{"id":15127,"date":"2015-10-16T00:13:56","date_gmt":"2015-10-16T07:13:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=15127"},"modified":"2015-10-14T20:30:19","modified_gmt":"2015-10-15T03:30:19","slug":"mulcair-talks-about-choices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2015\/10\/16\/mulcair-talks-about-choices\/","title":{"rendered":"Mulcair talks about choices"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Democratic Party of Canada leader Tom Mulcair. (photo from Tom Mulcair\u2019s office)<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think the values of the community that you\u2019re writing for are very similar to the social values of the NDP historically, and I think that\u2019s a strong connection that we have,\u201d New Democratic Party of Canada leader Tom Mulcair told the Independent<\/em> in a phone interview last week.<\/p>\n

He added that his wife Catherine\u2019s \u201cfamily connection means that I\u2019m the only person in this race who has a deep understanding of the Jewish community and of its history, and I\u2019ll always be a strong stalwart based on that understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even before the election campaign started, Mulcair always has been clear in his support for Israel.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy position is very comfortable within the NDP,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause the party\u2019s position has, for a long time, been in favor of a two-state solution. Essentially, we believe we have to be working with partners in the Middle East, in particular, in Israel and Palestine, within a framework of respect for UN resolutions and international law, that\u2019s important. And, we always talk about working towards peace in the region, starting from a base where it has to be mutually agreed borders and, frankly, everyone free from attack of any kind: peace and security, in other words, within established and negotiated borders.\u201d<\/p>\n

He defended his strict enforcement of this view, which has included the dismissal of candidates who hold alternate opinions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve tightened the reins in making sure people respect our position, and I think that that\u2019s the key thing,\u201d said Mulcair, adding that the NDP is \u201cstill the only party political party in Ottawa to have ever had a Jewish leader, in David Lewis [federally] and, of course, in Ontario, Stephen, Lewis\u2019 son. And I\u2019ve had a chance to visit Israel a couple of times and look forward to going back. I daresay that I\u2019m the only leader in this campaign … who can count family in Israel, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI think that free trade with a democracy is a good thing. We also backed the trade agreement with Jordan because we know that it\u2019s also a very strong voice for stability and peace in a very tough region with a lot of problems.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

With respect to the expansion of the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement earlier this year, Mulcair said, \u201cI think that free trade with a democracy is a good thing. We also backed the trade agreement with Jordan because we know that it\u2019s also a very strong voice for stability and peace in a very tough region with a lot of problems.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you know, the NDP takes a pretty strong view that free-trade agreements have to represent dealings with countries that have values similar to ours, and that\u2019s why in both cases we had no problem with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NDP also has no problem with the P5+1 (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany) nuclear deal with Iran.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that the P5+1 deal shows that diplomacy can achieve real results even after decades of hostility,\u201d said Mulcair, who described himself as \u201cvery clear-eyed about the Iranians,\u201d noting that the antisemitism there \u201cis at a level rarely seen in the world today.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said, \u201cI don\u2019t have any illusions about what I\u2019m dealing with \u2026 no Israeli government can ignore the threat of a nuclear Iran…. At the same time … as long as it is enforced rigorously, the deal shows the possibility of making sure that Iran\u2019s nuclear ambitions are hemmed in.\u201d<\/p>\n

About security closer to home, and specifically Bill C-51, Mulcair said, \u201cI think that it\u2019s a question of approach and priorities. Don\u2019t forget Mr. [Stephen] Harper\u2019s approach is always about stark, false choices. He would have you believe, for example, that a government has to choose between the economy and the environment. Of course, that\u2019s a false choice; you have to do both. He would have you believe that you either keep your communities safe or you respect your rights or freedoms. Well, the prime minister\u2019s job is to do both: respect Canadians\u2019 rights and freedoms, and keep communities safe. So, C-51 is a breach with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Offering an example from the party\u2019s history in balancing security and freedoms, Mulcair noted, \u201cThe NDP, you might recall, is the party that had the courage politically to stand up in 1970 against the imposition of the War Measures Act that put hundreds of Canadians in jail without trial, without accusation, and the NDP had the courage to stand up against that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Mr. Harper came in with Bill C-51, I was told that I was being foolhardy to oppose it, that the vast majority of Canadians were in favor of it. Well, you know what? I don\u2019t take that as the starting point in these issues. I am more than willing to stand up to Stephen Harper when he\u2019s compromising Canadians\u2019 rights and freedoms, and we did that. We did that with an articulate stance that explained to Canadians why it was a mistake, and you know what? At the end of that process, most Canadians agreed with us, so I\u2019m proud of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are things that can be done here in Canada to help fight some of the situation there,\u201d he said, referring to the conflict in Syria, as well as others in the region. \u201cThere are a couple of concrete things that I think Canada can and should be doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, Canada is the only country in NATO not to have signed the Arms Trade Treaty. Well, that\u2019s something that\u2019s easy to fix, and that can help stop the flow of arms to some of those conflicts right now.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cDeradicalization is entirely absent from Bill C-51 and that is, again, a mistake. Most of our partners in the world who are dealing with these issues realize that the flow of foreign fighters into those regions is one of the biggest problems and, instead of coming to grips with that, Mr. Harper completely ignores the problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s also an important element of deradicalization. And, again, Mr. Harper just doesn\u2019t know how to get this right. For example, he doesn\u2019t talk about going into houses of worship, as you hear President [Barack] Obama talk about. What Mr. Harper will talk about, specifically, are mosques. Now, of course, in that case, he\u2019s finger-pointing a single community. That\u2019s a mistake. Deradicalization is entirely absent from Bill C-51 and that is, again, a mistake. Most of our partners in the world who are dealing with these issues realize that the flow of foreign fighters into those regions is one of the biggest problems and, instead of coming to grips with that, Mr. Harper completely ignores the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other problems that Harper has ignored, or about which he has been mistaken, according to Mulcair, concern the budget and jobs. The NDP\u2019s approach to these issues, including its focus on the middle-class, has drawn some criticism that the NDP has strayed from its roots \u2013 a point with which Mulcair disagrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been really clear all along, especially under my leadership, that Canada wants a government that knows how to deal with the big issues of the day in the interest of the population,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen we [the NDP] were in power in Saskatchewan, we ran 17 consecutive balanced budgets because we had taken over a province that was bankrupt after years of Liberal rule…. After those balanced budgets, we were able to bring in free, universal, public medical care \u2013 that was an NDP priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis time around, I\u2019m talking about the importance of bringing in quality, affordable, maximum-$15-a-day child care, and we\u2019re going to do that on the basis of a balanced budget. There are some who would say, well, that\u2019s not a very social-democratic thing, but if you look at the history of the NDP, we have a history of being very prudent public administrators. We know that we have that burden on us \u2013 that we\u2019re always going to have to be the ones who have to be the most prudent because, if we\u2019re not, people will judge us more harshly than the others.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the other parties are taking a different approach,\u201d he continued. \u201cMr. Harper talked a good game but ran up $150 billion in new debt while he was in power. Mr. [Justin] Trudeau is promising to spend at least $10 billion a year more than what he takes in and, in the fourth year, he\u2019s going to start cutting with, quote, everything will be on the table, in terms of cuts \u2013 that was the exact quote from Mr. [John] McCallum when he was asked how he was going to be able to cut $6.5 billion in the fourth year of his budget. So, that\u2019s where the Liberals are, that\u2019s where the Conservatives are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cEconomically, we\u2019re talking about balanced budgets, but we also want to create opportunities for good-paying jobs. There were 400,000 manufacturing jobs lost on Mr. Harper\u2019s watch, and he wants to kill off tens of thousands more with this recent trade deal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Mulcair said the NDP are prudent administrators in other areas, as well. \u201cI have a strong personal track record as a former environment minister as a strong enforcer of environmental legislation and I\u2019m strong on principle on those things,\u201d he said. \u201cEconomically, we\u2019re talking about balanced budgets, but we also want to create opportunities for good-paying jobs. There were 400,000 manufacturing jobs lost on Mr. Harper\u2019s watch, and he wants to kill off tens of thousands more with this recent trade deal,\u201d meaning the Trans-Pacific Partnership. On Oct. 5, the 12 countries involved, including Canada, reached an agreement, which still has to be ratified by each country\u2019s parliament.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the environment, on the economic issues, on social issues, we\u2019re very different from the other two parties who, more often than not, are of one mind,\u201d Mulcair said, giving three examples.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Trudeau and Mr. Harper agreed with tens of billions of dollars of tax reductions for Canada\u2019s richest corporations \u2013 we disagree, we\u2019re going to start making them pay their fair share.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe disagree with the Keystone XL Pipeline. We think that you don\u2019t export your natural resources raw. Mr. Harper and Mr. Trudeau are of one mind, they think that it\u2019s a good idea to send 40,000 Canadian jobs to the U.S. \u2013 we disagree.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a different approach on C-51. Mr. Trudeau was afraid of Mr. Harper. He said at the University of British Columbia that he was too afraid of Mr. Harper to stand up for what he thought was the right thing to do in that case. Well, I think that that\u2019s sad, and I think that Mr. Trudeau has shown a lack of leadership and, frankly, a lack of experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the NDP would increase the corporate tax rate, its platform includes \u201csupporting innovation and investment in companies.\u201d When asked if this was not just a different way of subsidizing business, Mulcair responded, \u201cNo. For example, the Conservatives have continued to subsidize companies in the oil patch. We will remove subsidies. What we will do is bring back certain innovation tax credits because we know that the manufacturing sector is, and can be, a hub for innovation and technological jobs in the future that will be knowledge-based.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll also propose a small-business tax cut, so we\u2019ll bring their taxes down from 11[%] to nine, which we think is a smart way of stimulating the creation of jobs by job creators because small- and medium-sized businesses in Canada create more new jobs. We don\u2019t shy away from saying that government can play an active role in creating the conditions for the private sector to create jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThis is the first time in Canadian history that we actually have a choice. For 148 years, we\u2019ve been told we have no choice but to alternate.\u00a0When we get tired of the Liberals and the sponsorship scandal, we\u2019re supposed to go back to the Conservatives. We get tired of the Conservatives and the Senate scandal, we\u2019re supposed to go back. This time, the first time, there is a choice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Looking ahead to the last days of the campaign, Mulcair said, \u201cThis is the first time in Canadian history that we actually have a choice. For 148 years, we\u2019ve been told we have no choice but to alternate.\u201d For example, \u201cWhen we get tired of the Liberals and the sponsorship scandal, we\u2019re supposed to go back to the Conservatives. We get tired of the Conservatives and the Senate scandal, we\u2019re supposed to go back. This time, the first time, there is a choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the first time in Canadian history, the NDP is forming the Official Opposition, we\u2019re seen as a government-in-waiting. We\u2019re doing great across the country but we\u2019ve got very strong support in certain regions that are going to allow us to form a government, and we know that.<\/p>\n

\u201cB.C. is a good example of a province where we\u2019re doing super well,\u201d he said. \u201cI just had an event there yesterday morning that showed me that the energy and the strength of the team and the campaign that we\u2019re running are resonating \u2026 so we\u2019re going keep that going.\u201d<\/p>\n

The <\/em>Independent has interviewed Liberal leader Justin Trudeau<\/a> (July 31), Minister of National Defence and Minister for Multiculturalism Jason Kenney<\/a> (Sept. 18) and Green party leader Elizabeth May<\/a> (Oct. 9). The federal election is on Oct. 19.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Democratic Party of Canada leader Tom Mulcair. (photo from Tom Mulcair\u2019s office) \u201cI think the values of the community that you\u2019re writing for are very similar to the social values of the NDP historically, and I think that\u2019s a strong connection that we have,\u201d New Democratic Party of Canada leader Tom Mulcair told the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[3249,2462,4330,1677,4655,1675],"class_list":["post-15127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","tag-elections","tag-iran","tag-israel","tag-ndp","tag-new-democrat","tag-thomas-mulcair"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15127\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}