| Rick Blue's Other Life |
 Rick Blue  Rick Blue was born in Liverpool, England, but raised in Maine, New Jersey, and Toronto. He has an MA in English from Concordia University. He has been involved in bands and media music in Montreal for over twenty years. In 1981 he won an international 'Clio' award for excellence in advertising. He once appeared on television naked. His life had no real meaning, however, until he began to play with Bowser and Blue. Rick plays guitar, mandolin, and harmonica, and sings in a rather pleasant baritone when George will let him. He is also a columnist for Montreal's outstanding West Island Gazette.. His LCC columns are archived here |
Posted
08.21.15 In Canada, I could get used to Prime Minister Mulcair
MONTREAL | There was an article in the National Post recently about how Tom Mulcair mortgaged his house many times. I imagine the implication was that if he became Prime Minister he might mortgage our country many times as well. The charge that the NDP is a spendthrift party is not new.
But that was not what interested me. It was that the house was in Beaconsfield, not far from my own. It even gave his address which I thought was a bit unfair. Next they'll be giving out phone numbers.
Many PMs have come from Montreal. But most of them seemed to come from the older and wealthier parts of the city, like Westmount. It's about time we had one from the suburbs.
But a socialist? That's ironic. Usually one thinks of the 'burbs as being business-friendly. But often in the history of socialism, the leaders come from pampered surroundings. The previous NDP leader, Jack Layton, came from Hudson. Maybe we are a hotbed of socialism out here?
Perhaps it's because we have all learned how to live in a state of constant debt.
I think he has a shot at the gold ring. But he has to embrace capitalism a little more and lead his party to the middle in order to win, like Tony Blair did in Britain. It is a time when austerity is in the air. And when our main resource is half of its previous value and our dollar has fallen to 76 cents. Not a good time to spend like a drunken sailor.
We have all seen what can happen. One word: Greece.
Another problem for him will be the infamous "Sherbrooke Declaration". I realize that it was a fiendishly clever ruse to absorb the Bloc Québécois, and it worked, but he will have to pay the price now and explain to us all what his policy on Canadian Unity is without the Clarity Act.
But not everyone votes with issues on their minds. Often they will vote for a party simply because they like the leader. Or that they don't like the other leaders; which amounts to the same thing.
Mulcair has gained a lot of experience in the big leagues to date and has come off pretty well. His debating skills wowed the press during Question Period in the last little while and it is important to have the press on your side. If they love you ,you’re golden. Just ask Barack Obama.
And recently he has softened his grumpy visage and is looking far more cuddly. So image-wise, he is walking the strong-but-sensitive line pretty well.
Like most Canadians I tend to be fiscally conservative and socially liberal. So I normally vote for the Liberals. And they are the only party that I trust to stand up to the threat of separatism. But it is possible that I could get used to Prime Minister Mulcair.
He's been a Liberal in the past. And he has even been Director of Legal Affairs at Alliance Quebec. So he could be open and flexible enough to square the circle.
And here's another reason to vote for him -- he's from Montreal's West Island!
To read Rick Blue's complete column on the West Island Gazette, click
here Rick Blue in the West Island Gazette |
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