On posturing

Sure, there have been a couple of responses already to corporate Canada's efforts to tell scary stories about a possible NDP government. But let's add one more to the list which seems to me to highlight how the NDP's cooperative approach to politics leaves absolutely no room for such fearmongering.

Over two years ago, word came out that the NDP was fact reaching out to Canada's financial sector in the course of developing its economic policies - and impressing a number of the people it consulted along the way:

(T)he NDP caucus has been calling on external advisors and allocating more resources to strengthening its research on financial policy.

"There as been an effort to expand the capacity of the caucus," says an aide, who points to meetings with outside economists such as Glen Hodgson, chief economist for the Conference Board of Canada...

"I think you can see in Mulcair a fairly pragmatic approach to our issues. It is probably a more effective approach. I think he is on to something," says one bank lobbyist.

One former lobbyist still active on Bay Street says during meetings with senior party figures they had consistently shown themselves to be "thoughtful and backed up by good research, though we didn't always agree."

That's right: over a period of several years, the NDP has been talking with both outside experts and the financial sector - winning accolades for being "pragmatic" in its discussions generally, and having a position that was "thoughtful and backed up by good research" even where there was disagreement over the best possible policies.

And what's more, the above story came out in early January 2009, at a time when a coalition government including the NDP was still a real possibility. So one can't explain the difference between the message sent then and the fearmongering we're seeing now as being based on some sudden realization that the NDP might be close to power.

Which would seem to signal that any alarmism about what an NDP government might mean for the economy is more in the realm of utter fabrication than serious concern. Instead, the real problem for at least some interest groups seems to be that that the NDP's thoughtful policies might well catch on - and that serves as all the more reason for voters to be encouraged by the opportunity for change.