Less than 48 hours after they secured the role of Loyal Opposition in the House of Commons, Thomas Mulcair, the NDP's senior Quebec MP, and previously a perceived voice of reason, crying out in the darkness brought to issues by the likes of Libby Davies, decided to open his mouth. If the results are any indication, the next 4 years are going to be interesting - so long as you aren't a member of the NDP, or especially it's leader.
Jack Layton has been given a strict timeline. Four years to organize his kindergarten cadre into an effective opposition team, and then move beyond that to a point where the public will see the NDP as a real government in waiting. The latter is no small job for an experienced leader of a major party - but Layton has no experience in government at this level.
He has been a city councillor in Toronto, and then leader of the fourth tier party in the House. Now he will have to learn that some of the more crackpot statements, ones that might have been quickly left behind before as the media focused on the governing and leading opposition parties, won't pass unnoticed now. And as we have learned from Wikileaks, the actions of the Opposition party are noticed, and noted, by other countries. It's part of any embassy's job - informing their superiors of who might end up in the highest office in the land.
He has been a city councillor in Toronto, and then leader of the fourth tier party in the House. Now he will have to learn that some of the more crackpot statements, ones that might have been quickly left behind before as the media focused on the governing and leading opposition parties, won't pass unnoticed now. And as we have learned from Wikileaks, the actions of the Opposition party are noticed, and noted, by other countries. It's part of any embassy's job - informing their superiors of who might end up in the highest office in the land.
So when a senior member of the NDP makes a boneheaded comment to the media about the truthfulness of the President of the United States, Layton needs to worry. And he needs to act, quickly and decisively. That means a public slap-down of Thomas Mulcair after he suggested there were no pictures of Osama Bin Laden's body, implying that the story of his demise was not true. It means that, from here on in, any time a member of his caucus says something of like stupidity - such as Libby Davies questioning Israel's right to exist - they need to be publicly castigated. In the meantime, he needs to be explaining the rules to his caucus.
The first rule they learn needs to be this: don't say anything about the United States that wouldn't have every member of the Republican Party shouting "Amen!". If they don't think what they want to say meets that standard, then ask Jack.
Second, they need to remember that, if all goes according to party plans, the NDP will one day be the governing party in Canada. In order to accomplish this, they really ought not scare the voters. So, if they are going to talk about matters concerning the economy, if what they want to say couldn't have come from the mouth of the Governor of the Bank of Canada themself, ask Jack.
Third, on any issue to do with the Middle East, ask Jack.
What it all comes down to is this. The NDP has one chance to make a good impression on Canadians. In four years, the Liberal party, if they have half a clue (okay, the jury is currently out on that one...), will have rebuilt enough to challenge for the role of lead opposition party. So by then, the NDP has to be in a position to go back to the people who voted them in and present themselves as a government in waiting. A party that can be trusted with the reigns of government. If they haven't established themselves as such by then, the odds are they won't get another chance. There are no guarantees of winning power - but if they have established themselves as a government in waiting, they will likely be able to remain the main alternative to the Conservatives, simply waiting for their opportunity to arise.
Or they can follow the lead of Libby Davies and Thomas Mulcair back to third, or fourth, party status.
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