Mulcair defends statements about praising Conservatism

[mentalfloss]

What a swell guy.

If I were a curmudgeon I'd definitely vote for him.


Tom Mulcair defends praise for Margaret Thatcher's 'winds of liberty and liberalism'

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair was forced Wednesday to defend flattering comments he made over a decade ago about the conservative policies of former U.K. prime minister Margaret Thatcher, a day after a video from 2001 including the comments was the water-cooler talk in Quebec.

As a member of the National Assembly in Quebec under the Liberal government of Jean Charest, Mulcair credited the success of England's economy under Thatcher's Conservative Party to the "winds of liberty and liberalism" that "swept across the markets in England."

Mulcair made the comments in April 2001 in the context of a parliamentary commission where he sought to discredit the interventionist tendencies of a separatist government led by Bernard Landry.

"A government should never pretend it can replace the private market. It does not work," Mulcair said in 2001. "It didn't work in England. Up until Thatcher's time, that's what they tried, the government stuck its nose everywhere."

On Wednesday, Mulcair defended his comments as an example of good public administration.


...more..

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/politics/t...r-s-winds-of-liberty-and-liberalism-1.3196265

 

[Curious Cdn]

Hmmmm. Maybe he wants to reconcile with a portion of the population that has the potential of getting his party into power. This guy is a cool customer and every bit a match for "close-to-the-chest" Harper. This will definitely be an interesting election.

 

[mentalfloss]

The Liberals are actually more 'socialist' than the NDP in some ways.

 

[Curious Cdn]

The Liberals are actually more 'socialist' than the NDP in some ways.

The Liberals are a weathervane, entirely devoid of ideology, save whatever has a chance of getting them elected. People are starting to forget the flat, hollow Chretien years.

 

[petros]

Why was NDP his last choice?

 

[Curious Cdn]

Why was NDP his last choice?

Yes, odd. I was living in Quebec when he was a Liberal cabinet minister, there. The NDP is as alien to Quebec as it is to Alberta.

 

[petros]

Now they are the NDPQ. He's an opportunist in it for Tom and nobody else.

 

[Curious Cdn]

Now they are the NDPQ. He's an opportunist in it for Tom and nobody else.

No difference from any of the others. Harper is getting his senior staff to lie for him to protect his throne and Justin is trying to cash in on his old man's name. Compared to the pack, he is certainly no worse.

 

[mentalfloss]

Now they are the NDPQ. He's an opportunist in it for Tom and nobody else.

Is that why we dropped the writ so early?

 

[petros]

We did? Who is we?

 

[mentalfloss]

Take a guess.

 

[petros]

Boy George?

 

[Walter]

Is that why we dropped the writ so early?

The writ was dropped 4 years ago as soon as the last election was over.

 

[mentalfloss]

Curmudgeon responses are really helping you guys lol

 

[petros]

Grow up and they won't appear curmudgeony.

 

[Corduroy]

That's crossing a line. I can see a left-wing politician paying lip service to neo-liberalism in the those heady days before it collapsed under us, but Margaret Thatcher? I honestly would have preferred him praise Satan.

 

[petros]

That's Mulcair. NDP was his last choice.

 

[mentalfloss]

And astroturfing was yours.

 

[pgs]

That's crossing a line. I can see a left-wing politician paying lip service to neo-liberalism in the those heady days before it collapsed under us, but Margaret Thatcher? I honestly would have preferred him praise Satan.

But say what you want about Maggie at least she won the only war she started .

 

[petros]

If you admired Maggie you had no choice but admire Ayn Rand.

You kids are being burnt. Self immolation style.