NDP MP Niki Ashton takes aim at the Broadbent Institute and her critics in a truly splendid Twitter "touché" moment.
Image via You Tube
Most folks on the left in Canada are aware of the intense -- if at times somewhat passive aggressive -- campaign that seems to have been launched by centrist New Democrats and "progressives" against NDP MP Niki Ashton over the last few days.
As I reported here on The Left Chapter, this started with a tweet from Broadbent Institute Executive Director Rick Smith that did not directly attack Ashton, but certainly indirectly did.
After this tweet the Corbyn-Ashton event was subjected to a number of attacks by pro-Israel groups, some parts of the mainstream media and other right wing New Democrats.
Ashton was also seemingly thrown under the bus by NDP HQ and leader Jagmeet Singh when a "spokesperson for NDP leader Jagmeet Singh told Postmedia that Ashton never asked the party for permission before agreeing to participate in the virtual conversation, and that the party found out about it shortly before it was posted on social media."
As sometimes happens, though, these attacks on Ashton unexpectedly led to a groundswell of anger and blowback.
Instead of backing down Ashton has stood firm, is proceeding with the planned event, and has even taken to left media to speak out.
The NDP has looked very poorly in all of this as this roundup style Facebook post outlines:
On March 11 the Broadbent Institute launched its "Progress Summit" and proudly tweeted out a typically milquetoast, faux kumbaya statement by Singh at the opening:
Of course, the hypocrisy and irony of this given what had just happened was hard to miss.
It was certainly not lost on Ashton:
Touché.
Already informed the Broadbent Institute that in response to Rick Smith's pathetic comments, I'll be pulling my monthly donation and sending to Palestinian solidarity groups instead. I'll be attending the Progress Summit as well.