Jack Layton's 5th anniversary speech

So I snuck into the NDP's big rally this morning, to listen to the speech Jack would give, and see if it would give any insight into how the NDP is planning for this session of parliament. The NDP website already has a link up about the event/speech: http://www.ndp.ca/page/6130 and the points the website discusses were basically the ones covered in the speech, playing up the NDP's history as a progressive party, and the things they have done in the 5 years of Layton's leadership.

What was surprising was that he didn't take many direct shots at the Liberals. Only once did he directly jump on the Liberals for abstaining, the rest of the time he simple made reference to "past governments", and "other parties", painting the Liberals and Conservatives with the same brush. Layton was certainly more willing than in the 2006 election campaign to criticize the Conservatives, probably because he realizes that in an election in which the Conservatives form the incumbent government, soft Liberal/NDP swing voters will be more likely to vote Liberal to keep the Conservatives in check, so attacking the Liberals for votes would be fruitless. Anyway, overall nothing to shocking from Layton and the NDP.