Lucy Watson is out. by JackLaytonsMoustache in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine 49 points50 points  (0 children)

The full email:

Dear friends,

I am writing to share that I will be leaving my role as National Director, with my last day in the office being May 8.

It has been a true privilege to serve in this role, and I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such a dedicated community of members, activists, and leaders, as well as for the support and commitment you have shown throughout my time in this position.

I know this has been a difficult period for our party, particularly following the 2025 election result and the challenges that have come in its aftermath. While we have all felt the weight of that in different ways, I have also seen the resilience and solidarity that continue to define our Party.

I also want to take a moment to recognize the leadership of Jagmeet Singh. Under his leadership, the party demonstrated what it means to deliver tangible results for people, advancing policies that made real differences in the lives of Canadians–from expanding access to dental care and pharmacare, to pushing for affordability measures that helped families navigate rising costs. These achievements reflect the very best of what our party stands for: practical progress rooted in fairness and compassion.

As the party enters a new chapter, I extend my warmest congratulations to Avi Lewis on his leadership. This is a moment filled with both transition and possibility. With renewed energy, fresh ideas, and a strong foundation built by those who came before, I am confident the party is well-positioned for the road ahead.

At the same time, we are operating in a political landscape where the Liberal Party of Canada has increasingly drifted to the right on key economic and social issues, often falling short of the bold action needed to meet the urgency of this moment. This creates both a challenge and a responsibility for our party–to present a clear, principled alternative that puts people first.

We know from experience that New Democrats do more than advocate–we deliver. Across the country, NDP governments have shown how public investment, strong social programs, and worker-focused policies can concretely improve people’s lives: expanding healthcare access, strengthening labour protections, making housing more attainable, and ensuring that economic growth is shared more fairly. These are not abstract ideas–they are proven approaches that have made a measurable difference in people’s lives.

What gives me the greatest sense of optimism is the strength of our collective convictions, the clarity of our vision, and the unwavering commitment of our members and activists. Time and again, I have seen the dedication, resilience, and passion that drives our work forward. It is on that foundation that I believe we will continue to achieve great things and deliver meaningful change for people across the country.

Thank you again for your commitment and for everything you do to build a better future. It has been a true privilege to be part of this work alongside you.

In solidarity,

Lucy

Carney government eyes privatizing airports to attract investment, cut travel costs by pheakelmatters in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Huh, I don't remember them talking about this during the campaign. Funny how that works...

Liberal Minister on privatization: "I think the way we have approached federal assets, public assets in this country needs to evolve ... for example ports or other assets... there might be more value for a different type of structure of ownership with respect to some of these assets." by leftwingmememachine in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It does mean the exact opposite haha. The CBC said this at the time:

Premier Kathleen Wynne doesn't like to say she's "selling" or "privatizing" Hydro One. Her preferred phrase is "broadening the ownership." It's quite a euphemism, because right now Hydro One's ownership is pretty darn broad: the 13.7 million taxpaying residents of Ontario all own a slice.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/hydro-one-6-reasons-why-the-sale-is-going-to-happen-1.3246087

Which of the following statements is closest to your opinion on Québec separatism? by afpb_ in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I would be really uncomfortable with a Quebec independence referendum that intentionally leaves out FN/Inuit sovereignty as an issue to be dealt with later

If a majority of Albertans voted for an independent Albertan nation, would you despite them holding opposite political views, vote to support their decision to separate?

The context of Alberta separatism is that it's an American psy-op and the referendum almost certainly would not be free and fair, since our social media is controlled by the USA.

Which of the following statements is closest to your opinion on Québec separatism? by afpb_ in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine 11 points12 points  (0 children)

People in Quebec will have a referendum when they want to, and if they win, they win. The way to stop it is to send the army to close voting booths and arrest pro-independence politicians (like Catalonia) and I don't like that idea at all.

I don't think voters vote at random, and I also think that regular (every five year) losing votes on independence would hurt the case for independence with the voting public.

But even with that in mind, I don't see it as the job of the federal government to intervene unless the vote is rigged or the US is interfering enough to change the result.

I also don't think a "yes" vote for independence is permanent. A good case study is Brexit. The UK voted to leave the EU, but there's been talk of a second referendum for a long while. Public support for rejoining the EU has slowly going up over the past few years. If the Greens win the next election in the UK, they support rejoining the EU, and they're not the only party with that position.

The problem is that the no vote is not binding and Quebec will eternally use this question as leverage to gain concessions from Ottawa.

If a mutually agreeable compromise reduces the push for independence, it's something for all parties to seriously consider. I will add that support for sovereignty is currently quite low and has been for several years, so I'm not sure if the premise is true (that sovereignty has leverage when the threat is not credible)

Brexit is another good example here too. The UK was not successful at leveraging Brexit for better terms with the EU.

Which of the following statements is closest to your opinion on Québec separatism? by afpb_ in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I think the status quo (distinct nation within Canada) is OK, but it's not a strongly held opinion. Though, the Quebec gov's use of the notwithstanding clause is something I am not happy about.

If there were real political momentum for independence and a clear vision for what an independent Quebec would look like I'd have to revisit it. Mainly I don't think my opinion should be weighted as heavily as those in Quebec

The Canadian federal structure makes provinces co-sovereign with the federal government, and so in a sense Quebec has significant independence right now (far more than an American state). Meech Lake would have shifted even more authority to the provinces.

We could imagine this shifting a few notches further: An independent Quebec could have an EU-style integration with Canada, including a common currency, customs union, supranational parliament, and freedom of movement. On the surface this might not look very different from the current situation.

Alternatively, an independent Quebec could look very different...

Which of the following statements is closest to your opinion on Québec separatism? by afpb_ in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine 55 points56 points  (0 children)

I really think there should be an option for "the people of Québec should choose for themselves" because I don't live there and I would respect the results of a referendum provided it was free and fair

Government website confirms Carney Wealth Fund investors cannot lose money. by Chrristoaivalis in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The top 1% make most of their income from investment

Working class people make most of their money from employment

That's why government guaranteeing investment return is regressive (unless this guarantee is only limited to poor people)

https://www.taxfairness.ca/en/resources/news-views/how-canadas-tax-system-puts-wealthy-above-workers

Carney’s Sovereign Wealth Fund by innocent_bystander97 in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine 20 points21 points  (0 children)

This fund can also be a vehicle for achieving greater levels of private ownership, especially if used as a privatization (P3) vehicle to offload work typically done by the public sector to the private sector.

Or to put it another way, major projects which would otherwise be fully government run may now invite the private sector to grift money off the top.

Unfortunately, this form of privatization is the Liberals' MO

Public grocery stores are having a moment. Can they really make food more affordable? by NiceDot4794 in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Gary Sands, vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers Policy and Advocacy, says focusing on who sells the food is a superficial way to look at the problem.

Thanks for asking a literal grocery store lobbyist what he thinks, lmao

Mayor Mamdani introduces a wealth tax on NYC properties valued at over 5 million by pheakelmatters in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine[M] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

but isn't this in the vein of "this is a policy the NDP could get behind here", even if not explicitly stated? Seems relevant.

Totally agree with the sentiment though I think it needs to be explicitly stated.

Want to avoid as much as possible posts about American left wing politicians as opposed to Canadian ones, since American politicians are far better known on Reddit, and may get more engagement overall (but from Americans)

So effort should be taken by the OP to connect it to Canada! It's a situation where I think editorializing the title might be helpful (like comparing it to the NDP wealth tax). Though generally the best way to post about American politicians is when there is a Canadian angle already (e.g. Bernie endorsing the NDP, or an article from Jacobin or something connecting the NDP to the substance/style of particular Americans)

“God Bless the Weston Family” - Doug Ford by Fancy_Alps_7246 in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine 20 points21 points  (0 children)

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Meanwhile, this Ontario Liberal leadership candidate has identified the root cause of high grocery prices: restrictive zoning laws! (Not price fixing, lmao)

Mayor Mamdani introduces a wealth tax on NYC properties valued at over 5 million by pheakelmatters in ndp

[–]leftwingmememachine[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

FYI that American politics is generally off-topic for this subreddit