Completely Irrelevant

That, unfortunately, is how I've come to view the New Democratic Party in Canada; completely irrelevant. It's taken some time for them to get there, and they began that sad downhill journey a few leaders back, but Jack Layton, whose election gave hope to all those who wanted to see a relevant, rescusitated party, has dealt its death knell. We wanted to think there was real substance behind the showmanship, and were willing to give the man the opportunity to demonstrate just that.

Instead, he's gone out of his way time and again to ensure that anyone with an ounce of brains could detect his utter inability to breathe new life into a now-moribund party, and that's truly a shame. Jack Layton as leader of the New Democratic Party has brought it to new lows, and for my money I thought they'd hit the skids when good old Svend Robinson was the life of the party.

Now here's good old Jack, instead. Now what is it that Jack wants? He insists the prime minister go out of his way to nag the government of the United States to alter their apprehensions about Canadian citizens whom they have identified as potential threats to the safety and security of the United States. Well, for one thing, the United States happens to be a sovereign country more than capable of making up their minds about items as significant to them as safety and security.

For another, the United States doesn't take kindly to other countries pointing fingers at them. Nor do they much care for other countries attempting to interfere in internal U.S. affairs and decision-making. Maher Arar and his wife Monia Mazig have been identified, among I would venture to say, a goodly number of other hyphenated-Canadians, as possible risks to the security of the United States.

As a sovereign nation they have the right and the duty to their population to make up any kinds of lists they wish to, to exclude anyone they view with suspicion from legally landing on their shores. And if they've been fidgety and kind of nervous about admitting unknowns to their country of late, who can blame them?

Yes, they make mistakes, but these are their mistakes and they can live with them. If someone of the calibre and standing of senior Senator Edward Kennedy can be wrongly identified and experience difficulty in having his name removed from a "no fly" list, that's their business too.

The government of Canada assuredly has better things to do than lecture their neighbour on matters of their own perceived security, and sanctions they may place upon specific individuals.

Go away, Jack, find some legitimate matters to protest about.

Try, for example, getting a parliamentary quorum to represent the elected MPs in the House to draft a well-publicized condemnation of Iran for its Holocaust-denying conference, for its threat to extinguish the State of Israel from the Mideast geography. That would represent a refreshing change. It might also encourage people to feel there is some depth to your much-vaunted social values.

But truth is, I fear, you're much too comfortable in your irrelevance.