Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP) has seen a remarkable rise in the last decade. In 2000, the left-wing third-party had only 13 ministers in Parliament. In the 2011 election, the NDP won a record 103 seats, as their center-left rivals in the Liberal Party plummeted to just 34, making the NDP the official opposition party in parliament. In other words, what was a third-party had become, technically at least, the second major party.
Yet with national elections coming next year, the NDP still struggles to be taken seriously as a party that could be trusted to govern the entire country. The charismatic leader who built up the party, Jack Layton, died of cancer shortly after the 2011 breakthrough. His replacement Tom Mulcair is now tasked taking the NDP to the next level of winning the Prime Minister's office. But while the grandfatherly 60-year old Mulcair has personal approval ratings that are as good or better than his Liberal and Conservative counterparts, he still trails badly in head-to-head match-ups. To Canadian eyes, the NDP is still treated like a third-party.
One of his first political ads is dedicated to the NDP's plan for universal childcare, but the ad also includes subtle digs directed at Trudeau.
The NDP's media consultants awkwardly superimpose a Mulcair speech delivered from behind a podium onto a distracting scene of kids playing on a playground. But slick isn't what this political ad is going for. The overarching tone is earnestness and sobriety.
First, Mulcair plays the age card: "As a father, and a grandfather, I understand the importance to give our children a good start." (Trudeau is a father to three young children, but he's aways from becoming a grandfather.)
Having made the case that he is no flaky upstart, Mulcair puts forth an ambitious childcare proposal: one million new slots that won't cost families more than $15 per day.
One Canadian pundit, Bruce Anderson, argues Mulcair's shoot-the-moon proposal is holding him back: "Every hour the NDP spend talking about their big child care proposal warms the heart of progressive and a lot of centrist voters too. But it also means another hour not spent addressing the quiet doubts that some voters harbour about NDP economic instincts." He suspects Mulcair will soon pivot to address those concerns. We'll find out soon enough.
Yet with national elections coming next year, the NDP still struggles to be taken seriously as a party that could be trusted to govern the entire country. The charismatic leader who built up the party, Jack Layton, died of cancer shortly after the 2011 breakthrough. His replacement Tom Mulcair is now tasked taking the NDP to the next level of winning the Prime Minister's office. But while the grandfatherly 60-year old Mulcair has personal approval ratings that are as good or better than his Liberal and Conservative counterparts, he still trails badly in head-to-head match-ups. To Canadian eyes, the NDP is still treated like a third-party.
Can NDP's Tom Mulcair Win On Experience?
Tom Mulcair's strategy is to exploit an advantage usually not available to third-party candidates, experience. And the knock against the new youthful 42-year old Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau is that he's inexperienced and excessively glib.One of his first political ads is dedicated to the NDP's plan for universal childcare, but the ad also includes subtle digs directed at Trudeau.
The NDP's media consultants awkwardly superimpose a Mulcair speech delivered from behind a podium onto a distracting scene of kids playing on a playground. But slick isn't what this political ad is going for. The overarching tone is earnestness and sobriety.
First, Mulcair plays the age card: "As a father, and a grandfather, I understand the importance to give our children a good start." (Trudeau is a father to three young children, but he's aways from becoming a grandfather.)
Should The NDP Bet On Childcare?
Then Mulcair plays the experience card: "I was a former Quebec cabinet minister. I've seen first-hand how affordable childcare helps families and boosts the economy. It's time Canadians benefit from this experience."Having made the case that he is no flaky upstart, Mulcair puts forth an ambitious childcare proposal: one million new slots that won't cost families more than $15 per day.
One Canadian pundit, Bruce Anderson, argues Mulcair's shoot-the-moon proposal is holding him back: "Every hour the NDP spend talking about their big child care proposal warms the heart of progressive and a lot of centrist voters too. But it also means another hour not spent addressing the quiet doubts that some voters harbour about NDP economic instincts." He suspects Mulcair will soon pivot to address those concerns. We'll find out soon enough.