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Oilsands. The NDP leader initially professed support for a cross-Canada pipeline carrying Alberta crude to refineries on the East Coast, but began hedging when it emerged that voters in Quebec, the NDP’s base of support, were unenthused. Lately he’s been insisting his support depends on a “rigorous review process”, as if the many pipelines already operating in Canada were slapped up on a whim. Much of the Energy East pipeline is already in place and has been operating successfully for years; Mulcair’s backtracking suggests Quebec politics will have as much influence over his actions as will national interests.

[np_storybar title=”Canadians think they like Thomas Mulcair. But have they listened?” link=”http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/kelly-mcparland-canadians-think-they-like-thomas-mulcair-but-have-they-listened”]

The party that says to me, the government already collects enough of your money and should make do with what it has to work with, gets my vote.

The party that says to me, we are going to stay out of your lives, increase freedom of movement, gets my vote

The party that says, criminals should be locked up, and law abiding citizens left alone, gets my vote.

The party that says, unelected people should not have control over our lives, gets my vote.

The party that realizes continuity and stability are more necessary than change, gets my vote.

The party that ignores lobby groups, activists, and enviro-nuts, and makes decisions based upon what is best for the larger population, gets my vote.

It’s not hard, people, promise not to muck up my life, use my bank account as your personal slush fund, stop telling me you’re going to turn the world upside down for the sake of change, stop telling me, I need more governmental control in our everyday lives, and you can get my vote. -Mad Robert