Sunday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to end your weekend.

- Brian Topp points out the biggest difference between the Parliamentary reaction to the Harper Cons' attack on Canada Post workers and previous overreaches by the Con government:

Before May 2, there would have been relatively little debate on Mr. Harper's intervention, since the Conservatives found a like-minded partner in the former Liberal opposition.

But there's a new sheriff in town – a new, more numerous and more determined New Democrat Official Opposition with some important tools available to it to shine on light on issues like this. A majority government is in place, and it can ultimately get what it wants. But a real opposition, fighting on a real issue, can make things go very slowly indeed – so that Canadians can judge the issues, and see what Mr. Harper's government is doing in the bright light of day.

In short, we finally have an Official Opposition capable of, and willing to, do its job.

- Most media discussion of the Ontario NDP's platform has focused on the inclusion of several pocketbook issues. But Martin Regg Cohn notes that there's much more to it than that:

There is a worthy proposal to undo the Tory breakup of Ontario Hydro by putting most of the pieces back together again. Breaking up Hydro was not only hard to do, it left a legacy of uncertainty and inefficiency in the electricity sector.

There are also promises to halve emergency room waiting times, boost long-term care, and eliminate the controversial Local Health Integration Networks that coordinate hospitals around the province. Interestingly, the NDP acknowledges that these “unelected” LHINs would have to be replaced by something else, so they promise no savings — unlike the Tories, who claim, improbably, that they can cut $70 million a year without budgeting for a replacement.

Politically, it is a smart platform — expedient on pocketbook issues but thoughtful in other areas. Opportunism aside, there is an opportunity for intelligent debate on corporate tax cuts and the chaos in the electricity sector. The NDP’s immediate challenge, however, is to raise the profile of its little-known provincial leader. Judging by the beaming expression worn by Horwath’s speech coach Saturday — it could have been a scene out of The King’s Speech — she continues to improve as a public speaker onstage.

- So far the NDP's response has been remarkably understated. But the stunning story of the Cons looking to prosecute an individual who had the nerve to take a story of rape public in the wake of a complete lack of investigation - rather than doing anything about, say, the alleged rapist - would figure to present about as powerful a symbol as possible of the Harper Cons' focus on preserving secrecy over doing what's obviously right.

- Though of course, as Alex Himelfarb notes, the Cons' lack of interest in dealing with specific crimes which might prove politically embarrassing won't stop them from wasting ludicrous amounts of time and money on a fear-based "war on crime" in general.

(Edit: fixed wording.)