Smart move

It appears local MP John Rafferty has seen the light.
His reward? A position in the shadow cabinet of NDP leader Thomas Mulcair as the critic for the Northern Ontario Economic Development Initiative (better known as FedNor)—a key responsibility for our region given the recent Tory cuts to the program that surely will be sorely felt locally.
Mr. Rafferty, along with Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Bruce Hyer, had been punished by interim leader Nycole Turmel for supporting the Harper government by voting to kill the long-gun registry. Mr. Hyer abruptly quit the NDP caucus Monday morning when he was passed over for a shadow cabinet post, with Mr. Mulcair saying, “Bruce had . . . very clearly communicated to me that he wasn’t going to be bound by the decisions of caucus or of the party or anybody else.”
Presumably, Mr. Rafferty did communicate clearly that he would be bound by the decisions of caucus and hence was deemed sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant his new job as FedNor critic (having supported Mr. Mulcair in the recent leadership campaign no doubt helped, too).
“Toeing the party line” has become the most hated phrase in politics these days. But voters are naive in thinking otherwise and woe to the politician—regardless of their political stripe—who believes they can brush it aside without consequence. Caucus solidarity is the cornerstone of our parliamentary system which, as Mr. Mulcair put it, “might not be the best system in the world but it’s the only one we’ve got.”
The voters of Thunder Bay-Rainy River elected an NDP MP last May and Mr. Rafferty made the smart move to return to the party’s good graces. Our riding is better served having him at the table to voice, push for, and defend our interests in Ottawa.
He may not win every battle, but at least he’s not on the outside where he has no influence at all.