The
political landscape of Canada has changed, potentially in an irrevocable
way. The Liberal Party, formerly Canada’s “natural governing party”,
has been reduced to a rump of 34 seats, having received only 19% of the
vote. The separatist Bloc Quebecois, which has dominated Quebec since
the party’s foundation 20 years ago, has been swept aside by the NDP’s
“orange wave” and has been left with only four seats. The New Democratic
Party, Canada’s labour party, has leapt into second place with a
record-breaking 102 seats, and 31% of the vote.

“A middle-aged nonentity, a
political failure outstripped by history – by the millions of Arabs
demanding freedom and democracy in the Middle East – died in Pakistan
yesterday. And then the world went mad.” (Robert Fisk, 3 May, 2011)

As
advanced capitalist countries embark on austerity programs, cutting
spending on health care, education, increasing tuition fees, etc.
Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution has massively increased spending in
health care, created hundreds of thousands of free university places and
stood up to the pressures of imperialism. Come to the HOV conference in London on Sat 21st May.