Chris Selley: Alberta NDP's divorce from the federal party trainwreck is better for everyone
It did not receive much notice in Central Canada, and if it had, it might have been seen as bad news for the beleaguered federal New Democrats. But the Alberta NDP's recent decision to uncouple somewhat from the federal NDP might actually help drag the national party's proverbial Maserati out of the proverbial ditch where Jagmeet Singh left it in a cloud of steam.
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As schisms go, it's not what you would call violent: Delegates to the Alberta NDP convention in May voted to end the practice by which taking out a membership in the provincial party automatically came with membership in the federal party. Henceforth, provincial party members can 'opt out' of buying into the totalled Maserati.
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It could well just be symbolic.But symbolism can matter. The NDP has been unusual in this 'one party' approach. Provincial parties called 'Liberal' aren't necessarily affiliated with the federal Liberals (Quebec's are not and British Columbia's were not, notably) and nor are parties called 'Conservative' or 'Progressive Conservative' necessarily part of the same hive mind, never mind the conservative Saskatchewan Party or Alberta's United Conservative Party.
The federal NDP are often described by their detractors as fringe or unbendingly 'ideological.' But they have a plenty big enough tent: Under the orange canvas you could find blue-collar workers, Big Labour, university campuses, the idle progressive urban rich, the urban working class, farmers, North-of-60ers, and, for a while, even Quebec nationalists.
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For all its radical elements, since its Jack Layton-led era at least, the federal party has usually been capable of sorting out these differences and keeping support at a reasonable level. But at this point there just aren't enough people left under the big tent anymore. On April 28 the campers broke hard and en masse for the parties that might wind up governing, and NDP stalwarts were left congratulating themselves on holding a balance of power with just seven measly seats and no official-party status.
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The way you get people under your big tent isn't to give them everything they want all the time. Conservatives accept (if grudgingly) that the power within their movement oscillates between (very simplistically speaking) old-guard Tories and more Reform party-influenced people. Less grudgingly, because their party exists for no purpose other than to wield power, Liberals accept that they'll have centre-left/nihilist leaders like Justin Trudeau and dead-centre or even centre-right leaders like Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin.
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