Today, readers are responding to news that former Liberal MPs Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott will both run as an independents in the upcoming fall election. Readers are also responding to Ontario Premier Doug Ford cancelling a series of controversial retroactive funding cuts to municipalities, putting off reductions for public health, childcare and paramedics.
Jody Wilson-Raybould holds a news conference to discuss her political future in Vancouver, Monday, May 27, 2019.Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press
Like it or not, politics is a team sport and independents have little to offer their voters. They can never form government except in the most unusual of circumstances. Jody Wilson-Raybould reveals herself to be unwilling to be a team player, even after the Greens and Elizabeth May made their overtures.
Is Jody Wilson-Raybould running as independent to position herself to run for liberal leadership if liberals don’t win majority in October? And, perhaps she’s thinking she has the support of other MPs who will join her and Jane Philpott as independents.
Although it seems at least arguable that these two MPs are, in effect, keeping their powder dry while the Trudeau brand of neo-Liberal politics flames out in October - which seems more and more likely - as a precursor to re-entering the ranks of a humbled ‘Liberal’ party (perhaps - as has been suggested - in a leadership position). Such a calculation would be, in my view, exceedingly risky and likely doomed to failure. The suggestion that the current climate of bitterness and anger - not to mention the instincts of the Liberal party - would ‘ever’ permit them to re-enter the fold in the foreseeable future is naive in the extreme. Almost, sadly, as naive as the notion that a continued role as "independents" in federal politics has any currency.
Jody Wilson-Raybould running as an independent is the clearest and fairest move she could make. She's clearly not a team player, and the electorate should judge her accordingly.
Richard Roskell in response:
If by being a "team player" you mean she wouldn't violate Canada's constitution for Trudeau, you're right.
I dont understand why not join the greens or NDP. This is a road to nowhere.
Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott clearly had trouble with the constraints that being a member of a party imposed on them. This means that their political future is uncertain at best, because party government has been the rule since before Confederation. As independents they may do some good, and they won’t do any harm.
When a candidate has values that serves as a compass for goals, today's bitter party partisanship and mental captivity should lead more individuals to run as independents. Now if only voters would have values guiding their political goals, that would a great gift to our great country. There may very well be a movement towards democracy, at least with ethical women.
No party wants someone with baggage (some yet to become public) and who can’t work on a team.
Name an independent politician that ever did anything of relevance, beyond just local issues in their riding. Maybe there are some examples, I just can't think of any.
Scottd in response:
"Beyond just local issues in their riding." Wouldnt that be enough? And then vote with their conscience on National issues.
Readers are also responding to Ontario Premier Doug Ford cancelling a series of controversial retroactive funding cuts to municipalities, putting off reductions for public health, childcare and paramedics.
In a hastily convened press conference in the hallway outside his Queen’s Park office Monday morning, Mr. Ford stood alongside Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark and announced that the province would now hold its funding steady, while the province and municipalities hold discussions on ways to reduce costs for next year.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
This is a good gesture by Ford to Help The Federal Conservatives have a chance in October. After October all bets are off, hopefully municipalities and other gov't agencies plan ahead (not likely).
The fall in support for the Ontario PCs in general and for Premier Ford in particular will continue in consequence of their cavalier mismanagement since attaining office. Backtracking like that described in this article will not reverse this fall in the short run. The result must be a caution for the Alberta UCP Government and a burden for the Federal Conservative Party gearing up for October's General Election. The assumption within Federal Conservative circles was that Ford and Kenney would be powerful buttresses for Andrew Scheer who has not yet been able to engage well with the electorate. This assumption may need to be rethought.
Doug "My Way or the Highway" Ford backs down after Tory fights back. Polls show Tory is far more respected in Ontario than Doug Ford. Let's hope this is the first of further organized push-backs from Tory in defence of Toronto. The Fords have already done enough damage to the city. And -- most importantly -- why should the the third largest city in North America be ruled by a bunch of rural Ontario MPPs who do not have Toronto's best interests at heart?
I guess an advantage to having a Government that has no clue what it's doing is that the can be backed down because they have no clue what they're doing.
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