Progressives Must 'Catch up' to Win in 2015

[Oscar]

Progressives Must 'Catch up' to Win in 2015, Says Broadbent Chief

[ http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/03/30/Progr ... ign=300315 ]

But other observers say NDP's fortunes rest on the Liberals.

By Jeremy J. Nuttall, March 30, 2015 TheTyee.ca

Canadian progressives have a plan to oust Stephen Harper in the 2015 federal election and it is starting to come together, said the executive director of the Broadbent Institute, a progressive think-tank named for former federal New Democrat leader Ed Broadbent.

Rick Smith spoke to The Tyee on Sunday after the institute's annual Progress Summit wrapped up in Ottawa. The three days of panels, speeches and mixers provided an opportunity for progressives to discuss politics and how to increase progressive power in Canada.

Though the institute doesn't officially endorse any party, its values and policies are often similar to the NDP's.

"Job number one is to criticize," Smith said, "to draw the curtain back on the craziness of the Conservative government's ideas, but also to formulate in a more coherent and positive way an exciting new progressive agenda."

The conservative movement's organizing efforts have consistently outdone those of the progressive side for the last 10 years, and progressives must "catch up" to gain power, he said.

The Progress Summit initially expected just 600 attendees and ended up drawing 900, which stretched the venue, a Delta hotel, to its limits, with people spilling out of conference room doors at some panels.

"Stephen Harper should take note of the fact that 900 highly skilled, highly motivated progressive activists got together in Ottawa and left today with a game plan," Smith said.

That game plan includes three themes: shared prosperity, a growing green energy sector and changes to Canada's democratic system, he said.

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