Labour A House Divided

For those making a big fuss and broohaha over Buzz and Paul ferget about it, its a flash in the pan. This too shall pass, and while Buzz's strategic voting strategy is doomed to failure I doubt it will have much impact on the NDP except as a one day news story.

As I said here, Buzz's Strategic Voting strategy began in 1999 after the Bobby Rae NDP Government screwed Ontario, and in effect Alberta, workers. Ralph Klein was only to eager to blame his social contract freezing and rolling back public workers wages on Bobby Rae and ironically the wage roll backs unionized Safeways workers took in the province. Ever an opportunist that Ralphy boy of ours. Anyways in the 1999 Buzz started his strategic voting campaign against Ralph Kleins doppelganer; Mike Harris. And Buzz has done this ever since. Such is his hatred of Conservatives. It really is not so much strategic voting for Buzz as much as Anybody but the Conservatives. So why all the shock and awe in the MSM and Blogosphere.

Buzz at least admits to being an NDP supporter, not a Liberal, and has what he thinks is a pragmatic plan for strategic voting as flawed as it is. While the NDP may have been the party of Labour it was never a Labour party. And Paul Martin has gotten support from unions before this, in particular the largest private sector building trades union in Canada, the General Construction Workers Union of Toronto. And the CCWU is not the only Liberal Labour supporter.

Dan McLellan of AUPE is a Liberal and includes in his fan club his golf partner Ralph Klein, as well as Right Wing Sun Columnist Neil Waugh. He is their favorite Labour leader. And like Buzz he is promoting Strategic Voting in Edmonton Centre for the only Liberal left standing in Alberta, Landslide Anne MacLellan.

Remember last election when the Liberals raided the NDP for candidates in B.C. including current Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh, former NDP Premier of B.C.

As for Labour the Liberals in B.C. got David Haggard, the former President of the International Woodworkers of America to run for them last election. And recently he held a fund raiser for his pal David Emerson another B.C. Liberal and Minister of Industry.

Those in the know forwarded me this little missive to my email.

From Public Eye Online
www.publiceyeonline.com

September 23, 2005
Our definition of eclectic

Friends and associates of David Emerson paid out $200 each last night to
attend a fundraising roast for the federal Liberal industry minister's
constituency association. According to our operatives, former Industrial,
Wood and Allied Workers of Canada president David Haggard hosted the event,
held at Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant. Barbs were delivered by Senator Jack
Austin, minister's regional office executive director Billy Cunningham,
Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh and former provincial deputy minister Bob
Plecas. And a who's who list of powerhouse personalities was on hand to
witness that delivery.

From the union movement there was British Columbia Federation of Labour
president Jim Sinclair and British Columbia and Yukon Territory Building and
Construction Trades Council executive director Wayne Peppard. Former top
British Columbia bureaucrats John Allen, Lee Doney and Don Wright also
showed up. And so did Barrett administration cabinet minister Bob Williams,
ex-Vancouver-Fraserview New Democrat backbencher Bernie Simpson and 24 hours
president and former premier Glen Clark, who was sitting at The Pattison
Group's table. Other notables included First Nations Summit executive member
Grand Chief Ed John and Chief Stewart Phillip of the British Columbia First
Nations Leadership Council, as well as a number of forest industry
executives.

The house of Labour is truly divided. For the first time in fifty years since it founded the NDP the House of Labour is a family set against itself. And the Liberals will take advantage of this family fued as long as they stay in power.