Canadian Author and Activist
Up is down. Right is left. International law is whatever empire says it is. Democracy is following our rules. The audacity, chauvinism and absurdity of the NDP vetting committee is a sight to behold. To justify denying party members the right to choose whether they want me to lead the party, the three-person backroom committee... Continue Reading →
Tomorrow night there will be a large rally against Canadian racism. Craig Mokhiber, Vijay Prashad, Carmen Rodriguez and many others will speak at “Internationalism Belongs in NDP Leadership Race”. The online rally is a reaction to the three-person backroom NDP vetting committee possibly blocking a campaign and candidate that has aggressively challenged racist Canadian foreign policy.... Continue Reading →
Would it be racist for the NDP to exclude a white cis male who played Junior A hockey from its leadership race? Maybe so, if one considers it from a Haitian or Palestinian perspective. On November 10, I formally submitted to NDP vetting. It’s now up to the three-person vetting committee to decide if party... Continue Reading →
A new book on Canada’s role in the destruction of Libya should embarrass the NDP and prompt members to ask tough questions of leadership candidates. Would Avi Lewis, Rob Ashton or Heather McPherson have promoted the destruction of the North African nation? Targeting Libya: Canadian Dams, Canadian Bombs is the definitive account of Canada’s significant... Continue Reading →
The NDP needs to rekindle the anti-capitalist thinking and activist energy that spurred its creation. That logic has shaped my campaign’s recently released platform. In July 1933 the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) met in Regina for its first national convention. About 130 delegates approved what became known as the Regina Manifesto. It said, “genuine international... Continue Reading →
The NDP’s greatest achievement was bitterly condemned at the time. It contributed to the party’s defeat in the next election. The subject has some broad lessons for my internationalist, anti-capitalist, insurgent campaign to lead the NDP. The first lesson is you can win even if you lose. Another lesson is if you confront entrenched power,... Continue Reading →
Is it possible to deepen consciousness of Canada’s role in genocide while registering thousands to support an insurgent NDP leadership bid? That’s the aim of my Palestine outreach strategy. Every week there are dozens of rallies, film screenings, talks and other Palestine-related events that take place across the country. From small communities like Nelson, BC,... Continue Reading →
Wednesday evening 60 opponents of genocide marched from the Mount Royal metro to Mélanie Joly’s home in the Plateau neighbourhood. The protest was called to condemn the minister for lying about Canada arming the Israeli military. According to organizers’ press release, “Protesters are gathering outside the home of former Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly... Continue Reading →
The NDP leadership race is being gamed to favour an individual who supported buying a tar sands pipeline, applauded a Nazi, engaged with a CIA talk shop, sits on a NATO parliamentary body and praises Canada’s leading proponent of a state committing a holocaust. Is the NDP willing to forego $150 000+ to protect their... Continue Reading →
To reverse galloping inequality and ecological ruin requires bottom-up transformation. That necessitates a party rooted in grassroots activism. My first goal as NDP leader would be to create a party with engaged constituency associations working with unions, community and other organizations to spread our ideas and influence. The resulting grassroots structure would shape party policy.... Continue Reading →
Does the Conservative party celebrate feminist and socialist collectives? Or other institutions that promote values which boost their political opponents? Certainly not. So, why does the NDP celebrate Canada’s military? Last week the RCMP charged current and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for an extremist plot that allegedly involved creating an anti-government... Continue Reading →
Mark Carney’s kowtowing to Donald Trump is embarrassing. This former hockey playing prime minister shouts “elbows up” then acts scared to skate into the corners to fight for pucks. This is demonstrated by his refusal to take even tiny measures to piss off his tough talking but weak ankles American opponent. Like Carney I played... Continue Reading →
The tar sands must be quickly phased out. But how many political figures will commit to a two or five-year timeline? Forest fires have once again displaced many, disproportionately indigenous, people in this country. Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common and record-breaking drought has 90 million facing extreme hunger in eastern and southern Africa.... Continue Reading →
With enemies like these, one needs fewer friends. My odds of winning the NDP leadership race have significantly increased within only a few days of announcing the bid. The campaign to offer an alternative to capitalism and imperialism by promoting de-colonization, de-growth and economic democracy remains a long shot even if Zionist fanatics and rightist... Continue Reading →
The NDP should be echoing leftists elsewhere challenging a belligerent military alliance spurring major cuts to social programs. Instead, the top brass wants a leading NATO advocate as party leader. It’s widely known the NDP leadership prefers Heather McPherson as the new leader. But McPherson is one of only two NDP MPs on Canada’s NATO... Continue Reading →
Donald Trump and NATO have unleashed a spectacular turn towards dangerous, imperialistic and inevitably wasteful militarism in Canada. Two weeks ago, Mark Carney announced an immediate $9 billion boost — $100 billion over a decade — to a military budget that has already doubled over the past decade. At this week’s NATO summit member states... Continue Reading →
It’s significant that Jagmeet Singh raised Israel’s genocide at both leaders’ debates. His Palestine intervention marks a historic reversal for Singh and NDP policy. At both the English and French language election debates, the leader of the NDP pressed Mark Carney on his refusal to label the situation in Gaza “genocide.” In French Singh... Continue Reading →
The NDP’s belated call to scrap the F-35 contract is a damning comment on Jagmeet Singh’s leadership. This cautious response to a rapidly shifting political terrain also includes an outrageous sop to the military industrial complex. On February 25 I asked the NDP leader if he’d reconsider paying tens of billions of dollars to a... Continue Reading →
Jagmeet Singh needs to start seriously challenging Donald Trump. It’s long been the right thing to do for the NDP leader to push back against the United States but now there’s a growing electoral benefit in challenging the Ugly American. After a bevy of threats, Trump said he would annex Canada through “economic force”. Simultaneously,... Continue Reading →
The leader of the Ontario NDP caved to a genocidal Jewish supremacist organization amidst Israel’s horrors in Gaza. It was disgraceful but may still reflect progress. After attending a recent Taste of the Middle East event Marit Stiles posted four photos to X alongside the statement, “From beautiful Palestinian embroidery, to young entrepreneurs, to savoury... Continue Reading →
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