Why Would Anyone Vote NDP?

So, why would anyone vote NDP? No, really. It is not a facetious question - it is a serious one. In the context of the current political structure, given the recent election history, and the options facing Canadians, I would like to suggest that it makes absolutely no sense to vote NDP.

Don't get me wrong - the NDP may have many attractive policy platforms and qualities. Back in the days when Canada had a fairly stable system of three political parties, the NDP long fulfilled an important role as a moderating influence, keeping the Liberals in particular from straying too far to the center-right. The NDP served as the conscience of the nation on many social and labour-related issues. It continues to have important things to say about many topics. And Jack Layton, even if he has been in the role far too long, is in many ways an attractive party leader. But none of that means that anyone should vote for the party in this election.

Think about it. The country is now characterized by a new (or not-so-new anymore) political dynamic created by the rise of the Bloc to dominance in Quebec in 1993, and the merger of the Progressive Conservative Party with the Western-based Reform Party before the 2004 election, making it difficult for either of the major parties to win an outright majority. We have now had three minority parties in a row. And if NDP supporters continue to vote NDP, we will either get a Conservative minority or a Conservative majority this time around.

That is the nub of it. If you are Conservative-leaning, you would of course vote Conservative. The choice is clear. But if you are progressively minded, small-L liberal in your social and policy thinking, then you seem to have a few options - Liberal Party, NDP, Green or even the Bloc if you are in Quebec. They each have strengths in terms of policy positions on various issues.

But stop - you really only have one option. Because if you and all the other progressives vote your specific preferences as among these various parties, then you will get a conservative government once again. No question. Among those parties, only the Liberals genuinely have the capacity to form a government. So if you want a progressive government as opposed to a conservative one, regardless of whether you think Layton is better on some level than Layton, and despite your preference for the NDP position on the environment or any other issue, you should vote Liberal.

This is of course called strategic voting, and there are many arguments against it. It is said to undermine the democratic process, obscure the real mandate of the people, and so forth. Maybe. But in this instance, the case is overwhelming in favour of strategic voting. If you are small-C conservative, you should vote Conservative. But if you are progressive, if you are small-L liberal, if you care about things like the environment, Canada's traditional role in the world, principles of equality and the central importance of the rights enshrined in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, if you think that there are important values that set us apart from our neighbors to the South, then you should vote Liberal. Either way, only then can this country get a government that reflects, broadly speaking, the majority view of the Canadian people.

We are at a cross-roads, and we need to make a clear choice about which direction we want to take our country. Voting NDP will either take us down the road to the right, or it will just help ensure that we keep circling the intersection for yet another few years. Neither of those serves the intention of anyone wanting to vote NDP. So don't.  - CM