Ah yes, but for lack of another federalist choice not for any love of the party.
I don’t know why you’d think Mulcair has any dislike for the PLQ. It’s not the same party as the federal Liberals. Mulcair could certainly have joined Quebec Solidaire if he wanted to join a really left-wing organization. Quebec parties don’t map precisely to federal ones and in fact there is no provincial NDP there at all, as the party fell apart in a schizm between separatists and federalists. Such things are not uncommon; Jean Charest was a federal PC and became Premier of Quebec with the PLQ, with Tom Mulcair as one of his cabinet ministers.
All of which I’m aware of; but he did leave the PLQ for the NDP (it was even an issue used against him during his leadership race). The PLQ is a big tent party, but that’s still on the level of Ujjal Dosanjh and Bob Rae (in “turn-coating”). The fact that the leader of the opposition is still forced to vote for the party he left behind (the Quebec Liberals) is humourous to me.
Interestingly, the NDP of Quebec has been rebooted by the federal NDP two months ago.
…I also spelled “humorous” incorrectly 
Gosh, no, it’s not. I have to thoroughly, completely disagree. Those analogies are wrong.
Bob Rae was an NDP premier who became a Liberal MP. In his case he switched between two systems with exactly the same party arrangement. Ontario has both an NDP and a Liberal Party, and the federal government has the same parties. Rae actually could have stayed within the same party when he went from Toronto to Ottawa, and chose instead to completely switch. Dosanjh did precisely the same thing.
Mulcair and Charest, however, moved between governments with completely different party dynamics. If you are a staunch federalist, but NOT necessarily a Liberal, what party do you join in Quebec? You can’t join the PC party because there isn’t one, nor the NDP party because (at the time) there isn’t one. Instead, you usually join the Liberals, unless your politics are so extreme you want to join a fringe outfit.
Rae and Dosanjh legitimately abandoned the NDP. Mulcair hasn’t jumped ship on anyone; the QLP encompasses a different set of people.
You “thoroughly, completely disagree”?
There is a federal equivalent to Mulcair’s provincial party, the Liberal Party of Canada. Like the LPQ, the Grits are also a centrist “big tent” party that would have easily accommodated his jump to federal politics like they have done for many other politicians (He would have been given a “star candidate” label and a Quebec riding of his choice); however (for whatever reason) Mulcair chose to side with the federal NDP.
This is the same story as my given Rae and Dosanjh examples (despite your insistence that their political poaching is more legitimate); the NDP poached Mulcair in the same manner (fair and square).
Meanwhile, Ford has added Ben Johnson and one of the Trailer Park Boys to his campaign team. You can’t make this stuff up.
Okay, I’ve figured it out - Rob Ford is preparing for some kind of entertainment feature; reality tv show, movie, talk show, something like that.
He seems to be going for the “fuck you” constituency. The more people go on about him the tighter his core supporters seem to dig in.
But I’m in Ottawa so I only get the “look what the clown did today” type news about him. RickJay likely has a better view on it.
It’s very difficult at this point to explain anything about Rob Ford. He does something more bizarre and stupid every day. There has never really been anyone like him in Canadian politics.
Eventually, there will be a museum about him. I am imagining the circus music playing as you enter…
Like at the ballet, with a bear riding a small bicycle.
The Rob And Doug Ford Travelling Dog And Pony Show!
Yeah, I can see that, too. 
Bringing back freak shows to traditional side shows.
Just as long as you don’t add a cat to the dog and pony show. Because you know what Rob does with those … 
Thanks - I had just about got that mind picture of my head. :mad:
Given his size, he must eat a lot cat.
Breaking news - Former finance minister Jim Flaherty has died. That’s not a good thing for Canadian politics - as far as I know, he was a good politician and an excellent finance minister.
Wow. That was quick, he’d only just retired.
In retrospect I think he’ll be remembered for taxing Income trusts to much gnashing of teeth from the Conservatives’ core voting block. It was obviously the right thing to do.
Holy shit. That saddens me.