NDP leadership frontrunner Thomas Mulcair faced both praise and criticism at a town hall in Vancouver last night, fielding questions about issues ranging from marijuana legalization to Israeli-Palestinian relations.
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The event was hosted by local collective W2 Media Arts in the chilly atrium of the Woodward’s building and, despite aggressive advertising across town, organizers only managed to fill about half of the seats. Posters on the building’s walls read “Welcome to Mulcouver”, and smiling supporters handed out buttons and donation envelopes.
Electoral cooperation to defeat Harper
Arriving fashionably late, the Quebec MP spent little time introducing his campaign before launching into the question and answer period. Right off the bat, one attendee posed a question that’s been on many minds recently: why not cooperate with the Liberals to defeat Harper?
Mulcair’s response was one of confidence—he reminded supporters of major gains won by the NDP in the last election, suggesting that now is the time to capitalize on those gains rather than make compromises.
“Let’s excite people with our ideas,” he said.
“If the idea is to say that the Liberals, Greens and the NDP are interchangeable parts, I disagree."
Mulcair’s view on the subject differs from that of outspoken leadership candidate Nathan Cullen, MP for the Northern BC riding of Skeena-Bulkley Valley. Though Mulcair is reportedly ahead in the polls, Cullen’s calls for cooperation appear to have given his campaign a boost recently due to indirect efforts from groups like Leadnow.ca (who have lined up almost 15,000 Canadians in support of a cooperative strategy).
Israel-Palestinian conflict: more aligned with Conservatives?
After confirming his position on the cooperation issue, Mulcair’s attention was turned to another divisive topic. Audience member Sid Shniad, representing a group called Independent Jewish Voices, brought up Mulcair’s perceived pro-Israel stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Schniad asked the MP how his position on Israel differed from that of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, suggesting that Mulcair was more aligned with the Conservatives’ position than with the NDP’s.
“My position is Jack Layton’s position, which is the NDP’s position,” Mulcair replied, explaining the party’s view that both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live in peace in viable, independent states.
“You’ll notice that in the NDP’s position, the only word that appears twice is ‘peace’. That’s one of our main priorities,” said Mulcair.
He appeared to be treading carefully with his response last night, but Mulcair’s stance on Israel has long been a point of criticism among Palestinian supporters and human rights activists. He has been open with his views about anti-Semitism in his home riding of Outremont, and previously suggested that “anti-Zionist” sentiments are usually accompanied by intolerance. In 2010, Mulcair also made headlines when he attacked Vancouver East MP Libby Davies over negative statements she’d made in an interview about Israel.
Before Mulcair arrived at the town hall, Shniad and his colleagues had been handing out documents they’d prepared to inform people about their concerns. Their handout included a statement from 2008, when Mulcair was quoted in the Canadian Jewish News describing himself as “an ardent supporter of Israel in all situations and in all circumstances”.
“Our organization is seriously concerned about the position Mr. Mulcair has taken on this issue,” Shniad told the Observer.
“It’s a position that’s not sufficiently well-known among NDP voters and we think if more people did know, they might not be supporting him,” he said.
Though recent polls have placed Mulcair in the lead overall, the bulk of his support rests in the province of Quebec, where he has done about a quarter of his campaigning. Some commentators have noted the potentially significant influence of B.C. party members in the leadership vote, and judging by the relatively sparse attendance at the town hall, the frontrunner could still have some work to do to win over the West Coast.
Marijuana, oil sands and online spying
Despite incessant microphone feedback and a resounding echo at the venue, audience members lined up one by one to question the thick-bearded candidate (nicknamed “the Grizzly”). Working in little bits of humour, he answered most queries efficiently and with little hesitation.
One guest asked about the Tory crime bill and the NDP’s position on marijuana, prompting an enthusiastic response about the Conservatives’ “contempt” for Canadian institutions like the court system—something he says is evident in Harper’s plan to decide the severity of offences “in advance” rather than taking things on a case-by-case basis.
“On the specific subject of legalization, we do not have a policy in favour of legalization. That’s not our party policy,” he added.
Later, an older woman challenged him on this position, calling Mulcair and other politicians “hypocritical” for discriminating against pot while hosting parties and essentially endorsing alcohol use (which many consider more harmful than marijuana). The woman was then asked to refrain from "name calling".
Other questions during the evening addressed the NDP’s position on various issues including oil sands development, mainstream media concentration, and possible revisions to the Indian Act. One of the few young faces in the crowd took the mic to ask about the controversial “online spying” bill tabled last week by Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.
Since the bill was introduced, Conservatives have faced a heavy backlash from opponents and the public, including a wildly successful Twitter campaign that targeted Toews with the hashtag #TellVicEverything.
“The excuses being put up by the Conservatives are mind-numbing,” Mulcair said about the proposed legislation.
“They say, for example, that they have to put in place the ‘infrastructure’ to be able to do this, that it’s not about simply avoiding the court order but equipping companies to do it. But it’s the same argument that could have been used in regards to telephone companies when you had to get a wiretap. Precisely because it has to do with your personal life and protecting your Charter rights, you have to get permission from the judge.”
Mulcair made note of the fact that ongoing leadership campaigns have had an impact on the NDP presence on Parliament Hill, taking key Opposition voices away from their duties in Ottawa. But before the night was over, he assured voters of a strong, united Opposition…as soon as the leadership race is complete.
“We’ll welcome back all of the incredible staff that’s been working on this campaign, and make sure to have them contribute their incredible talents to do the one thing that unites us—standing up to Stephen Harper, building a strong, structured, credible, tough Official Opposition,” said Mulcair.
“After March 24th, we’ll have permanent leadership, and we’ll be able to work together as part of the same team.”