Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

‘I am not unfamiliar with politics’

by Aaron Wherry on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 3:33pm - 10 Comments

Brian Topp tackles questions about his political experience.

“I am certainly not unfamiliar with politics. I have not been elected to sit in an NDP caucus, but I have attended more NDP caucus meetings than any of the other prospective candidates who are thinking of standing,” Topp said Wednesday…

“I haven’t stood up in the House of Commons and read a question, but I have written many of them,” Topp said. “I was also in charge of what the government said in reply to them in the province of Saskatchewan for seven years, so I am not unfamiliar with politics.”

A question to which I do not, off the top of my head, have an answer: is there a precedent for a long-time party strategist proceeding directly to the position of party leader?

Tags: Brian Topp, NDP, NDP leadership

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Anonymous

The back room is quite different from the front bench. No, it doesn’t qualify him.

Anonymous

Doesn’t disqualify him though, does it?

Anonymous

No, it doesn’t disqualify him….however the number of backroom people who have gone on to become sucessful politicians is………..?

Anonymous

Hugh Segal might be the closest can think of.

Anonymous

And he never had electoral success …

AVR

Sounding weak, entitled and a tiny bit defensive. This’ll end well.
Anonymous

Of course I can fly the plane! I have seen a plethora of movies about pilots, Top Gun, Airplane, Airplane 2, and Snakes on a Plane, Con Air…

Have I ever actually flown one?

I haven’t flown a real plane, but I have a top notch flight simulator on my I-phone and I have assembled at least a half dozen model planes, so I am not unfamiliar with flying.

Anonymous

So you would like him as Opposition leader because he wouldn’t be a threat to Harper – is that your opinion?

http://tigeronpolitics.wordpress.com tigerinexile

John Tory.

That one worked out well, right?
Anonymous

“I haven’t stood up in the House of Commons and read a question, but I have written many of them,” Topp said. “I was also in charge of what the government said in reply to them in the province of Saskatchewan for seven years, so I am not unfamiliar with politics.”

This is what happens when you try to move from backroom to front bench – you make make it sound like the front bench don’t have any questions or answers themselves and are simply mouthpieces.