Thomas McClung
The NDP can lead right up to voting day but when time comes to cast a ballot most canadians will not support a socialist, isolationist, union controlled party. They will turn away from the NDP because they know and have seen what a party like that does to a province and or country over the long run. That and the fact that Mulcair rejects free trade, the military, and that he advocates for a palestinian state and of ignoring Israel. These things in the end will cause many a canadian to simply say no to the NDP.

The NDP have voted against all free trade deals, the NDP have no policy on the military except for vague statements such as you mentioned, and the NDP support the establishment of a palestinian state and that all arabs in Israel should have a vote which would turn Israel overnight into a muslim state. The unions do still support all socialist parties since that is what their organizations are based on, socialism. They will support and expect support from the NDP, always have, always will. Proof is in the voting record of the NDP the past four years, the support of all union initiatives and rejection of union accountability acts, and the entire policy of the NDP on the middle east. That you are blind to this is regrettable. The NDP are a socialist, no trade, high tax party that I believe most voters as they always have in the end will reject pure and simple.

Jessica Amber Murray
listen: i actually *am* a communist, and i'm so disappointed in the ndp's positions of being in favour of free trade, military jingoism, pipelines and budget cuts that i'm probably going to vote for the liberals out of protest (or maybe the greens, that's a local riding choice).

the spectrum is realigning. and the ndp are falling in as a "progressive conservative" party, while the conservatives get pushed back out to their socred roots.

the ndp are not in the the process of becoming the new liberals. this is an easy trick, and i initially fell for it, too. rather, they're in the process of reconstructing the old tories.

we consequently might want to consider ndp-conservative government arrangements in the list of likely outcomes.

www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/29/election-2015-seat-projections-ndp-liberals-tories_n_8059864.html

Dennis Schmunk
Social Democrats have done wonders in places like Norway. No deficits. No wars. Billions in the treasury. All with universal health care, education, day care and good sound pensions.

Why would anyone in this day and age vote for Lib/Cons who ignore them after elections?

Jessica Amber Murray
the ndp have recently taken down their party convention policies because they felt they were misleading voters. they renounced socialism in 2013. judging from mulcair's actions and statements over the last few years, i think you're going to be very disappointed in how right-wing their platform is, when it gets released.

mulcair himself has suggested he wants to govern in the mould of tony blair - a thatcherite. and a war criminal. if you want a scandinavian type welfare state, the ndp will move us in the opposite direction.