NDP will have limited influence in new Parliament with inexperienced MPs: expert

The New Democratic Party is in a bit of a predicament in the next session of Parliament.

As Official Opposition to a majority government, it seems the NDP actually yields less power than it did as the fourth party within a minority Parliament.

With fourth-party status, Jack Layton's team boasted it was able to secure investments in "better priorities" such as affordable housing, training, public transit, energy efficiency, development assistance and wage protection.

But what now?

"In general, opposition parties have more influence in minority governments than in a majority government," Duane Bratt, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, told Yahoo! Canada News.

"A test will be the next budget. When the Conservatives brought in the budget in March there were things that were NDP ideas, (such as) the seniors guaranteed income supplement. Now that the Conservatives have a majority, will those items still be in the budget?"

Earlier this week, veteran Ottawa NDP MP Paul Dewar told reporters their strategy to influence policy will include appeals to public opinion, creative use of the legislative process and committees, alliances with provincial governments and unions, as well as private members bills.

"We will get things done and we will pressure the government to do it," Dewar told reporters. "And if (the government) decides not to, then they'll not only have to contend with us, but also public opinion. Public opinion is extremely important when you're dealing with majority government."

Bratt, however, doesn't believe the NDP will have an easy time of it — at least not in the short term.

"I think the NDP needs to train a very inexperienced caucus. Before they can consider these parliamentary options, they need to get their own house in order. The Conservatives have now been in government for over five years. They are clear experts on parliamentary procedure," said Bratt.

"The NDP is not only inexperienced, but they have never been the Official Opposition. Let's give the NDP some time to find their own way before expecting them to be effective at holding the government to account."

(Reuters Photo)