Let's give Jenica Atwin the benefit of the doubt

Not sure what surprised me the most – the Canadiens taking the Leafs out in the first round of the playoffs or Jenica Atwin crossing the floor to become a Liberal. Both seem so unnatural, and I can say without a moment of hesitation – Didn’t see either of those coming. 

The Leafs I don’t want to talk about, but Jenica – why not?  

As was to be expected, social media has been abuzz, and also as expected, not all comments have been nice, or fair.  

Screen capture from CBC website

I’m surprised with her decision, but I will give her the benefit of the doubt. No question she was a rising star in the Green Party, but under new leader Annamie Paul the federal party seems awash with in-fighting and with no sense of momentum from the last election where they increased their vote count, even though it only translated to three seats. So being a rising star in a party that doesn’t appear on the verge of going anywhere isn’t really much of a prize.  

But back to the social media criticisms , they seem to have taken three routes – those who accuse Jenica of being opportunistic, those who feel betrayed because they voted for a Green, and those who call her an anti-Semite.  

That last one is particularly unfair. Some may think it’s weird that a political situation in the Middle East is even a factor to a party in Canada, but it’s not just her comment on Israel that prompted her decision. After she called out Israel’s airstrikes in Gaza as apartheid against Palestinians, a senior advisor in Paul’s office declared on Facebook that the Greens would work to see her defeated next election, and the silence to that from the leader was hardly supportive or reassuring. In that environment, who wouldn’t consider moving? 

As for her position, only the most partisan or ill-informed would call her anti-Semite for taking it. The Middle East is complicated to say the least. Israel’s enemy Hamas is a terrorist organization. But Israel under just defeated Prime Minister Netanyahu had become more extremist. In order to get re-elected in recent elections he had to appeal to far-right factions for support. It would be kind of like the Conservatives or Liberals here teaming up with The Proud Boys as part of a coalition, and then adopting policies that will keep them happy. In Israel, that included bombing innocent people. 

Screen capture from The Daily Gleaner website

I don’t know what the stats are for Canadian Jews, but according to the Pew Research Centre only 40% of the Jewish people in the U.S. support what Netanyahu was doing in regards to the Palestinians. Do those who are calling Jenica an anti-Semite say the same about the majority of American Jews, given they have taken the same position?  

Anyway, the Middle East is a mess and Jenica’s position is one many reasonable people share. It doesn’t make her an anti-Semite.  

But is she being opportunistic for joining the governing party? Is it opportunistic, or perhaps I should ask is being opportunistic bad if it is a way to make more progress on the issues she feels strongly about, like reconciliation and the environment, issues she ran on and for which people supported her?  

Then there are those who feel betrayed that they voted for the Green Party and have now ended up with a Liberal. On that, they may have a point. But it depends on why she won? Was it because they liked her and what she stood for, or was it because she was a Green, or because she was NOT a Liberal or Conservative? I looked at why people vote as they do in a blog just before the last election and concluded that in my case, I choose to support her because I liked what I saw and also because I was pissed at Trudeau and couldn’t stomach Sheer and what he stood for. Yours reasons may vary. 

Photo credit: Adam Bowie, Daily Gleaner

But the feelings of betrayal by those who supported her because she was Green are understandable, even thought it’s possible she could do more to further those Green priorities from within government.  

David Coon, understandably bitter predicts she will not find a home for her principles within the Liberal party. Perhaps not, but as various pundits have pointed out, there’s not much difference these days between the policies of the two parties. And it seems she wasn’t finding much of a home for her principles in the federal Green party either.  

The big question is whether she can get re-elected. Many on social media say no way, based I guess on the fact they won’t be voting for her again. But if she can consolidate progressive voters – traditional Liberals and greens that are still with her, I expect she can, even though history shows floor-crossers usually lose. But I think she can especially if, between now and voting time, she can deliver some goodies to the riding, compliments of her new gang….and we taxpayers.

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Cover photo credit: Globe & Mail