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NDP Revival in Newfoundland and Labrador?
March 6, 2015 - 7:31pm
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NDP candidates feeling good heading into the homestretch
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ndp-candidates-feeli...
It'll be interesting to see if McCurdy can turn things around as leader but he's currently doing no better in the polls than Michael, which I find surprising. An Abacus poll released this past week also painted a pretty bad picture for the party. The NDP had always been stronger in the St. John's area - especially in 2011 - but this isn't the case anymore. Abacus showed that in St. John's and on the Avalon the party is polling at just 8%, that's below the support the party had in the region in 2007. Their numbers are actually higher on the west coast and in Labrador. While they could possibly pick up Labrador West in an election there won't be any seats on the west coast up for grabs.
The Abacus poll showed that the economy was the top issue in the province followed by health care. Just 1% of people polled felt the NDP were best able to manage the economy. So even their own supporters don't think they're best able to manage the economy. 9% thought they could best manage health care, but this was always an area the party did well in.
The party has historically never been very popular but I think many still had very positive views of the NDP. That doesn't appear to be the case anymore and I think it won't be easy for McCurdy to change minds. McCurdy has been talking about the economy and the importance of both the public and private sector in a healthy economy. The NDP have never put much focus on economic issues and it's clear by this poll that it hasn't helped them. A comprehensive economic message that contrasts from the PCs and Liberals is needed.
The convention is being streamed on youtbe my the Mike Goosney campaign. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8u9fD-Be0o
Any chancd that the NDP could survive based on a wrap-around from the PCs falling into third?
Listening to Earle McCurdy right now - he gots that folksy Newfoundland & Labrador humour and charm. Good speaker.
Newfoundland and Labrador NDP picking new leader today
http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2015-03-07/article-4068786/Newfoun...
David Cochrane
@CochraneCBCNL
McCurdy gives a better speech than Davis or Ball. Funny. Fiery. On point. He will make the campaign interesting if/when he wins.#nlpoli
NDP leadership: Who will be chosen to replace Lorraine Michael?
Chris Bruce (left), Mike Goosney (centre) and Earle McCurdy (right) are the three contenders for the Newfoundland and Labrador NDP leadership. (CBC/Twitter/CBC)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ndp-leadership-who-w...
Mike to speak shortly
A QuickFacts on NDP leadership candidates
http://metronews.ca/news/canada/1305633/a-quickfacts-on-ndp-leadership-c...
Longtime NDP Leader Lorraine Michael Says Goodbye
http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=53195&latest=1
VOCM News will have live coverage of the NDP Leadership convention from The Sheraton Hotel beginning at 4 p.m.
The voting process is by preferential ballot - good!
Sorry I'm just seeing this now. I never got to see Chris Bruce speak but he supposedly did a god job, again, and spoke without notes.
Sorry I'm just seeing this now. I never got to see Chris Bruce speak but he supposedly did a god job, again, and spoke without notes.
Just want to thank Newfoundlander for keeping us in the know about the goings in in Newfoundland and Labrador politics. Much appreciated, eh!
And thanks to Mike Goosney for live streaming this NF & L NDP Leadership Convention.
Why is this not being covered by the CBC Newsworld?
If anyone is able to get NTV they are starting a broadcast now. I believe Jack Harris is joining them.
PC support has been consistent at around 30% for the last couple of years despite a very unpopular leader, leadership embaressments, and one controversial move after another. Unless the upcoming budget really hurts them I would say the lowest their support would be in an election is between 25%-30%. The party also has more suppot in Eastern Newfoundland, which is where most of the seats will be. So if they can keep their current support levels then it means the NDP would need to take about 20 points from the Liberals to catchup to the PCs, which would bring us back to the three-way split in voter intention we saw prior to the revolt.
NTV is Livestreaming. http://ntv.ca/livestream/
CBC is not covering it on TV.
No suprise, McCurdy wins.
Thanks robbie_dee
Earle McCurdy won an overwhelming victory in the NDP leadership Saturday afternoon.
© Photo by Keith Gosse/The Telegram
New NDP leader, Earle McCurdy, is embraced by outgoing leader, Lorraine Michael.
Former fisheries union president Earle McCurdy won the NDP leadership with an overwhelming victory late Saturday afternoon.
McCurdy received 889 votes. The runner-up, Mike Goosney, received 299, and Chris Bruce came third with 110.
When he took to the stage at the Sheraton Hotel following the announcement, McCurdy immediately looked ahead to the next general election.
He said a week is a long time in politics, and the months between now and the election — expected some time this fall — practically amounts to an eternity.
“We have momentum, I believe, on our side now,” he said.
McCurdy has his work cut out for him in the coming months.
The NDP has been on a public opinion roller coaster for the last few years. In 2011 the party achieved its best ever election result, and in the years following that, the NDP briefly flirted with first place in public opinion polling.
In the fall of 2013, though, a messy caucus revolt led to two MHAs crossing the floor to the Liberals. The infighting damaged the party’s public credibility and perceived competence, and in a string of byelections, New Democrat candidates came a distant third.
At the convention this weekend, party members said they hope that the change in leadership will finally turn the page and allow the party to get fair hearing from voters when they talk about their public policy issues.
McCurdy does not hold a seat in the House of Assembly, and he said he doesn’t plan to seek one before the general election. Instead, he said he plans to work with outgoing leader Lorraine Michael and the other two NDP MHAs, George Murphy and Gerry Rogers.
Throughout the short New Democratic leadership campaign, McCurdy has hammered away at Premier Paul Davis and Liberal Leader Dwight Ball, saying the two have more similarities than differences, and neither one represent the best interests of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
McCurdy said he believes that New Democrat values are essentially synonymous with Newfoundland and Labrador values — social justice, equality, and helping the less fortunate.
http://www.thenorwester.ca/News/Local/2015-03-07/article-4068825/Earle-M...
McCurdy's lookin' good!
Newfoundland and Labrador NDP elect new leader
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/newfoundland-and-labrador-n...
The polls may not show it now, but this is a very good thing for the NF&Lab NDP.
This should not be taken as an attack but what makes you say this? Do you live in NFLD or know a lot about it?
Here's a good article that I think summarizes eveything very well.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/david-cochrane-can-e...
As well Selinger's win today is interesting considering this is what the NDP caucus in NL had asked for. Had Lorraine Micahel done as Selinger did we could have quite a different situtation going on.
I lived there for many years and my wife is from there. Yes, I follow Newfoundland politics and was actively involved in Newfoundland politics at one time.
Why do you think him becoming leader is such a good thing despite polls? McCurdy is a talented politican and well known but he's also a polarizing figure. A poll released a few weeks ago showed that when it came to choice for premier he was the choice of 12% while Michael had previosuly polled at 10%. Considering everything she had gone through I was surprised that McCurdy was unable to do better. He's basically just the choice of New Democrats. I would be interrested in knowing how many people have a positive view of him and how many have a neutral or negative view.
With such aminosity towards the PCs there appears to be a real opening for the NF & L NDP.
Hopefully they seize upon it rather than themselves this time!
Architects of their own misfortune
It seemed fitting, poetic justice, in many ways, that in the same 24-hour period in which a poll was released showing that many of even the most loyal of Newfoundland Tories have lost faith with the party ordinarily of their choice, Clyde Wells and his commission tore the guts out of the infamous Bill 29, a piece of astoundingly retrograde legislation that drove the deadliest of nails into the PC coffin, tangible evidence of why the gang that couldn’t shoot straight is heading for the O.K. Corral this fall
(The grey-beards among us will recall that it was the same Clyde Wells, the chief architect of this week’s evisceration of Bill 29, who was a prominent member of the Liberal party rebels who had the guts back in the late ’60s to stand up to Joey and his dictatorial ways).
There was almost immediate revulsion towards Bill 29 after Collins made his springtime proclamation, one that would haunt the Tories to this very day. And Lorraine Michael, the outgoing NDP leader, was at the forefront, and should be given credit for carrying the flag of opposition to the legislation. You couldn’t blame her if she quietly declared this week: I told you so.
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And Paul Davis was in the cabinet as well. What did he have to say about a bill that has now been condemned by a mightily impressive panel (Wells, former journalist Doug Letto and former federal privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart)?
Then there’s Steve Kent, the minister who showed not an ounce of sheepishness as he appeared with Wells and Letto to release a report that trashed legislation he had rigorously supported and defended. Kent has that Brian Tobin talent of talking forever without saying anything of substance, but he can’t yak his way out of this one: he was in the caucus at the time, he was a willing proponent of a plan to keep information from his constituents, he voted for Bill 29.
Kent, Davis, Collins, all of those politicians in cabinet and caucus, have to be held accountable for their deplorable decision to defend Bill 29.
http://www.thetelegram.com/Opinion/Columnists/2015-03-07/article-4066581...
Bruce Anderson released results of an Abacus poll last week and also gave several interviews. He noted that people aren't really that upset with the Tories just indifferent towards them. Paul Davis has ok favourability numbers and satisfaction with government is over 50%. As well, former premier Tom Marshall was praised for initiating the Bill 29 review, despite having voted for it himself. From what I have heard I don't think many people will be that upset that the government is backtracking and bringing in what is considered to be some of the best ATIPPA legisaltion in the world.
I just don't see enough anger with voters - yet - for McCurdy to tap into to take votes from the PCs. The upcoming budget may help the NDP. McCurdy has been putting more focus on the Liberals than the PCs.
NDP prospects
Like any party, their success should depend on hard work and sound policy — not on tired old stereotypes.
http://www.thetelegram.com/Opinion/Editorials/2015-03-10/article-4070419...
The latest poll has the NLNDP in first place with 38% and leader Earle McCurdy quickly gaining in popularity.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/poll-results-earle-m...
Earle McCurdy received a 91.6% approval rating at the NLNDP convention yesterday.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/earle-mccurdy-leader...
Both the PCs and Liberals are discredited. This is going to be interesting to watch. The NLNDP has a lot of work to do to over the next few years to create a team that's ready for government. More ready than the Liberals were.