Basically it seems like your position is that the NDP are better off being perpetually on the outside than to live in the real world and deal with political realities so that they can take part in setting the agenda. You seem to feel like implementing the carbon tax and emissions cap and phase-out of coal aren't worth having if you can't get your way on pipelines as well. That's just not a realistic approach.
-k
Partly correct. NDP used to talk a good game but I think I'm switching to Greens both provincially and federally from here on in. I used to consider it a waste of a vote but I'm starting to feel the same way about the NDP. I have huge respect for Elizabeth May for getting arrested protesting KM and Andrew Weaver, as much as I don't like some of the things he says, seems to be the only one serious about the environment and housing.
What I don't like about this attitude of 'half-ass efforts from federal government and provincial NDP's are better than no effort' is that it's procrastinating. I had a baby a little while ago and needed to get my butt back in shape. I could say maybe I'll start skipping dessert and down the line I'll eat better and after that I'll start exercising but why wait? Sure enough, 5 months later I'm there instead of it taking 2 years if I went at it at a slug level.
No pain, no gain but in the long run it's worth it.
Lastly, I feel more strongly about KM than I do some of the other projects because of the threat it poses to our waterways. 20 years ago was the time to act on climate change and the more every government mucks around 'waiting' the more I'm starting to give up on any kind of hope that anything will ever come of it.
But as you know, I'm very much for animal rights. I don't eat them, I respect them and their lives. We've never had this huge of shipments passing through our waters and we don't even know if we are capable of cleaning up a mess should something happen.
I don't want to risk the lives of all the animals living in this ecosystem just because we're too lazy to start putting some serious efforts (not half baked) into renewable sources of energy.