The president of Canada’s socialist New Democratic Party (NDP) said Canadian politics are “too white” in an interview on Saturday with the Great White North’s left-wing state broadcaster. Speaking with Chris Hall on CBC Radio’s The House, NDP president Rebecca Blaikie lamented what she described as a lack of racial and ethnic diversity within Canada’s political parties, advocating for informal racial and ethnic quotas to be implemented to address this shortcoming.
Asked about lessons learned by her party during Canada’s 2015 federal election, Blaikie called for her party to “diversify” its caucus and staff. A diligent left-wing host, Hall premised the question on the false axiom that “progressive” parties are inherently more diverse along racial and ethnic lines than their freedom and responsibility-oriented competitors.
You also talk about the need to diversify your staff and caucus. I’m struck by the because you’re a progressive party. Why has this bit come out as one of the things that you think needs to be done.
I think we need to, sometimes you just need to own things and say them out loud in order to do a better job at them. I think our politics around diversity are excellent, and it’s not always reflected in, you know, who’s at the table, so I just,” prevaricated Blaikie.
Blaikie’s tiptoeing prompted an interjection from Hall, getting down to the brass tacks of what “diversity” means to the left.
“Is the party too white?” asked Hall.
“I think the party’s too white,” said a relieved Blaikie, glad that Hall had opened the door for her. “I think all parties are too white, but, you know, so are we. Let’s say it out loud and start doing some better outreach in acknowledging that so that we can change the look of the look of the people around the table.”
Blaikie then praised the policies of her party pertaining to the recruitment of “candidates of color,” “indigenous candidates,” and “candidates living with disabilities.” She then called for the NDP’s consideration of racial and ethnic aspects of personhood to be expanded beyond mere candidate selection, and into all parts of her party.
Proceeding to examine policy changes to expand her party’s appeal, Blaikie spoke favorably of a neo-Marxist policy platform dubbed “The Leap Manifesto” by socialist couple Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein. Promoting economic retraction via new age Ludditism under the guise of “environmentalism,” the manifesto calls for an end to the burning of fossil fuels and free markets.
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