Today we learn, with some relief, that Chief Theresa Spence is on the brink of ending her hunger strike. Who is brokering her graceful exit?
Described as a seasoned mediator, the interim leader of a moribund party has been doing the heavy lifting. Chief Spence is likely to end her strike tomorrow. An exit strategy is being constructed as I write:
[The formal ending of the strike] will likely be followed by other ceremonial events that would include interim Liberal leader Bob Rae, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, and possibly Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo, if he gets the green light from his doctor to leave his sick bed.
They would sign a declaration to pursue Spence’s cause.
“We fully commit to carry forward the urgent and co-ordinated action required until concrete and tangible results are achieved in order to allow First Nations to forge their own destiny,” the preamble to the 13-point declaration reads in a draft obtained by CP.
Not so fast.
Tom Mulcair, Leader of the Official Opposition, can’t be bothered to attend, and will, therefore, not be signing the Declaration.
Mulcair has been ducking and weaving ever since the strike began. It’s been noticed. One senses the approval of the punditocracy, who have been virtually of one mind on Spence’s action and the Idle No More protests to which is is linked.
But sucking up to the Parliamentary Press Gallery as part of an electoral calculus isn’t leadership. It’s moral cowardice. Meanwhile the Liberals are capably filling the vacuum Mulcair has left, and threatening to rise from the dead. I doubt that I am the only NDPer left embarrassed and ashamed by this turn of events.
UPDATE: The strike will end tomorrow. Here is the text of the declaration.
