doing all along: support every Liberal motion while posting a lame tweet about how things could be better.
Under Singh’s leadership, the NDP has been listless and incoherent. Its message of social justice has been swallowed whole by the Liberals. Demands to spend more money are laughed at as the Liberals line the streets with $20 bills and pour cash into the most obscure organizations. The party’s attempt to out-woke the Liberals has also failed, as no one has perfected the use of identity politics wedges better than Trudeau.
The NDPs need a new leader — and fast. The party has been reduced to a meaningless rump with nowhere to go but down and an agreement that benefits only the Liberals, who continue their slow takeover of Tommy Douglas’ party. If the NDP is more than an excuse to sell rocking chairs led by a Liberal mole, now would be a good time to show it.
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