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Rob Anders…

… is getting into the Pierre Polievre Stupidity Zone (PPSZ) when he makes comments like these:

I actually think one of the great stories that was missed by journalists was that Mr. Mulcair, with his arm twisted behind the scenes, helped to hasten Jack Layton’s death,” he told iPolitics’ Laura Stone.


The Conservatives quickly moved to distance themselves from their own MP, but have not announced any disciplinary action.

LOL! “…moved to distance themselves from their own MP…” Um. Can you distance yourself ENOUGH? I mean, the planet is only so big!

Tweet of the day on this by @stephenlautens:

@Nonanon_anon Rob Anders won by 28,600 (!) votes in 2011. I can only assume he ran against Clifford Olsen… #cdnpoli





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  1. Allan says:

    I’ll not apologize for Anders however there are some caveats to this story.

    It was never a secret Mulcair had ambitions to eventually run the federal NDP. He is an ambitious man. Something that can be said about any politician to one degree or another.

    Layton was suffering from an undisclosed cancer. That much was public prior to the election. Not sure of the actual timeline but it was around the time he went into hospital for surgery on his hip.
    I don’t need to remind you cancer patients require many things to attempt to get well/put into remission/cure the body from cancer. Some of which is mental well being and exercising good health practices.

    Having said that one must try to understand why the last election came about. A vote of non-confidence in the House. The reason for the vote is irrelevant but it is certain that it was not necessary at that time. The government was in a minority situation and a non-confidence vote could have happened at any time in the future over much more important reasons. What was never reported was the behind the scenes negotiations between the LPC and NDP over the necessity. I suspect, and this may have been what Anders was referring to, Mulcair was the diver behind the NDP supporting the non-confidence vote at that time.

    The last thing Layton needed in his weakened condition was to fight a federal election. Arguably one of the worse things a cancer patient could get himself embroiled into. From both a mental well being and healthy practice point of view.

    That begs the questions –
    Did having to involve himself in a federal election at that particular time while suffering from cancer hasten his ultimate death? I can only conclude the answer is yes.
    Did Mulcair lobby for the non-confidence vote over that specific issue knowing full well it would have an adverse effect upon Layton? I can only conclude no is the answer.
    Did Mulcair’s ambition to show himself to the NDP caucus as a leader material push concern for Layton’s health to the back burner? That is entirely likely.

    1. trashee says:

      Agreed Allan. But it is one thing to say that Mulcair is ambitious and that the election may have contributed to Layton’s death. But it’s quite another to say that A led to B which led to C.

      Don’t forget that Mulcair as leader wasn’t a foregone conclusion. He did have some serious competition and might not have won the leadership race.

      In any case, what Anders said was inexcusable. Crazy, really!

      1. Allan says:

        Ah but his ambition to be leader and his desire to seen as leadership material was important in the lead up to the leadership convention. Layton was going to resign in due course and Mulcair knew it. As it turned out he died.

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