Article content

With just over two weeks before the federal election, several points appear to be emerging.

The New Democrats have been given their star turn as a potential government, but have not made it. Their leader, Thomas Mulcair, has avoided the pink scare — deservedly, as he is not an extremist — but New Democrats, who can sometimes run a province more or less competently, have too many hare-brained ideas to be entrusted with the federal government. Its budget plan of insignificant tax rises, bountiful increases in social spending and a balanced budget, won’t fly. The positions of the Conservatives (balancing the budget through spending restraint) and of the Liberals (modest deficits for spending on infrastructure), are at least plausible.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Conrad Black: The NDP still isn’t ready, but it turns out Trudeau may be Back to video

The NDP’s foreign policy has all of the party’s usual hobbling foibles, which are not relevant at the provincial level. Mulcair advocates complete avoidance of any military role in opposing ISIL, as if Canada were neutral in a contest between a savage gang of rabid sectarian torturers and decapitators of civilians, on the one hand, and almost every other civilized country on the other. Dispensing aid to victims is necessary, but as Prime Minister Stephen Harper, especially has forcefully responded, giving humanitarian assistance and training local forces and going on the odd bombing mission in the same week does not overstretch this country’s talents at multi-tasking. (Canada flies about two per cent of the Allied missions, and avoids over-straining the wings of our venerable CF-18’s.)