The Liberal Party of Canada leadership race may not be top of mind for many northwesterners save for one factor – an idea floated by Skeena - Bulkley Valley NDP MP Nathan Cullen.
Raised when he ran for the leadership of his own party last year, Mr. Cullen suggested that an alliance be formed between Liberals, the NDP and the Greens to defeat Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.
Instead of all three parties running candidates in Conservative-held ridings, Mr. Cullen would have the three parties choose the best possible candidate between them, offering up the possibility of mustering enough anti-Conservative votes to win.
Enter Vancouver-Quadra Liberal MP Joyce Murray, now emerging as the main contender to Liberal leadership front runner Justin Trudeau.
She would have the three parties choose one candidate in the nearly 60 ridings won by the Conservatives with less than 50 per cent of the vote.
NDP leader Tom Mulcair ditched Mr. Cullen’s idea in general and now specifically by indicating the NDP will run a candidate in an upcoming by-election in Labrador. Ms. Murray did convince the Greens not to run a candidate in the same by-election.
Those who oppose the idea regard it as anti-democratic for it robs people of a choice in an actual election.
But when it comes to the feeling that Mr. Harper is simply bad for the country, the political world knows no boundaries.