Relying on public opinion

The NDP has been Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition for a little over a week, and a pattern is already emerging as to how it will approach issues. On the three issues of pensions, reopening language rights debates and protecting public service whistle blowers, the party plans to rely on public opinion combined with “creative use” of the legislative process, committee work, private member’s bills and alliances with provincial governments and unions. Which is all well and good, but given that the Conservatives have a majority, it’s pretty much going to mean a heavy reliance on public opinion. We already know how much stock this government places in that bit of “moral authority.”

In the wake of the election defeat and the resignation of its leader, the Liberal Party is gaining some 200 new members a day. This is likely part of a membership drive in advance of the leadership contest and affords people a chance to get in on the rebuilding process from the ground up. Marc Garneau’s intention to run for interim leader was also announced yesterday.

The former Conservative MP and now leader-designate of the BC Conservative Party has just aired a bunch of odious views about gays and lesbians. John Cummins said that being gay is a choice (and there’s research to back that up!) and gays and lesbians don’t deserve added human-rights protections. Lovely!

There was an anti-abortion rally on the Hill yesterday. Only a small number of MPs, all Conservatives, were in attendance. (Then again, most of the anti-abortion Liberals were recently defeated.)

Here’s an exit interview with Ujjal Dosanjh, the health minister who dramatically increased spending on HIV/AIDS programs in this country (until the Conservatives redirected a bunch of that money to the vaccine initiative, which they later bailed on).

In case you were worried, here’s a lot of populist noise and political theatre about gasoline prices.

And today’s WikiLeaks revelations include how Tamil migrants on our shores sparked fears that they may turn up on American shores as well and that the Americans consider Harper’s talk about Arctic sovereignty to be simply empty chest-thumping designed to win votes.