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Jack Layton just finished telling Craig Oliver that he thought what young Brigitte DePape did was wrong. He basically said that while he and the rest of ‘em are striving for that all polite decorum, she was disrespectful. Like Carolynn Bennett and Dizzy Miss Lizzy, ol’ Jack basically said that while he is just fine with protest, there is a time and a place for everything and she should’ve done it some place else. Not that I’m surprised. Jack’s little statement to Craig Oliver just completed the circle, once they get a taste of power and ‘entitlement’, they’re all bad. What will it take for all those NDP partisans to see that Jackie and the NDP are not as pure as the driven snow?
I’m waiting for them with bated breath to come drop by my comments section to justify Jack’s response and to attempt to tell me the difference as to why it’s ok when Jack condemns Brigitte Depape’s actions but not when Dizzy Miss Lizzy or Carolynn Bennett do it.
Once again, you politicians, no, she couldn’t have done it on the lawn or elsewhere, where protests of all kinds sporadically happen on a daily or near daily basis. As you’ve noticed, it wouldn’t have had the impact as the way Ms DePape did it.
Layton was very blunt in his criticism. I do suggest to Canadians who may hold a mass protest (if there is a giant one) against the Harper government in the future not to depend on the support of the NDP. Mind you, the party may try to sneak in if such a protest does gain strength.
People know my commitment to democratic reform through changing the way we vote to something proportional. I don’t beliee that the NDP will make voting reform a big issue in the next four years. The party may table another private member bill a couple of months before the next election knowing that it will be defeated in the House of Commons by both the Conservatives and Liberals.
That’s one small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind”
I am reminded of that quote.
With one quiet inobtrusive action, Brigette put some spice and fire into a day that would have been utterly boring
She woke up the Senate, the parliament and.. the Nation
me thinks it was entirely the right place and time”
my post on E May’s fb page
barely a peep from the peanut gallery on their fb pages
Yes, Jack is just like the rest. He’s just like J. S. Woodsworth, Tommy Douglas, Stanley Knowles, Bill Blaikie and all the other CCF and NDP leaders who fought the good fight for working people with scrupulous respect for the rules and traditions of Parliament.
ck Reply:
June 6th, 2011 at 6:37 AM
Ah, I knew someone like you would come along to justify Jack’s condemnation of this brave girl. another politician who thinks folks should be seen and not heard.
I think it’s funny in 2009, when protesters broke-up Question Period by chanting for an NDP environment bill, Jack Layton was much more understanding.
“I prefer to use the tools of the House by asking questions but we should understand that there is more and more concern among Canadian youth with Parliament’s inaction concerning a crisis that will affect the lives of these young people,” he said.
like every other politician, mr. layton is most concerned about his paycheque. his paycheque is connected to his re-election. he’s doing what he believes will maintain his good reputation with the electorate. another good reason to consider anarchy — the system is broken beyond repair.
Steve Reply:
June 6th, 2011 at 4:26 PM
Amen! We need another 35 MP’s like we need the F35.
This surprised me as well, Jack Layton told the Canadian Public that he wants to “fix Ottawa,” so I expected him to applaud Brigitte’s actions, even Elizabeth May too, surprised me by not applauding Brigitte’s actions. Elizabeth May’s message is quite the same as Brigitte’s, besides if the protest had been done at “The regular time and the regular place.” It would have no power, it would go nowhere. As Michael Moore very cleverly puts it,
““I think that Canada and Canadians probably need to put aside the whole respect thing and bring out their inner hockey stick and get to work on preventing their government from turning into a version of ours.” Unfortunately, Jack and Elizabeth are just playing it real safe and professional that’s all.
Grant Reply:
June 10th, 2011 at 2:48 AM
I think what Bridgette did was very brave and I am happy she did it. As Jack Layton’s remarks, Layton is only interested in Layton. I had personal dealings with him back when he was a city councilor, the man is the biggest phony bologna in federal politics! He would close down day cares if he thought it would help his personal agenda.
I am so with you on this, I take Jack to the woodshed on my blog. Its Kabuki theater and ironicly that was the message of DePage
i disagree with statements that lump all politicians together or dismiss their actions as pure cynicism because the truth is reality and human beings are more complex than that. Nevertheless i strongly agree it is sadly predictable that all elected MPs toe the line and condemn DePape’s protest when it should be applauded for many obvious reasons, including those you point out.
From my own (anarchistic) perspective, the fact that Layton and May both fail to support DePape’s unobjectionable protest demonstrates an important schism between politicians and the public (and of course between leaders and the rank and file); it is un-surprising and cowardly, but we need to acknowledge that MPs want to keep their jobs, and the political culture of parliament is rigid and fearful.
Parliamentarians (at least those who want to get any legislative work done) can’t speak from the heart any more than voters (under a first-past-the-post system) can vote with their hearts. What we can do is act, as DePape suggests, and follow our hearts into careful campaigns of non-violent civil disobedience to keep a public (rather than elite) agenda in the headlines, etc. and thereby force parliament to acknowledge ongoing unrest…
We are all indebted to Brigette DePape, and should be thoughtful enough not to waste the opportunity she has created for us.
[...] Moore’s reaction to some of the pompous things our progressive and other politicians in Ottawa have said about the same incident. I also support the “‘Stop Harper’ protest inspired by DePape” that [...]