Mark Abley created a stir in The Gazette this fall with an opinion piece in which he called for an alliance of the left as the only way to end the division of anti-Conservative voting patterns.

“Hard-core New Democrats, lifelong Liberals and fervent Greens have their differences, of course,” he wrote. “But they share a host of values and beliefs, as well as a growing despair with the ideologically driven policies of the current government. What’s needed now is for enough members of all three parties to step forward and demand a pre-election alliance.”

He believes electoral co-operation is necessary: to not run in some ridings to ensure an NDP, Liberal or Green victory.

“I believe quite strongly that the Conservative government is the most right-wing government in Canada’s history, quite different from the Mulroney government that was still ‘progressive conservative’.”

Abley hopes the three federalist parties will develop an alliance if by 2014 the polls show the Conservatives will win in part because of the competition among them.

“It might mean that the NDP choses not to run candidates in 30 or 40 ridings to leave them to the Liberals, and they do the same for the NDP, and they both agree to sit out the election to benefit the Greens in ridings where they have a good chance.”