Obversations

As Thomas Mulcair, leader-elect from the New Democratic Party's nail-biting convention this weekend, faced off against the Tories today, he won the praise of fellow party members for targeting the Conservatives' approach to jobs and the economy in his first question to the government.

Mulcair - known for his combative approach to politics - alleviated some members' concerns about his plans for the NDP by renewing Vancouver MP Libby Davies' position as Deputy Leader. Davies was a prominent and outspoken Brian Topp backer in the race, and comes from the party's  activist wing often at odds with Mulcair in the past.

But in the wake of his widely anticipated win, some NDP supporters and social movement activists across the country expressed concerns about the direction of the party under the new leader.

Federal natural resources minister Joe Oliver created a media frenzy when he released a letter yesterday -- more like a tantrum, in my opinion -- lambasting critics of Enbridge's controversial Northern Gateway pipeline.

Calling them everything from foreigners to economic saboteurs, hypocritical celebrities and radicals, Oliver's remarks seemed more akin to 1950s Cold War-era red-baiting, in which progressives, sympathizers and - yes - even celebrities were blacklisted (here in Canada too), hauled before panels of politicians eager to investigate their patriotism.

Much can be said - and no doubt will - about the kind of political climate that rhetoric about 'outsider,' 'foreigner,' and 'radicals' rhetoric creates. Indeed, it serves to marginalize dissidents, and alienate them from the public. But it also has the tendency to backfire - especially when public opposition to Enbridge and the tar sands project is so high.