CINXE.COM
Better luck next time, Mr. Mulcair | Canada's National Observer: Climate News
<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" dir="ltr" prefix="og: https://ogp.me/ns#"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta name="description" content="Where did the NDP go wrong?" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10/21/opinion/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair" /> <meta name="robots" content="index, follow" /> <link rel="image_src" href="https://www.nationalobserver.com/sites/default/files/img/2015/10/20/mulcairelection.jpg" /> <meta name="author" content="Elizabeth McSheffrey" /> <meta name="rights" content="© 2024 Observer Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved." /> <link rel="icon" href="/themes/custom/cno/favicon.ico" /> <link rel="icon" sizes="192x192" href="/themes/custom/cno/images/icons/icon-192x192.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="114x114" href="/themes/custom/cno/images/icons/ios-iphone-114x114.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="/themes/custom/cno/images/icons/ios-ipad-144x144.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="152x152" href="/themes/custom/cno/images/icons/ios-ipad-152x152.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="180x180" href="/themes/custom/cno/images/icons/ios-iphone-180x180.png" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Canada's National Observer" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10/21/opinion/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Better luck next time, Mr. Mulcair" /> <meta property="og:description" content="Where did the NDP go wrong?" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.nationalobserver.com/sites/default/files/img/2015/10/20/mulcairelection.jpg" /> <meta property="og:updated_time" content="2015-10-22T11:11:04-07:00" /> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="49.2825" /> <meta property="article:publisher" content="https://www.facebook.com/nationalobserver" /> <meta property="article:published_time" content="2015-10-21T12:25:10-07:00" /> <meta property="article:modified_time" content="2015-10-22T11:11:04-07:00" /> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="1724385067775770" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Where did the NDP go wrong?" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@NatObserver" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Better luck next time, Mr. Mulcair" /> <meta name="twitter:site:id" content="17410863" /> <meta name="twitter:creator:id" content="592110789" /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://www.nationalobserver.com/sites/default/files/img/2015/10/20/mulcairelection.jpg" /> <meta name="google-site-verification" content="gQKtmXUZ7Oyms-lZzF7A0jKQm_Yl4Mm6QJJgCNyDKBo" /> <meta name="article:content_tier" content="metered" /> <meta name="smartbanner:title" content="CNO App" /> <meta name="smartbanner:author" content="Canada's National Observer" /> <meta name="smartbanner:price-suffix-apple" content="Get it in the App Store" /> <meta name="smartbanner:price-suffix-google" content="Get it on Google Play" /> <meta name="smartbanner:icon-apple" content="/themes/custom/cno/images/icons/icon-192x192.png" /> <meta name="smartbanner:icon-google" content="/themes/custom/cno/images/icons/icon-192x192.png" /> <meta name="smartbanner:button" content="View" /> <meta name="smartbanner:button-url-apple" content="https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/canadas-national-observer/id6469494497?utm_source=website&utm_medium=smart_banner&utm_campaign=default" /> <meta name="smartbanner:button-url-google" content="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.canadanationalobserver.android&utm_source=website&utm_medium=smart_banner&utm_campaign=default" /> <meta name="smartbanner:close-label" content="Close" /> <meta name="smartbanner:exclude-user-agent-regex" content="^((?!Chrome|Android|FxiOS|CriOS).)*Safari|Canvas" /> <meta name="smartbanner:enabled-platforms" content="android,ios" /> <meta name="Generator" content="Drupal 10 (https://www.drupal.org)" /> <meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" /> <meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <script type="text/javascript">dataLayer = [{"article_authors":"Elizabeth McSheffrey","article_type":"Opinion","article_special_report":"Canada's 2015 Federal Election Campaign"}];</script> <script type='text/javascript'> var googletag = googletag || {}; googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; // Add a place to store the slot name variable. googletag.slots = googletag.slots || {}; (function() { var useSSL = 'https:' == document.location.protocol; var src = (useSSL ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js'; var gads = document.createElement('script'); gads.async = true; gads.type = 'text/javascript'; gads.src = src; var node = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; node.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node); })(); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { // Start by defining breakpoints for this ad. var mapping = googletag.sizeMapping() .addSize([1200, 0], [[970, 250], [900, 250], [728, 90]]) .addSize([768, 0], [728, 90]) .addSize([0, 0], [[320, 50], [300, 250]]) .build(); googletag.slots["article_ad_top"] = googletag.defineSlot("/1086440/nat_article_ad_top", [[970, 250], [900, 250], [728, 90], [320, 50], [300, 250]], "js-dfp-tag-article_ad_top") .addService(googletag.pubads()) // Apply size mapping when there are breakpoints. .defineSizeMapping(mapping) ; }); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.pubads().enableAsyncRendering(); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(true); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script> <link rel="preload" as="image" href="/themes/custom/cno/images/no_logos/logo_header_sm.svg" /> <link rel="preload" as="font" href="/themes/custom/cno/fonts/proxima-nova/font/proxima-nova-regular/proxima-nova-regular.woff2" type="font/woff2" crossorigin="anonymous" /> <link rel="preload" as="font" href="/themes/custom/cno/fonts/proxima-nova/font/proxima-nova-bold/proxima-nova-bold.woff2" type="font/woff2" crossorigin="anonymous" /> <link rel="preload" as="font" href="/themes/custom/cno/fonts/proxima-nova/font/proxima-nova-extrabold/proxima-nova-extrabold.woff2" type="font/woff2" crossorigin="anonymous" /> <link rel="preload" as="font" href="/themes/custom/cno/fonts/noto_serif/font/noto-serif-700.woff2" type="font/woff2" crossorigin="anonymous" /> <link rel="preload" as="font" href="/themes/custom/cno/fonts/noto_serif/font/noto-serif-500.woff2" type="font/woff2" crossorigin="anonymous" /> <title>Better luck next time, Mr. Mulcair | Canada's National Observer: Climate News</title> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/default/files/css/css_gIzWJpvP2KgzsDMEt-HPm-XMHcv50dtRxIhCPkHZhEU.css?delta=0&language=en&theme=cno&include=eJx9UeFuhiAMfCGCj0QqVGXD1rR12_f2Q3EJbMn-cAe960GJLDglOQ8oHt7gy8XuIGUovDrdQWwGIpSp405farhPMyi6SDythWcoQe1VUB1-Wcn0_tPr2bozhwPMUEinhbkS32CoKMeaHS6H7_igmU8zJt9gdG8geBvUd3zQ1GfkWDBEkOT7zZjxqk70DYZKXXf19zr2PW1jUf_gUDtQlKlFdvweHuGnFryEQfNK5xEWlv2fUsh0X-pSpOUIBqvbsX7ZtORyjTXCYfnXZDaElGn1D97myGRIFkxOtZDQIBdtwZwwPLP506YmNLiliiBxa3fulQQfM4hv8A2AhPTC" /> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/default/files/css/css_4Heueh2SkFt54JM4mBk5s9vflQF8Pe6yPThtuYhoJ-E.css?delta=1&language=en&theme=cno&include=eJx9UeFuhiAMfCGCj0QqVGXD1rR12_f2Q3EJbMn-cAe960GJLDglOQ8oHt7gy8XuIGUovDrdQWwGIpSp405farhPMyi6SDythWcoQe1VUB1-Wcn0_tPr2bozhwPMUEinhbkS32CoKMeaHS6H7_igmU8zJt9gdG8geBvUd3zQ1GfkWDBEkOT7zZjxqk70DYZKXXf19zr2PW1jUf_gUDtQlKlFdvweHuGnFryEQfNK5xEWlv2fUsh0X-pSpOUIBqvbsX7ZtORyjTXCYfnXZDaElGn1D97myGRIFkxOtZDQIBdtwZwwPLP506YmNLiliiBxa3fulQQfM4hv8A2AhPTC" /> <script type="application/json" data-drupal-selector="drupal-settings-json">{"path":{"baseUrl":"\/","pathPrefix":"","currentPath":"node\/1175","currentPathIsAdmin":false,"isFront":false,"currentLanguage":"en"},"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"eJx9kuuSpCAMhV_IwkeiIqQxM0BcAjvj229Qq1tmuvaH5vKlDJyjyzw7zhVztbU0qdZjBYoyOSX-sdkK4chD5AWilbpHPGnGL4lYKxYrFHLb7INL-g-ylCNlPCfYo4VSycWzIQjFrc9P2ABp1scKhtRPJ20RV2jBcuDXhjfLEnuIx9gG-xfEeJsZ2le0kCHuehYZKYFWTtMF3Oc7FjlQft_nVt-A5y0mxwVnUuWL7jYffxqW3Ry3x--qMn3OvrRN0VVOgTlE7H7MoZvyozbwAd9jM00JPcH8oKhrjIOtEucp8UKRm59X6h54eXU4Y5dQfdatx8ks-enZvXHKVCdJ6uACOasL_a63epJdKqZ5AcGpkcrQxc8yX56rrMWbezFOtbpyEXPFgS2tVs7mDCPZ-_9lzjCQB3OX4AwDWRG8kjP8IpSDueLAMvxdoJgzDGTDIpzP693yYUZWKGi7q2Ju-TjDjlTnDswtH2b0ncQc738gLX88","theme":"cno","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":{"form_action_p_pvdeGsVG5zNF_XLGPTvYSKCf43t8qZYSwcfZl2uzM":true,"\/2015\/10\/21\/opinion\/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair?ajax_form=1":true,"\/search":true},"gtm":{"tagId":null,"settings":{"data_layer":"dataLayer","include_classes":false,"allowlist_classes":"","blocklist_classes":"","include_environment":false,"environment_id":"","environment_token":""},"tagIds":["GTM-K2JMB7M"]},"gtag":{"tagId":"","consentMode":false,"otherIds":[],"events":[],"additionalConfigInfo":[]},"onesignal":{"app_id":"0ad4182e-3ee8-4f3d-a52b-629db127e0c8","safari_web_id":"web.onesignal.auto.56640081-e0ac-44c5-9d26-db4b2624f604"},"piano":{"aid":"Z9bvuPACYA","site_resource_id":"RFS6P59","registration_resource_id":"RBKZO0Q","env":"production","endpoint":"https:\/\/buy.tinypass.com\/api\/v3","piano_id_url":"https:\/\/id.piano.io","tags":["node-type-article","metered-paywall","article","special_report_6","special_report_canada\u0027s_2015_federal_election_campaign"],"variables":{"drupal_user_role":"anonymous","node_type":"article","node_id":"1175"},"drupal_area":"public"},"data":{"extlink":{"extTarget":true,"extTargetNoOverride":false,"extNofollow":false,"extNoreferrer":true,"extFollowNoOverride":false,"extClass":"0","extLabel":"(link is external)","extImgClass":false,"extSubdomains":true,"extExclude":"","extInclude":"","extCssExclude":"","extCssExplicit":"","extAlert":false,"extAlertText":"This link will take you to an external web site. We are not responsible for their content.","mailtoClass":"0","mailtoLabel":"(link sends email)","extUseFontAwesome":false,"extIconPlacement":"append","extFaLinkClasses":"fa fa-external-link","extFaMailtoClasses":"fa fa-envelope-o","whitelistedDomains":[]}},"node_id_hash":"VmJv9F3YY9pBSARP6PjdRZSQoXtPu4Nb6UCL3g4Po8E","ajax":{"edit-submit-mailchimp-signup-subscribe-block-inline-signup-form-form":{"wrapper":"form-container","callback":"cno_newsletter_form_submit_ajax","effect":"fade","event":"mousedown","keypress":true,"prevent":"click","url":"\/2015\/10\/21\/opinion\/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair?ajax_form=1","httpMethod":"POST","dialogType":"ajax","submit":{"_triggering_element_name":"op","_triggering_element_value":"Sign up"}}},"ckeditor5Premium":{"isMediaInstalled":true},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"fe5f8f132fbd55b7ffb9575455a197ce2dcc47a996b86928241167130fac3678"}}</script> <script src="/sites/default/files/js/js_jyZaOE_Q7JE1lJcAx9SWxnjnAoBcJcK1eA_au-alUkg.js?scope=header&delta=0&language=en&theme=cno&include=eJxtUFtuxCAMvBCCIyEHXOJdY1IM2s3tSzZVk1T5QJ5hPH4FKV7wpYytYXUH9EpJ-uJzicAmjLQF1hcwu4VgsDDgBOGpNxqXRHL_X3q7EbRPGipNeNGOYa6WPXoQ4LVRUJPLRFx6dEVwGxvY43vYNkDxkGeK6CGq-cs7OUioGc1Q2wQi4xZbzxPfZnCJyzRyta2MakYTJnm6WPsCbH-pSaUkRt8gudTylUL6zy084G06jf22VUWdzlDRb6XUnrAJpaIj2Rezj--OdbVfpebPeRJkN55XTBmlHTetl-IzQsRq9_AD7o3J4Q"></script> <script src="/modules/contrib/google_tag/js/gtm.js?smgolr"></script> <script src="/modules/contrib/google_tag/js/gtag.js?smgolr"></script> <script src="/sites/default/files/js/js_KDqjNSIw0g_V3GVVKMXj4Bfqmnk7OyQIcD26fqsla-8.js?scope=header&delta=3&language=en&theme=cno&include=eJxtUFtuxCAMvBCCIyEHXOJdY1IM2s3tSzZVk1T5QJ5hPH4FKV7wpYytYXUH9EpJ-uJzicAmjLQF1hcwu4VgsDDgBOGpNxqXRHL_X3q7EbRPGipNeNGOYa6WPXoQ4LVRUJPLRFx6dEVwGxvY43vYNkDxkGeK6CGq-cs7OUioGc1Q2wQi4xZbzxPfZnCJyzRyta2MakYTJnm6WPsCbH-pSaUkRt8gudTylUL6zy084G06jf22VUWdzlDRb6XUnrAJpaIj2Rezj--OdbVfpebPeRJkN55XTBmlHTetl-IzQsRq9_AD7o3J4Q"></script> </head> <body class="body-sidebars-none route--entity-node-canonical node-type--article logged-out header-variant--default has-broadcast-header"> <a href="#main-content" class="visually-hidden focusable"> Skip to main content </a> <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-K2JMB7M" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <div class="dialog-off-canvas-main-canvas" data-off-canvas-main-canvas> <div> <header class="cno-header cno-header__scroll-sensitive sticky top-0 left-0 right-0 z-50 font-proxima" data-onscroll-change-attribute="style" data-onscroll-change-value="height: 200px; margin-bottom: 148px;" > <div class="cno-header__broadcast paywall-showonloggedout paywall-showonnoaccess"> <div id="site-broadcast-inner" class="flex items-center overflow-hidden h-full max-w-none"> </div> </div> <div class="cno-header__container cno-header__scroll-sensitive p-15px 2xs:p-30px mb-30px xl1:pb-0 bg-white border-0 border-b-2 xl1:border-b-0 border-gray-100 border-solid" data-onscroll-change-attribute="style" data-onscroll-change-value="padding-top: 10px;" > <div class="cno-header__inner cno-header__scroll-sensitive max-w-cno mx-auto flex justify-between flex-wrap items-center" data-onscroll-change-attribute="style" data-onscroll-change-value="border-bottom: 2px solid #222222;" > <div class="cno-header__top cno-header__scroll-sensitive basis-full flex flex-wrap justify-between items-center xl1:items-stretch xl1:pb-15px border-0 xl1:border-b-8 border-gray-100 border-solid" data-onscroll-change-attribute="style" data-onscroll-change-value="padding-bottom: 0; border: none;" > <button id="cno-header--mobileNavBarToggler" class="cno-header__toggle-button mr-3 p-0 text-3xl w-30px h-30px text-left bg-[transparent] border-none xl1:hidden" aria-controls="mainNav" aria-expanded="false" data-toggle-class="is-visible" > <i class="toggle-icon_default fal fa-bars text-black" style="pointer-events:none" aria-hidden="true"></i> <i class="toggle-icon_expanded far fa-xmark text-black" style="pointer-events:none" aria-hidden="true"></i> </button> <div class="cno-header__logo m-0 mr-auto basis-20 md2:basis-[150px] xl1:basis-[270px]"> <a href="/" class="cno-header__branding-link"> <span class="sr-only">Link to home page</span> <img class="cno-header__scroll-sensitive w-20 md2:w-[150px] xl1:w-[270px]" src="/themes/custom/cno/images/no_logos/logo_header.svg" alt="Canada's National Observer logo" data-onscroll-change-attribute="src" data-onscroll-change-value="/themes/custom/cno/images/no_logos/logo_header_sm.svg" /> </a> </div> <div class="cno-header__buttons hidden xl1:flex xl1:justify-end xl1:items-end xl1:gap-[10px]"> <div class="paywall-showonloggedout"> <a class="cno-button cno-button--small border border-solid border-gray-100 hover:border-gray-800 transparent hover:bg-gray-800 text-gray-100 hover:text-gray-100 js-piano-login" href="#" title=""> Log in </a> </div> <div class="paywall-showonloggedin hidden"> <a class="cno-button cno-button--small border border-solid border-gray-100 hover:border-gray-800 transparent hover:bg-gray-800 text-gray-100 hover:text-gray-100" href="/subscription/account" title="Manage your account"> Account </a> </div> <div class="paywall-showonloggedin xl1:hidden"> <a class="cno-button cno-button--small border border-solid border-gray-100 hover:border-gray-800 transparent hover:bg-gray-800 text-gray-100 hover:text-gray-100 js-piano-logout" href="#" title=""> Log out </a> </div> </div> <div class="cno-header__buttons--mobile xl1:hidden"> <div class="paywall-showonloggedout paywall-showonnoaccess"> <a class="cno-button cno-button--small bg-red hover:bg-red-100 text-white hover:text-white" href="/subscribe" title=""> Subscribe </a> </div> <div class="paywall-showonaccess"> <a class="cno-button cno-button--small bg-green-300 hover:bg-green-301 text-black hover:text-white" href="/donate" title=""> Donate </a> </div> </div> </div> <section class="cno-navbar"> <nav id="mainNav" class="cno-navbar--default cno-navbar__wrapper" role="navigation"> <div class="paywall-showonloggedout xl1:!hidden inline-block"> <a class="cno-button cno-button--small border border-solid border-gray-100 hover:border-gray-800 transparent hover:bg-gray-800 text-gray-100 hover:text-gray-100 js-piano-login mt-5 mb-10" href="#" title=""> Log in </a> </div> <ul class="cno-navbar__menu"> <li class="cno-navbar__item"> <a href="/opinion" title="Opinion" aria-haspopup=false class="cno-navbar__link">Opinion</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__item"> <a href="/analysis" title="Analysis" aria-haspopup=false class="cno-navbar__link">Analysis</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__item"> <a href="/sections/climate-solutions-reporting" title="Climate Solutions" aria-haspopup=false class="cno-navbar__link">Climate Solutions</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__item"> <a href="/special-reports" title="Special reports" aria-haspopup=false class="cno-navbar__link">Special reports</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__item cno-navbar__item--submenu-parent"> <a href="/podcasts" title="Podcasts" aria-haspopup=true class="cno-navbar__link">Podcasts</a> <ul class="cno-navbar__submenu" role="menu"> <li class="cno-navbar__submenu__item"> <a href="/podcast/mortal-giants" title="Mortal Giants" class="cno-navbar__submenu__link">Mortal Giants</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__submenu__item"> <a href="/podcast/slick-science" title="Slick Science" class="cno-navbar__submenu__link">Slick Science</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__submenu__item"> <a href="/podcast/poison-detectives" title="The Poison Detectives" class="cno-navbar__submenu__link">The Poison Detectives</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__submenu__item"> <a href="/podcast/road" title="The Road" class="cno-navbar__submenu__link">The Road</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__submenu__item"> <a href="/podcast/salmon-people" title="The Salmon People" class="cno-navbar__submenu__link">The Salmon People</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__submenu__item"> <a href="/podcast/race-against-climate-change" title="Race Against Climate Change" class="cno-navbar__submenu__link">Race Against Climate Change</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__submenu__item"> <a href="/podcast/hot-politics" title="Hot Politics" class="cno-navbar__submenu__link">Hot Politics</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__submenu__item"> <a href="/podcast/maxed-out" title="Maxed Out" class="cno-navbar__submenu__link">Maxed Out</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__item cno-navbar__item--submenu-parent"> <a href="/newsletters" title="Newsletters" aria-haspopup=true class="cno-navbar__link">Newsletters</a> <ul class="cno-navbar__submenu" role="menu"> <li class="cno-navbar__submenu__item"> <a href="/newsletters/zero-carbon" title="Zero Carbon-Chris Hatch" class="cno-navbar__submenu__link">Zero Carbon-Chris Hatch</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__submenu__item"> <a href="/newsletters/maxed-out" title="Maxed Out-Max Fawcett" class="cno-navbar__submenu__link">Maxed Out-Max Fawcett</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__submenu__item"> <a href="/newsletter" title="Canada's Climate Daily" class="cno-navbar__submenu__link">Canada's Climate Daily</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__submenu__item"> <a href="/newsletters/canadas-climate-weekly" title="Canada's Climate Weekly" class="cno-navbar__submenu__link">Canada's Climate Weekly</a> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__item"> <a href="/news" title="News" aria-haspopup=false class="cno-navbar__link">News</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__item"> <a href="/about/team" title="Team" aria-haspopup=false class="cno-navbar__link">Team</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__item"> <a href="/canadas-national-observer" title="About" aria-haspopup=false class="cno-navbar__link">About</a> </li> <li class="cno-navbar__item"> <a href="https://static.nationalobserver.com/partner/" title="Advertise" aria-haspopup=false class="cno-navbar__link">Advertise</a> </li> </ul> <div class="cno-navbar__item cno-navbar__search-link_mobile"> <a class="cno-navbar__link" href="/search">Search</a> </div> <div class="paywall-showonloggedin xl1:!hidden inline-block"> <a class="cno-button cno-button--small border border-solid border-gray-100 hover:border-gray-800 transparent hover:bg-gray-800 text-gray-100 hover:text-gray-100 js-piano-logout mt-5 mb-10" href="#" title=""> Log out </a> </div> </nav> </section> <div class="views-exposed-form block block-views block-views-exposed-filter-blocksearch-page-main mt-20px xl1:mt-10px cno-header__scroll-sensitive flex max-w-cno grow max-xl1:hidden hidden" data-drupal-selector="views-exposed-form-search-page-main" id="searchForm"> <h2 class="sr-only">Search</h2> <form action="/search" method="get" id="views-exposed-form-search-page-main" accept-charset="UTF-8"> <div class="form--inline clearfix"> <div class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textfield form-item-k js-form-item-k form-no-label"> <label for="edit-k" class="visually-hidden">Search</label> <input placeholder="Search for..." data-drupal-selector="edit-k" type="text" id="edit-k" name="k" value="" size="30" maxlength="128" class="form-text" /> </div> <div data-drupal-selector="edit-actions" class="form-actions js-form-wrapper form-wrapper" id="edit-actions--2"><button data-twig-suggestion="search_results_submit" data-drupal-selector="edit-submit-search" type="submit" id="edit-submit-search" value="Search" class="button js-form-submit form-submit"> <i class="far fa-search"></i> <span class="sr-only">Search</span> </button> </div> </div> </form> </div> <button id="cno-header--searchFormToggler" class="cno-header__toggle-button hidden xl1:block align-self-end bg-[transparent] border-none p-0 pb-5px mt-5 text-2xl cursor-pointer" aria-controls="searchForm" aria-expanded="false" data-toggle-class="hidden" data-additional-aria-controls="mainNav" data-additional-toggle-class="xl1:hidden" > <i class="toggle-icon_default far fa-magnifying-glass" style="pointer-events:none" aria-hidden="true"></i> <i class='toggle-icon_expanded far fa-xmark' style="pointer-events:none" aria-hidden="true"></i> </button> </div> </div> </header> <section class="pre-content" id="pre-content"> <div> <div data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden messages-list"></div> </div> </section> <main id="main" class="page-main page-main--full-width"> <section id="content"> <div id="content-area"> <div> <article class="node-article node node--type-article node--view-mode-full" id="site-main"> <header class="heading heading--article relative mb-45px page-header"> <div class="heading__text-container mb-40px md2:mb-70px max-w-cno mx-auto"> <div class="heading__inner"> <div class="heading__content mx-auto max-w-cno5"> <div class="heading__content-top px-5 2xs:mt-30px 2xs:px-10 lg2:px-0"> <h1 class="heading__title m-0 mb-15px font-bold text-3xl font-noto leading-39 md2:text-38px lg2:text-48px"> <span> Better luck next time, Mr. Mulcair</span> </h1> <div class="byline font-proxima 2xs:flex 2xs:flex-wrap 2xs:items-center text-lg"> <div class="authors flex flex-wrap items-center [&_a]:no-underline [&_ul]:flex [&_ul]:flex-wrap [&_ul]:items-center [&_ul]:m-0 [&_ul]:p-0 [&_li]:list-none byline__authors"><span class="mr-4px">By</span><ul><li><a href="/u/elizabeth-mcsheffrey">Elizabeth McSheffrey</a></li></ul> </div> <div class="terms flex flex-wrap items-center [&_a]:no-underline [&_ul]:flex [&_ul]:flex-wrap [&_ul]:items-center [&_ul]:m-0 [&_ul]:p-0 [&_li]:list-none byline__terms"> <ul><li> <a href="/opinion"> Opinion </a> </li><li> <a href="/sections/politics"> Politics </a> </li></ul> </div> <div class="byline__date flex flex-wrap items-center">October 21st 2015</div> </div> <div class="special-report-badge overflow-hidden my-35px pt-25px border-0 border-t border-solid border-blue text-md text-gray-600"> #207 of 220 articles from the Special Report: <span class="font-bold"><a href="/special-reports/canadas-2015-federal-election-campaign" hreflang="en">Canada's 2015 Federal Election Campaign</a></span> </div> <div class="heading__share heading__bottom mt-25px md2:mt-10"> <div class="share-links share-links--sm share-links--gray-black"> <h2 class="share-links--label sr-only mt-0">Share this article</h2> <ul class="share-links--list"> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--twitter flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10/21/opinion/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair&text= Better luck next time, Mr. Mulcair&via=NatObserver" title="Share on X" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-x-twitter"></i> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--linkedin flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10/21/opinion/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair&title= Better luck next time, Mr. Mulcair&source=Canada's National Observer&summary="From the beginning, this election was about change,” Tom Mulcair told a teary-eyed crowd of orange supporters in Montreal on Oct. 19. His election night headquarters were quiet on Monday as Justin Trudeau’s Liberals celebrated their victory at the nearby Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel. The NDP leader — once poised to be Canada’s next prime minister — lost more than half of his seats in the House of Commons to the Liberal tide that washed over Canada. The party also lost its Official Opposition status to the Conservatives, who finished with 99 seats to their 44. It was a biting end." title="Share on LinkedIn" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-linkedin-in"></i> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--reddit flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10/21/opinion/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair&title= Better luck next time, Mr. Mulcair" title="Submit this post on Reddit" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-reddit-alien"></i> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--whatsapp flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://wa.me/?text=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10/21/opinion/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair" title="Share via WhatsApp" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-whatsapp"></i> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--email flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="/forward/node/1175" title="Email to a friend" target="_blank"> <i class="fas fa-envelope"></i> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="heading__lead-media relative mx-auto max-w-cno9 [&_img]:h-auto"> <div class="heading__media-wrapper [&_img]:w-full [&_img]:align-top"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-lead-media"> <picture> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_1x/public/img/2015/10/20/mulcairelection.jpg?itok=gJ4ZcW4U 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_2x/public/img/2015/10/20/mulcairelection.jpg?itok=juvVCCzv 2x" media="all and (min-width: 1024px)" type="image/jpeg" width="1200" height="675"/> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_md_1x/public/img/2015/10/20/mulcairelection.jpg?itok=G14urq2t 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_md_2x/public/img/2015/10/20/mulcairelection.jpg?itok=bICsgoUc 2x" media="all and (min-width: 768px)" type="image/jpeg" width="800" height="450"/> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xs_1x/public/img/2015/10/20/mulcairelection.jpg?itok=mzmE2f5t 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xs_2x/public/img/2015/10/20/mulcairelection.jpg?itok=GVc460id 2x" media="all and (min-width: 430px)" type="image/jpeg" width="475" height="267"/> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xxs_1x/public/img/2015/10/20/mulcairelection.jpg?itok=crDeucK6 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xxs_2x/public/img/2015/10/20/mulcairelection.jpg?itok=U129U1mm 2x" media="all and (max-width: 429px)" type="image/jpeg" width="400" height="225"/> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_1x/public/img/2015/10/20/mulcairelection.jpg?itok=gJ4ZcW4U" width="1200" height="675" alt="Tom Mulcair, NDP, 2015 federal election, orange wave, orange crush" title="NDP leader Tom Mulcair at a rally in Vancouver" /> </picture> </article> </div> <div class="heading__lead-caption absolute left-0 right-0 mx-auto max-w-cno bottom-0 lg1:bottom-5"> <div class="heading__lead-caption__inner text-gray-1000 ml-auto mr-auto py-7px bg-black/70 text-sm leading-5 [&>p:first-child]:mt-0 [&>p:last-child]:mb-0 [&_a]:text-gray-1000 [&_a:hover]:text-gray-1000 [&_a]:underline [&_a:hover]:no-underline [&_a:focus]:no-underline [&_a:active]:no-underline lg1:px-2.5 lg1:text-sm2 lg1:leading-5 px-10 max-w-cno5"> NDP leader Tom Mulcair at a campaign rally in Vancouver, B.C. on Oct. 17, 2015. Photo by Elizabeth McSheffrey. </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="node-article__content-wrapper max-w-cno mx-auto"> <div class="node-article__content divide-x-0 divide-y divide-solid divide-gray-900"> <div class="node-article__main-content-wrapper relative"> <article class="node-article__main-content node-page__content mb-10 font-noto text-19px leading-31 px-5 2xs:px-10 lg1:max-w-body_text lg1:mx-auto lg1:px-0"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__items article__body"><div class="content"><div class="article-body-section"><p>"From the beginning, this election was about change,” Tom Mulcair told a teary-eyed crowd of orange supporters in Montreal on Oct. 19. His election night headquarters were quiet on Monday as Justin Trudeau’s Liberals <a href="https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10/19/news/trudeau-romps-majority-government">celebrated their victory</a> at the nearby Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel.</p> <p>The NDP leader — once poised to be Canada’s next prime minister — lost more than half of his seats in the House of Commons to the Liberal tide that washed over Canada. The party also lost its Official Opposition status to the Conservatives, who finished with 99 seats to their 44.</p><div class="newsletter-inline-signup-wrapper paywall-showonloggedout"><div class="newsletter-signup-form-container" id="signup-form-container-mailchimp-signup-subscribe-block-inline-signup-form-form"><div class="form-prefix"><h4>Get daily news from <span>Canada's National Observer</span></h4></div><form class="mailchimp-signup-subscribe-form form-inline" data-drupal-selector="mailchimp-signup-subscribe-block-inline-signup-form-form" action="/2015/10/21/opinion/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair" method="post" id="mailchimp-signup-subscribe-block-inline-signup-form-form" accept-charset="UTF-8"> <div class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-email form-item-email js-form-item-email form-no-label"> <label for="edit-email" class="visually-hidden js-form-required form-required">Email</label> <input autocomplete="email" class="js-newsletter-signup-email form-email required" placeholder="Your email address" data-drupal-selector="edit-email" type="email" id="edit-email" name="email" value size="60" maxlength="254" required="required" aria-required="true"> </div><div id="mailchimp-response-mailchimp_signup_subscribe_block_inline_signup_form_form-wrapper"></div><input data-drupal-selector="form-cq2k3estxctgtecharytojmrqr2pdrbjzfwrkbrtkju" type="hidden" name="form_build_id" value="form-cQ2k3esTxcTgTeCHaRyToJmRQR2pdRbJzFwRkbrTKjU"><input data-drupal-selector="edit-mailchimp-signup-subscribe-block-inline-signup-form-form" type="hidden" name="form_id" value="mailchimp_signup_subscribe_block_inline_signup_form_form"><input data-drupal-selector="edit-signup-interest-group" type="hidden" name="signup_interest_group" value="26781fc3e2"><div data-drupal-selector="edit-actions" class="form-actions js-form-wrapper form-wrapper" id="edit-actions"><input data-drupal-selector="edit-submit-mailchimp-signup-subscribe-block-inline-signup-form-form" type="submit" id="edit-submit-mailchimp-signup-subscribe-block-inline-signup-form-form" name="op" value="Sign up" class="button js-form-submit form-submit"></div></form></div></div> <p>It was a biting end.</p></div><div class="ad-wrapper top-ad-wrapper paywall-showonloggedout"><div class="dfp-tag" id="js-dfp-tag-article_ad_top"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_ad_top'); }); </script></div></div><div class="article-body-section"> <p>But Mulcair acknowledged what was, inherently, a victory for nearly 70 per cent of Canadians who <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/2163676/most-canadians-want-change-poll-shows-even-if-it-means-a-minority-government/">polled in support of a government swap</a> in Ottawa at the start of the election campaign. After all, the NDP fought fiercely for 78 days with orange “Stop Harper” signs, and that is precisely what happened.</p> </div><div class="article-body-section"><p>“Tonight, Canadians have turned the page on 10 long years and have rejected the politics of fear and division,” he told his audience, promising to put the new government’s feet to the fire in the interest of all Canadians, particularly women and minorities.</p> <p>Somehow, his words didn’t capture the disappointment that comes with losing every NDP incumbent in Atlantic Canada, a 48-seat reduction in Quebec, and the first race in Canadian history that could have produced an NDP government.</p> <p>Was Mulcair's early success simply too good to be true?</p></div><div class="article-body-section"> <p>There are several theories behind his jump from first to last place in the polls under the wire, turning what was once the rolling 'orange crush' into the into the toppling 'orange crash.'</p> </div><div class="article-body-section"><figure role="group" class="align-center"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-embedded"> <picture> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_1x/public/img/2015/07/02/screen_shot_2015-07-02_at_1.16.19_pm.png?itok=HTSyZ8x1 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_2x/public/img/2015/07/02/screen_shot_2015-07-02_at_1.16.19_pm.png?itok=gXRaCaEH 2x" media="all and (min-width: 1024px)" type="image/png" width="1142" height="518"> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_md_1x/public/img/2015/07/02/screen_shot_2015-07-02_at_1.16.19_pm.png?itok=OH554Ll- 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_md_2x/public/img/2015/07/02/screen_shot_2015-07-02_at_1.16.19_pm.png?itok=csdVJGzO 2x" media="all and (min-width: 768px)" type="image/png" width="800" height="363"> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xs_1x/public/img/2015/07/02/screen_shot_2015-07-02_at_1.16.19_pm.png?itok=ycz4RIwH 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xs_2x/public/img/2015/07/02/screen_shot_2015-07-02_at_1.16.19_pm.png?itok=YWGmSeqD 2x" media="all and (min-width: 430px)" type="image/png" width="475" height="215"> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xxs_1x/public/img/2015/07/02/screen_shot_2015-07-02_at_1.16.19_pm.png?itok=pjk003tz 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xxs_2x/public/img/2015/07/02/screen_shot_2015-07-02_at_1.16.19_pm.png?itok=iLe8YRHC 2x" media="all and (max-width: 429px)" type="image/png" width="400" height="181"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_1x/public/img/2015/07/02/screen_shot_2015-07-02_at_1.16.19_pm.png?itok=HTSyZ8x1" width="1142" height="518" alt="Mulcair, Canadian politics, Canadian prime minister, Federal election, Federal election 2015" title="Mulcair illustration by Victor Juhasz"> </picture> </article><figcaption>Mulcair illustration by Victor Juhasz</figcaption></figure> <h2>Identity crisis</h2> <p>The NDP have always been Canada’s progressive party, reaching for the political left under the banner of democratic socialism. In 2011 however, when late leader <a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2014/12/01/can-ndp-repeat-2011-win">Jack Layton launched the party</a> into the role of Official Opposition, the NDP started inching towards the centre to identify with a wider Canadian audience.</p> <p>And it worked — under Mulcair’s leadership, the party grew more powerful through its slight political shift. But according to University of Toronto political science professor Chris Cochrane, the move created a branding issue the NDP couldn’t fix.</p> <p>“The reality is one thing, but that narrative was another,” he told <em>National Observer.</em> “The narrative in this election was that the Liberal Party had outflanked the NDP and became <em>the</em> party for progressive Canadians.”</p> <p>Despite the fact that the NDP ran a relatively strong progressive platform (emphasizing child care, the environment, minimum wages, and corporate taxes), he said the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-liberals-infrastructure-deficits-1.3205535">Liberals’ promise</a> to run three straight deficits caught voters and pundits off-guard.</p> <p>“The message that the NDP couldn’t effectively counter was the argument that there was something inherently progressive about running deficits,” he explained.</p> <blockquote><p>“At that point, the NDP didn’t really have an identity. They didn’t have an identity as the party most likely to defeat Stephen Harper and they didn’t have an identity — which really is unheard of in Canadian politics — of being the progressive force in the political landscape.”</p></blockquote> <h2>Underestimating Justin Trudeau </h2> <p>But the NDP also made the same baseline mistake as the Conservative Party in <a href="https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10/13/news/sit-back-relax-and-enjoy-elxn42-twitter" target="_blank">#elxn42</a> by underestimating the viability of Justin Trudeau.</p> <p>The young leader’s political reputation increased exponentially over the course of the 78-day campaign, said former NDP organizer Gerry Caplan — in part due to the low expectations people had of him from the very beginning.</p> <p>“The results of the first debate were not what everyone expected,” the policy analyst explained. “Mulcair, who had been so wonderful in the House of Commons, somehow did not come off as well, and Trudeau — who was barely able to show up in short pants — in fact, performed perfectly well.”</p> <figure role="group" class="align-center"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-embedded"> <picture> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_1x/public/img/2015/10/20/trudeauglobe.jpg?itok=6N1qtFsR 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_2x/public/img/2015/10/20/trudeauglobe.jpg?itok=IFMRhQuq 2x" media="all and (min-width: 1024px)" type="image/jpeg" width="850" height="479"> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_md_1x/public/img/2015/10/20/trudeauglobe.jpg?itok=vcWe7HbD 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_md_2x/public/img/2015/10/20/trudeauglobe.jpg?itok=0Xvi_cq4 2x" media="all and (min-width: 768px)" type="image/jpeg" width="800" height="451"> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xs_1x/public/img/2015/10/20/trudeauglobe.jpg?itok=bfOIIfaC 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xs_2x/public/img/2015/10/20/trudeauglobe.jpg?itok=9IB_jyXw 2x" media="all and (min-width: 430px)" type="image/jpeg" width="475" height="268"> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xxs_1x/public/img/2015/10/20/trudeauglobe.jpg?itok=-rYAIEdt 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xxs_2x/public/img/2015/10/20/trudeauglobe.jpg?itok=CESZgr9C 2x" media="all and (max-width: 429px)" type="image/jpeg" width="400" height="225"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_1x/public/img/2015/10/20/trudeauglobe.jpg?itok=6N1qtFsR" width="850" height="479" alt="Justin Trudeau, Liberal Party, Globe and Mail leader's debate" title="Justin Trudeau and the Globe debate"> </picture> </article><figcaption>Liberal leader Justin Trudeau at the Globe and Mail leaders' debate on Sept. 17, 2015. Photo by Canadian Press.</figcaption></figure> <p>The Liberals had nowhere to go but up from there. Combine Trudeau’s charisma and flashy presentation with a timid, ‘better safe than sorry’ NDP platform, and you have a perfect opportunity for the Liberals to capitalize on the rhetoric historically associated with the New Democrats.</p> <p>Lowballing Trudeau — and by extension the Liberal campaign — was a mistake the NDP should never have made, according to public affairs consultant and former journalist Robin Sears.</p> <p>“There wasn’t anything particularly progressive about the Liberal platform,” he told <em>National Observer. </em>“The degree to which the Liberals always play the stunt of campaigning from the left and governing from the right goes back to Mackenzie King.”</p> <p>It was a predictable move, especially given that Mulcair's party had branded itself as less "radical" than the NDP of old, with its focus on a balanced budget. Trudeau was able to present himself as the “more effective Harper killer,” said Sears, and the orange crush started its steady crash into the shoreline.</p> <blockquote><p>“They underestimated Trudeau, as many people including most of the media did,” he explained. “That’s always a mistake, and as a result, they didn’t attack him sufficiently, strongly early enough to blunt his momentum.”</p></blockquote> <p>And there's something else the NDP failed to attack sufficiently that ultimately contributed to their third-place finish: the race-baiting politics of Stephen Harper and his Tory campaigners.</p> <h2>The niqab debate</h2> <p>“The niqab was the final nail in coffin,” Caplan confirmed. With Quebec as his primary base of power, Mulcair had much more to lose from the niqab plank than his rival Liberals.</p> <p>It’s a province where <a href="https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCYQFjABahUKEwi2tIqai9TIAhUKOYgKHYjqD6E&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theglobeandmail.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fquebec-unveils-plan-for-controversial-charter-of-values%2Farticle14214307%2F&usg=AFQjCNG7IUEHA4a2Ms9C2IGXxn4XfLePgQ&sig2=45M_mHijUxBOTQNelek37A" target="_blank">contention with all things religious</a> is at its highest in Canada, and in 2011, the NDP snagged most of its Quebec seats from the Bloc Québécois. Keeping those Bloc voters, who are generally<a href="http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/thomas-mulcair-took-a-bold-stand-on-the-niqab-it-may-ruin-him/" target="_blank"> more susceptible to anti-niqab rhetoric</a>, meant taking a strong stance against the niqab during the oath-swearing at Canadian citizenship ceremonies.</p> <figure role="group" class="align-center"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-embedded"> <picture> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_1x/public/img/2015/10/21/zunera_ishaq.jpg?itok=f3E1em7Q 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_2x/public/img/2015/10/21/zunera_ishaq.jpg?itok=-_XiJiGm 2x" media="all and (min-width: 1024px)" type="image/jpeg" width="850" height="478"> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_md_1x/public/img/2015/10/21/zunera_ishaq.jpg?itok=4hgdWlAn 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_md_2x/public/img/2015/10/21/zunera_ishaq.jpg?itok=HiczirtH 2x" media="all and (min-width: 768px)" type="image/jpeg" width="800" height="450"> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xs_1x/public/img/2015/10/21/zunera_ishaq.jpg?itok=QcYdcDre 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xs_2x/public/img/2015/10/21/zunera_ishaq.jpg?itok=yfxEC_k- 2x" media="all and (min-width: 430px)" type="image/jpeg" width="475" height="267"> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xxs_1x/public/img/2015/10/21/zunera_ishaq.jpg?itok=-KKZM8OQ 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xxs_2x/public/img/2015/10/21/zunera_ishaq.jpg?itok=YNv4TP6P 2x" media="all and (max-width: 429px)" type="image/jpeg" width="400" height="225"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_1x/public/img/2015/10/21/zunera_ishaq.jpg?itok=f3E1em7Q" width="850" height="478" alt="Zunera Ishaq, niqab, niqab debate, Canadian citizenship ceremony" title="Zunera Ishaq becomes a Canadian citizen, Canadian Press"> </picture> </article><figcaption>Zunera Ishaq became a Canadian citizen while wearing a niqab on Oct. 9, 2015. Photo by Canadian Press.</figcaption></figure> <p>Mulcair waffled.</p> <p>"I am in agreement with the existing rule under which anyone seeking citizenship must uncover their face to identify themselves before swearing the oath, in accordance with their religious beliefs," he said during a mid-September speech in Montreal.</p> <p>He later continued to tell audiences that “no one has the right to tell a woman what she must — or must not — wear,” and <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-mulcair-niqab-quebec-debate-1.3240341" target="_blank">confirmed to the CBC</a> that an NDP government would not pursue the issue with the Supreme Court of Canada.</p> <p>The orange leader has already come under fire for <a href="http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/whos-the-real-election-flip-flopper/" target="_blank">political pandering</a> during the election campaign amidst accusations of changing his message for French and English audiences.</p> <p>But he stuck to his guns on the niqab debate. It was a courageous gamble that didn’t pay off.</p> <blockquote><p>“Once it was widely apparent that the NDP was losing its Quebec base, the prospect of the NDP being the party most likely to get rid of Harper suddenly collapsed totally,” said Caplan.</p></blockquote> <p>Mulcair should have gone after Harper more vehemently for playing race-baiting games during the election, added Spears.</p> <p>“The niqab was a very successful example of race and ethnic politics of the type we hadn’t seen in Canada before,” he said. “I don’t think the NDP or the Liberals were as effective in crushing the Tories for such use of toxic messaging as they should have been.”</p> <p>Perhaps the niqab really was the nail in the coffin or perhaps Mulcair’s Quebec coalition was unsustainable and doomed to fall apart at one point or another. Either way, NDP support dropped in the polls from the moment the Conservatives played the niqab card.</p> <h2>A bright orange future</h2> <p>Yet despite what would genuinely seem an 'orange crash' in Monday's election, it's important to note that the NDP still had its second best result in history: they retained 44 seats in the House of Commons, captured 19.71 per cent of the vote, and ran a campaign with more female and Indigenous candidates than any other party has ever done before.</p> <figure role="group" class="align-center"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-embedded"> <picture> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_1x/public/img/2015/10/21/seatcountfedelection.png?itok=NEjzhOgA 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_2x/public/img/2015/10/21/seatcountfedelection.png?itok=McpR7dIG 2x" media="all and (min-width: 1024px)" type="image/png" width="850" height="613"> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_md_1x/public/img/2015/10/21/seatcountfedelection.png?itok=EES7k4-2 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_md_2x/public/img/2015/10/21/seatcountfedelection.png?itok=EpLtTp16 2x" media="all and (min-width: 768px)" type="image/png" width="800" height="577"> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xs_1x/public/img/2015/10/21/seatcountfedelection.png?itok=gXZ5beJq 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xs_2x/public/img/2015/10/21/seatcountfedelection.png?itok=xcvfMX3R 2x" media="all and (min-width: 430px)" type="image/png" width="475" height="343"> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xxs_1x/public/img/2015/10/21/seatcountfedelection.png?itok=9tKMgBNd 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_xxs_2x/public/img/2015/10/21/seatcountfedelection.png?itok=l7VZlta3 2x" media="all and (max-width: 429px)" type="image/png" width="400" height="288"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_lg_1x/public/img/2015/10/21/seatcountfedelection.png?itok=NEjzhOgA" width="850" height="613" alt="2015 federal election, House of Commons, election results, seat count, NDP, Liberals, Conservative" title="Final seat count after the 2015 federal election, Canadian Press"> </picture> </article><figcaption>2015 federal election results. Graphic by Canadian Press.</figcaption></figure> <p>At his quiet party in Montreal on Oct. 19, Mulcair thanked his candidates and supporters for their hard work, and outlined what promises to be a very bright future for the NDP in the House of Commons.</p> <p>“We will be unwavering in our pursuit of better health care for Canadians, we wil stand strong in our fight against climate change, and to protect our land, air and water," he said.</p> <p>“We will be resolute in our efforts to build a true nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. It’s on these priorities and many more that New Democrats will make real, lasting progress in this new parliament.”</p> <p>When it comes to the prospect of future government leadership, the NDP still have a good chance. Their support won't be skyrocketing any time soon, said Cochrane, but after months of chronically underestimating Trudeau, Canadians' expectations of the new prime minister will be high.</p> <p>If the Liberal leader fails to deliver, the disappointment will be historic.</p> <blockquote><p>“If he disappoints people, and [it's] inevitable he will at some point — if he isn’t the progressive candidate that a lot of New Democratic voters hope that he is, this makes more room for the NDP to be the progressive voice for Canadian politics,” he explained.</p></blockquote> <p>It's all about political identity: left, right, centre, conservative and progressive.</p> <p>"Increasingly, people speak about Canadian politics in these terms,” Cochrane told <em>National Observer. </em>“To the extent that the parties are able to tap into that, I think they’ll succeed. If they run bland campaigns and lack identity in these terms, I think they run the risk of experiencing exactly what the New Democrats did in this election.”</p></div></div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node-article__contributors pt-30px pb-5 px-5 2xs:px-10 lg1:max-w-body_text lg1:mx-auto lg1:px-0"> <div class="node-article__date text-sm2 text-gray-600"> October 21st 2015 </div> <div class="node-article__contributor [&>.person-card]:mt-2.5 [&>.person-card]:mb-5"> <article class="person-card person-card--article_footer flex [&_a]:no-underline [&_a]:text-blue [&_a:hover]:blue-100 [&_a:focus]:blue-100"> <div class="person-card__image [&_img]:w-60px [&_img]:h-60px [&_img]:object-cover mr-2.5"> <a class="transition-colors" href="/u/elizabeth-mcsheffrey"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-headshot"> <img src="/sites/default/files/styles/person_headshot_xs_2x/public/img/2017/05/29/170523-ate-elizabeth_mcsheffrey_-_team_profile-1.jpg?itok=CZ2-SQes" width="140" height="140" loading="lazy" /> </article> </a> </div> <div class="person-card__info leading-5"> <div class="person-card__name"> <a class="transition-colors" href="/u/elizabeth-mcsheffrey"> Elizabeth McSheffrey </a> </div> <div class="person-card__twitter-link text-sm2"> <a href="https://www.twitter.com/emcsheff" target="_blank" title="Follow Elizabeth McSheffrey on X" > @emcsheff </a> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> <div class="piano-container-article-footer !border-none lg1:max-w-body_text lg1:mx-auto [&>div>div]:mt-20px [&>div>div]:mb-60px"> <div id="piano-container-article-footer" class="piano-container js-piano-container piano-container--inline"> </div> </div> <div class="px-5 2xs:px-10 lg1:max-w-body_text lg1:mx-auto lg1:px-0"> <div class="keep-reading pt-30px pb-10"> <h2 class="keep-reading__title font-proxima text-32px mt-0 mb-6">Keep reading</h2> <div class="keep-reading__article-teasers [&>.article-card:not(:last-of-type)]:mb-60px"> <article class="article-card article-card--keep_reading font-proxima sm:flex sm:flex-row"> <div class="article-card__image-container mb-5 sm:mb-0 sm:mr-[20px] md2:mr-[30px] basis-[200px] shrink-0 [&_img]:w-full [&_img]:h-auto"> <a href="/2015/10/19/news/mulcair-finishes-campaign-emotional-note"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-keep-reading"> <picture> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/article_card_keep_reading_sm_1x/public/img/2015/10/08/21848134528_f6a731fe65_o.jpg.jpeg?itok=aWFf3Nvr 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/article_card_keep_reading_sm_2x/public/img/2015/10/08/21848134528_f6a731fe65_o.jpg.jpeg?itok=EetGi-fN 2x" media="all and (min-width: 640px)" type="image/jpeg" width="200" height="135"/> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/article_card_keep_reading_xs_1x/public/img/2015/10/08/21848134528_f6a731fe65_o.jpg.jpeg?itok=vZQrlL7W 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/article_card_keep_reading_xs_2x/public/img/2015/10/08/21848134528_f6a731fe65_o.jpg.jpeg?itok=qCbHrsef 2x" media="all and (min-width: 430px)" type="image/jpeg" width="560" height="370"/> <source srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/article_card_default_xxs_1x/public/img/2015/10/08/21848134528_f6a731fe65_o.jpg.jpeg?itok=5XjU_Tec 1x, /sites/default/files/styles/article_card_default_xxs_2x/public/img/2015/10/08/21848134528_f6a731fe65_o.jpg.jpeg?itok=fmi6z3Uz 2x" media="all and (max-width: 429px)" type="image/jpeg" width="400" height="267"/> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/article_card_keep_reading_sm_1x/public/img/2015/10/08/21848134528_f6a731fe65_o.jpg.jpeg?itok=aWFf3Nvr" width="200" height="135" alt="Tom Mulcair at NDP rally - NDP photo" title="Tom Mulcair at NDP rally - NDP photo" /> </picture> </article> </a> </div> <div class="article-card__content"> <h2 class="article-card__title text-2xl leading-28 hover:text-gray transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out m-0 p-0 mb-2.5"> <a href="/2015/10/19/news/mulcair-finishes-campaign-emotional-note"> Mulcair finishes campaign on emotional note </a> </h2> <div class="byline font-proxima 2xs:flex 2xs:flex-wrap 2xs:items-center article-card__byline text-sm text-gray-600 mb-2.5 leading-5 [&_a:link]:text-gray-600 [&_a:visited]:text-gray-600 [&_a:hover]:text-gray-100 [&_a:active]:text-gray-100 [&_a:focus]:text-gray-100"> <div class="authors flex flex-wrap items-center [&_a]:no-underline [&_ul]:flex [&_ul]:flex-wrap [&_ul]:items-center [&_ul]:m-0 [&_ul]:p-0 [&_li]:list-none byline__authors [&_a:link]:text-gray-600 [&_a:visited]:text-gray-600 [&_a:hover]:text-gray-100 [&_a:active]:text-gray-100 [&_a:focus]:text-gray-100"><span class="mr-4px">By</span><ul><li><a href="/u/canadian-press">The Canadian Press</a></li></ul> </div> <div class="terms flex flex-wrap items-center [&_a]:no-underline [&_ul]:flex [&_ul]:flex-wrap [&_ul]:items-center [&_ul]:m-0 [&_ul]:p-0 [&_li]:list-none byline__terms"> <ul><li> <a href="/news"> News </a> </li></ul> </div> <div class="byline__date flex flex-wrap items-center">October 19th 2015</div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> <div class="node-article__share-links pt-5 pb-30px px-5 2xs:px-10 lg1:max-w-body_text lg1:mx-auto lg1:px-0"> <div class="share-links share-links--lg share-links--colored share-links--collapsed has-label"> <h2 class="share-links--label mt-0">Share this article</h2> <ul class="share-links--list"> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--twitter social-link--has-label flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://twitter.com/share?url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10/21/opinion/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair&text= Better luck next time, Mr. Mulcair&via=NatObserver" title="Share on X" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-x-twitter"></i> <span class="social-link__label">Share on X</span> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--linkedin social-link--has-label flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10/21/opinion/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair&title= Better luck next time, Mr. Mulcair&source=Canada's National Observer&summary="From the beginning, this election was about change,” Tom Mulcair told a teary-eyed crowd of orange supporters in Montreal on Oct. 19. His election night headquarters were quiet on Monday as Justin Trudeau’s Liberals celebrated their victory at the nearby Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel. The NDP leader — once poised to be Canada’s next prime minister — lost more than half of his seats in the House of Commons to the Liberal tide that washed over Canada. The party also lost its Official Opposition status to the Conservatives, who finished with 99 seats to their 44. It was a biting end." title="Share on LinkedIn" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-linkedin-in"></i> <span class="social-link__label">Share on LinkedIn</span> </a> </li> </ul> <ul class="share-links--list__secondary list-none m-0 p-0 flex overflow-hidden collapsed"> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--reddit flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10/21/opinion/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair&title= Better luck next time, Mr. Mulcair" title="Submit this post on Reddit" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-reddit-alien"></i> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--whatsapp flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://wa.me/?text=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/10/21/opinion/better-luck-next-time-mr-mulcair" title="Share via WhatsApp" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-whatsapp"></i> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--email flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="/forward/node/1175" title="Email to a friend" target="_blank"> <i class="fas fa-envelope"></i> </a> </li> </ul> <div class="share-links--list__toggle toggle--lg"> <i class="fal fa-circle-plus"></i> </div> </div> </div> <div class="px-5 2xs:px-10 lg1:max-w-body_text lg1:mx-auto lg1:px-0"> <div class="comments py-30px"> <h2 class="comments__title font-proxima text-32px mt-0 mb-6">Comments</h2> <section class="comments field field--name-field-comments-article field--type-comment field--label-hidden comment-wrapper"> <div class="comments__links text-lg leading-24"> <div class="paywall-showonloggedout"> <a class="font-bold text-red hover:text-red-100 underline" href="/subscribe">Subscribe</a> to join the conversation. Already a subscriber? <span class="font-bold text-blue hover:text-blue-100 underline js-piano-login cursor-pointer" href="#">Log in</span>. </div> <div class="comments__cta mb-16"> <div class="paywall-showonsubaccess"> <a href="/comment/reply/node/1175/field_comments_article" class="cno-button cno-button--large text-white hover:text-white rounded-full bg-blue hover:bg-blue-600">Post a comment</a> </div> <div class="paywall-showonnoaccess"> You need an active subscription to post a comment. <a class="font-bold text-blue hover:text-blue-100 underline" href="/subscribe">Update your subscription</a>. </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </section> </main> <footer class="cno-footer bg-gray-100 mt-20 p-5 pt-10 2xs:px-10"> <div class="cno-footer__inner max-w-cno mx-auto"> <div class="cno-footer__top mb-10 pb-2.5 border-0 border-b border-solid border-gray-500"> <h2 class="text-center md2:text-left m-0 mb-6 text-lg"> <a class="text-white text-lg leading-6 no-underline hover:text-blue" href="/subscribe"> Support award-winning independent journalism with your subscription today </a> </h2> <ul class="cno-footer__awards grid md2:grid-cols-2 lg2:grid-cols-4 gap-5 p-0 mt-0 mb-30px list-none"> <li class="first"> <figure class="nat-award flex items-start my-0 ml-auto mr-auto w-[300px] md2:w-auto"> <img class="nat-award__logo w-70px h-70px mr-5" loading="lazy" src="/themes/custom/cno/images/awards/caj.svg" alt="Canadian Association of Journalists Awards"> <figcaption class="nat-award__text"> <ul class="m-0 p-0 list-none"> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Finalist</li> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Canadian Association of Journalists</li> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Data journalism award</li> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Human rights reporting award</li> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Outstanding investigative journalism</li> </ul> </figcaption> </figure> </li> <li class="first"> <figure class="nat-award flex items-start my-0 ml-auto mr-auto w-[300px] md2:w-auto"> <img class="nat-award__logo w-70px h-70px mr-5" loading="lazy" src="/themes/custom/cno/images/awards/michener.png" alt="Michener Award"> <figcaption class="nat-award__text"> <ul class="m-0 p-0 list-none"> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Winner</li> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Michener Award</li> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Meritorious public service journalism</li> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white"><a href="/2020/05/06/news/michener-award-honours-tainted-water-investigation">2019</a> & <a href="/2017/06/14/news/national-observer-honoured-prestigious-michener-awards-ceremony">2016</a></li> </ul> </figcaption> </figure> </li> <li class="first"> <figure class="nat-award flex items-start my-0 ml-auto mr-auto w-[300px] md2:w-auto"> <img class="nat-award__logo w-70px h-70px mr-5" loading="lazy" src="/themes/custom/cno/images/awards/nna.webp" alt="National Newspaper Award"> <figcaption class="nat-award__text"> <ul class="m-0 p-0 list-none"> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Winner</li> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">National Newspaper Award</li> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Columns (2021)</li> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Business reporting (2016)</li> </ul> </figcaption> </figure> </li> <li class="first"> <figure class="nat-award flex items-start my-0 ml-auto mr-auto w-[300px] md2:w-auto"> <img class="nat-award__logo w-70px h-70px mr-5" loading="lazy" src="/themes/custom/cno/images/awards/cfj.webp" alt="Canadian Journalism Foundation"> <figcaption class="nat-award__text"> <ul class="m-0 p-0 list-none"> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Finalist</li> <li class="text-xs leading-18 text-gray first:text-white first:font-bold [&:nth-child(2)]:font-bold [&>a]:text-gray [&>a:hover]:text-white">Canadian Journalism Foundation Award for Climate Solutions Reporting</li> </ul> </figcaption> </figure> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="cno-footer__bottom lg2:grid lg2:grid-cols-2 lg2:grid-rows-3"> <div class="cno-footer__bottom--primary lg2:col-span-1 lg2:row-span-1 lg2:flex"> <div class="cno-footer__logo mb-5 lg2:basis-[150px] lg2:mr-5 lg2:ml-0 lg2:mb-0"> <a href="/" class="w-[150px] h-14 block ml-auto mr-auto"> <img loading="lazy" alt="Canada's National Observer" class="w-[150px] h-14" src="/themes/custom/cno/images/no_logos/logo_footer.svg"></img> </a> </div> <nav class="cno-footer__nav text-md mb-5 lg2:mb-0 lg2:mt-[-4px] lg2:basis-[45%] lg2:ml-60px lg2:mr-auto"> <ul class="m-0 p-0 text-center lg2:text-left list-none"> <li class="lg2:inline-block lg2:float-left lg2:w-1/2"> <a class="no-underline text-gray visited:text-gray whitespace-nowrap hover:text-white" href="/about/jobs" title="">Jobs</a> </li> <li class="lg2:inline-block lg2:float-left lg2:w-1/2"> <a class="no-underline text-gray visited:text-gray whitespace-nowrap hover:text-white" href="/about/freelance" title="">Freelance for Us</a> </li> <li class="lg2:inline-block lg2:float-left lg2:w-1/2"> <a class="no-underline text-gray visited:text-gray whitespace-nowrap hover:text-white" href="/about/masthead" title="">Masthead</a> </li> <li class="lg2:inline-block lg2:float-left lg2:w-1/2"> <a class="no-underline text-gray visited:text-gray whitespace-nowrap hover:text-white" href="https://static.nationalobserver.com/partner/" title="">Advertise </a> </li> <li class="lg2:inline-block lg2:float-left lg2:w-1/2"> <a class="no-underline text-gray visited:text-gray whitespace-nowrap hover:text-white" href="/search" title="">Search</a> </li> <li class="lg2:inline-block lg2:float-left lg2:w-1/2"> <a class="no-underline text-gray visited:text-gray whitespace-nowrap hover:text-white" href="/help" title="">Help</a> </li> <li class="lg2:inline-block lg2:float-left lg2:w-1/2"> <a class="no-underline text-gray visited:text-gray whitespace-nowrap hover:text-white" href="/about/trust-project" title="">The Trust Project</a> </li> <li class="lg2:inline-block lg2:float-left lg2:w-1/2"> <a class="no-underline text-gray visited:text-gray whitespace-nowrap hover:text-white" href="/contact" title="">Contact</a> </li> <li class="lg2:inline-block lg2:float-left lg2:w-1/2"> <a class="no-underline text-gray visited:text-gray whitespace-nowrap hover:text-white" href="/ethics" title="">Ethics</a> </li> <li class="lg2:inline-block lg2:float-left lg2:w-1/2"> <a class="no-underline text-gray visited:text-gray whitespace-nowrap hover:text-white" href="/terms" title="">Terms</a> </li> <li class="lg2:inline-block lg2:float-left lg2:w-1/2"> <a class="no-underline text-gray visited:text-gray whitespace-nowrap hover:text-white" href="/privacy" title="">Privacy</a> </li> <li class="lg2:inline-block lg2:float-left lg2:w-1/2"> <a class="no-underline text-gray visited:text-gray whitespace-nowrap hover:text-white" href="/user/login" title="">Admin</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> <div class="cno-footer__bottom--secondary lg2:col-start-2 lg2:col-end-3 lg2:row-start-1 lg2:row-end-4"> <div class="cno-footer__cta mb-25px flex flex-col items-center lg2:flex-row lg2:mb-2.5 lg2:flex-wrap lg2:justify-end [&>a]:lg2:ml-15px [&>a]:mb-5"> <a class="cno-button cno-button--large bg-red hover:bg-red-100 text-white hover:text-white min-w-[116px]" href="/subscribe" title="subscribe button"> Subscribe </a> <a class="cno-button cno-button--large bg-blue-900 hover:bg-blue-901 text-white hover:text-white min-w-[116px]" href="/newsletter" title="newsletter button"> Newsletter </a> <a class="cno-button cno-button--large bg-green-300 hover:bg-green-301 text-black hover:text-white min-w-[116px]" href="/donate" title="donate button"> Donate </a> </div> <div class="cno-footer__app-links"> <span>Download our app</span> <div class="cno-footer__app-links__link"> <a class="cno-button cno-button--large border border-solid border-white bg-transparent hover:bg-transparent text-white hover:text-white min-w-[116px]" href="https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/canadas-national-observer/id6469494497" title="Download our app from the App Store"> <i class="fab fa-apple"></i>App Store </a> <img class="qr-code-image" title="Scan this code to download our app from the App Store" alt="App QR code" src="/themes/custom/cno/images/misc/qr/ios_app_store_qr.min.png" /> </div> <div class="cno-footer__app-links__link"> <a class="cno-button cno-button--large border border-solid border-white bg-transparent hover:bg-transparent text-white hover:text-white min-w-[116px]" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.canadanationalobserver.android" title="Download our app from Google Play"> <i class="fab fa-google-play"></i>Google Play </a> <img class="qr-code-image" title="Scan this code to download our app from Google Play" alt="App QR code" src="/themes/custom/cno/images/misc/qr/google_play_qr.min.png" /> </div> </div> <div class="cno-footer__links mb-5 lg2:text-right"> <div class="cno-footer__social"> <ul class="flex gap-[8px] justify-center lg2:justify-end p-0 m-0 list-none share-links--lg share-links--gray-medium"> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--facebook flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://www.facebook.com/nationalobserver" title="Follow us on Facebook" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-facebook-f"></i> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--twitter flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://twitter.com/NatObserver" title="Follow us on X" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-x-twitter"></i> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--youtube flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://www.youtube.com/nationalobserver" title="Subscribe to our YouTube channel" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-youtube"></i> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--instagram flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://instagram.com/natobserver/" title="Follow us on Instagram" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-instagram"></i> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--tiktok flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@nationalobserver" title="Follow us on TikTok" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-tiktok"></i> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--linkedin flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-observer" title="Follow us on LinkedIn" target="_blank"> <i class="fab fa-linkedin-in"></i> </a> </li> <li> <a class="social-link social-link--rss flex justify-center items-center rounded-full" href="https://www.nationalobserver.com/front/rss" title="Subscribe to our RSS feed" target="_blank"> <i class="fas fa-rss"></i> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="cno-footer__bottom--tertiary lg2:col-span-1 lg2:row-start-2 lg2:row-end-3"> <div class="cno-footer__other-logos lg2:mt-[40px]"> <div class="cno-footer__other-logo w-[210px] ml-auto mr-auto my-10 lg2:mb-5 lg2:mt-0 lg2:ml-0"> <a href="/about/trust-project"> <img class="w-full" title="National Observer is a member of the Trust Project Consortium" loading="lazy" src="/themes/custom/cno/images/misc/Trust-Logo-Horizontal-White.svg" alt="Trust Project logo"> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="cno-footer__copyright mb-5 flex items-end text-sm2 text-gray text-center lg2:col-span-1 lg2:row-start-3 lg2:row-end-4 lg2:text-left lg2:mt-[-65px]"><span>© Observer Media Group 2024</span></div> </div> </div> </footer> </div> </div> <script src="/sites/default/files/js/js_WcT1cpdJdF2t0TMVs-Zemtgj83fH3FtKABerlTGSVv0.js?scope=footer&delta=0&language=en&theme=cno&include=eJxtUFtuxCAMvBCCIyEHXOJdY1IM2s3tSzZVk1T5QJ5hPH4FKV7wpYytYXUH9EpJ-uJzicAmjLQF1hcwu4VgsDDgBOGpNxqXRHL_X3q7EbRPGipNeNGOYa6WPXoQ4LVRUJPLRFx6dEVwGxvY43vYNkDxkGeK6CGq-cs7OUioGc1Q2wQi4xZbzxPfZnCJyzRyta2MakYTJnm6WPsCbH-pSaUkRt8gudTylUL6zy084G06jf22VUWdzlDRb6XUnrAJpaIj2Rezj--OdbVfpebPeRJkN55XTBmlHTetl-IzQsRq9_AD7o3J4Q"></script> <script src="https://cdn.tinypass.com/api/tinypass.min.js" async></script> <script src="/sites/default/files/js/js_8UZ5ORMWg05eqUUBSh0fZRWLUcyVd3Fb4MPXOIua0PY.js?scope=footer&delta=2&language=en&theme=cno&include=eJxtUFtuxCAMvBCCIyEHXOJdY1IM2s3tSzZVk1T5QJ5hPH4FKV7wpYytYXUH9EpJ-uJzicAmjLQF1hcwu4VgsDDgBOGpNxqXRHL_X3q7EbRPGipNeNGOYa6WPXoQ4LVRUJPLRFx6dEVwGxvY43vYNkDxkGeK6CGq-cs7OUioGc1Q2wQi4xZbzxPfZnCJyzRyta2MakYTJnm6WPsCbH-pSaUkRt8gudTylUL6zy084G06jf22VUWdzlDRb6XUnrAJpaIj2Rezj--OdbVfpebPeRJkN55XTBmlHTetl-IzQsRq9_AD7o3J4Q"></script> <script src="https://cdn.onesignal.com/sdks/web/v16/OneSignalSDK.page.js" defer></script> <script src="/sites/default/files/js/js_Kp6jEFSsnzcXJ50WSpoVBSPldkzcmrd97YjiYQUqZ98.js?scope=footer&delta=4&language=en&theme=cno&include=eJxtUFtuxCAMvBCCIyEHXOJdY1IM2s3tSzZVk1T5QJ5hPH4FKV7wpYytYXUH9EpJ-uJzicAmjLQF1hcwu4VgsDDgBOGpNxqXRHL_X3q7EbRPGipNeNGOYa6WPXoQ4LVRUJPLRFx6dEVwGxvY43vYNkDxkGeK6CGq-cs7OUioGc1Q2wQi4xZbzxPfZnCJyzRyta2MakYTJnm6WPsCbH-pSaUkRt8gudTylUL6zy084G06jf22VUWdzlDRb6XUnrAJpaIj2Rezj--OdbVfpebPeRJkN55XTBmlHTetl-IzQsRq9_AD7o3J4Q"></script> </body> </html>