It doesn't require a very long memory to recall the days when the New Democrats, more than any other party, were the greenest of federal parties. But with that turf increasingly crowded, the NDP seems to be seeking out (ahem) less green pastures.
Although they've since been followed by the Bloc Quebecois, the New Democrats were the first to jump off the ethanol bandwagon - setting in motion a series of events that may lead to the Tories' biolfuels legislation getting deep-sixed. And on the other big enviro-question of the day, they're proving equally skeptical - rejecting out of hand the Liberals' carbon tax pitch.
“We don't see putting a charge on the backs of individual Canadians through taxes as the way to go” sounds more like a quote from John Williamson than from Jack Layton. But that was the message from the NDP leader last week - one he's followed up with this almost McTeagueian campaign against high gas prices at the pumps.
The NDP is not about to jump in bed with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, at least not on a regular basis. But having apparently decided there's not enough to be gained from a fight with both the Liberals and the Greens for environmental votes, Layton is shifting toward a populism aimed at a different corner of the electorate.
If it keeps up, this isn't going to play especially well with the NDP's urban activist base. But the hope is clearly to appeal to lower income (even middle-class) voters for whom global warming isn't the most pressing concern. That's a demographic the NDP has increasingly struggled to get in its corner as it's lost its grip on organized labour. But having lost its grip on green voters, the party is apparently trying to go back to its roots.
