The Left in Power: Bob Rae’s NDP and the Working Class

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At the end of the twentieth century, as social democratic parties around the world struggled to produce a coherent response to the deindustrialization crisis, many pivoted towards progressive neoliberalism and Third Way social democracy. Almost everywhere, they turned their backs on the weakened trade union movement and embraced neoliberal assumptions about labour force flexibility and global competition. Shamefully, Third Way social democrats emphasized the moral dimension of poverty rather than its structural causes as they abandoned the old redistributive class politics of the Left. Based on extensive archival research and interviews with NDP politicians, senior economic policy advisors, and trade unionists, The Left in Power examines the response of the political Left in Ontario to the crisis that gripped the old ‘industrialized world.’ Steven High revisits the heartbreaking years of Bob Rae’s Ontario NDP government—from their historic and unexpected 1990 victory, to their policy shifts that left working-class voters feeling betrayed, to their landslide defeat in 1995—to uncover what we can learn from one social democratic party’s mistakes about how to govern from the Left. About the Author Steven High is a professor of history at Concordia University in Montreal where he co-founded the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling. He has authored a number of books and articles on structural and mass violence as well as deindustrialization as a political, socio-economic, and cultural process. He is currently the head of the transnational “Deindustrialization and the Politics of Our Time” (DEPOT) research project which brings together researchers, museum professionals, archivists, and trade unionists across Europe and North America. What People Are Saying “The ‘slow-motion train wreck that was the Rae government’ of 1990-95 haunts us still—those five years of confusion and compromise, arrogance and betrayal, in which dreams of a cooperative commonwealth in Ontario were supplanted by casino capitalism, the corporatization of government, and an intensified attack on the foundational principles of collective bargaining, all justified in the name of the social democratic values of the NDP. Based on intrepid work in the archives and penetrating interviews with the NDP brain trust, High’s brilliant book is a powerhouse of new insights into this tragic moment. Here is a must-read for all students of the Canadian left and of the global neoliberal counter-revolution.” Ian McKay, professor emeritus, Department of History, McMaster University “Much more than a postmortem of Bob Rae’s ill-fated government in the face of the neoliberal surge, Steven High explores the conflicts between working-class politics, 1960s-era community ideals, and notions of ‘progressive competitiveness’ in the Ontario NDP. A compelling story of a struggling government, The Left in Power is an insightful discussion of the evolution of social democracy in Canada and internationally, as well as of the significance of class in the 1990s and beyond. This is an important book for our times.” James Naylor, professor, Department of History, Brandon University “Lively, insightful, and provocative, Steven High’s thoughtful examination of Bob Rae’s NDP government is a frank assessment of the party’s unexpected victory, how little it was prepared for power, and the consequences of gaining office during one of the most daunting economic periods in the province’s history. The Left in Power is essential reading for anyone interested in Ontario’s history, NDP party politics, and the past, present, and future of the Left in Canada.” Dimitry Anastakis, professor, Department of History and Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto “With impressive detail, Steven High probes the challenges of the social democratic left in power through a reexamination of the Ontario New Democratic government of the early 1990s. High argues that understanding the failure of the NDP government requires attending to the ‘industrial crisis’ that saw the party’s base of support in labour decimated and disorganized by free trade and plant closures. Anyone seeking to understand the origins of the myriad crises facing the Canadian labour movement and the electoral Left today must read The Left in Power.” Adam D. K. King, assistant professor, Labour Studies, University of Manitoba “The 1980s saw the growth of neoliberal globalization. At the same time the NDP was transitioning from left nationalism to progressive competitiveness to deal with the new world order. Their surprise 1990 election came as the province struggled with the worst economic downturn since the Second World War. Looking for solutions, the party abandoned its old social democracy ideals. The result was a split in the party and the labour movement. One of Canada’s preeminent oral historians, Steven High, has collected the voices of those inside the Ontario NDP government and the labour movement. With them he examines the Left in power.”Ken Clavette, lifelong Ottawa-based trade unionist “Drawing on extensive oral history interviews with key actors, Steven High’s The Left in Power is a thoughtful and detailed account of how Bob Rae’s NDP government and organized labour in Ontario responded to the challenges of deindustrialization, neoliberalism, and the recession of the early 1990s. Not every reader will agree with High’s prescriptions for what the Rae government should have done in these years, but they will surely come away enlightened about why they made the decisions that they did.” Matthew Hayday, professor, Department of History, University of Guelph “Steven High’s insightful study of the Rae government’s response to industrial restructuring will no doubt reopen old wounds for the social democratic left in Canada, but more importantly, The Left in Power offers critical historical lessons for those seeking to reestablish a working-class politics rooted in economic justice.” Larry Savage, professor, Department of Labour Studies, Brock University “The Left in Power is a well-researched and insightful account of one of the most controversial provincial governments in recent Canadian history. This book is informative for the next generation of social democrats as they think about the legacy of the NDP in power.” David McGrane, professor, Department of Political Studies, University of Saskatchewan; author of New NDP: Moderation, Modernization, and Political Marketing “How does a social democratic government respond to industrial crisis? What is lost when the politics of partnership and pragmatism supersede the politics of class? And for Bob Rae and the Ontario NDP, how did it all go so spectacularly wrong? In The Left in Power, Steven High provides insightful answers to these questions and many more. Essential reading for anyone interested in bringing about a very different version of the Left in power, the book is certain to become a touchstone text for students of left politics, labour, and neoliberalism—in Canada and around the world.” Edward Dunsworth, assistant professor, Department of History, McGill University; coauthor of Harvesting Freedom: The Life of a Migrant Worker in Canada “Steven High’s thorough and balanced account of the Rae government in Ontario provides an invaluable contribution to understanding the province’s politics and political economy in a period of globalization and a world-wide ideological shift to neoliberalism. For the NDP (and social democracy generally), these developments intensified earlier trends towards the abandonment of class and political economy analysis, which, in turn, contributed to the government’s inability to meet the challenges. Its experimentation with new doctrines of communitarianism and competitiveness, and rupture with its traditional working-class base, led ultimately to its failure and neoliberalization.” Stephen McBride, professor, Department of Political Science, McMaster University Table of Contents Preface Introduction Chapter 1 Fighting Plant Shutdowns Chapter 2 The Hamilton Challenge Chapter 3 Competing in the New Global Economy Chapter 4 An Agenda for People Chapter 5 Bob Mackenzie’s Labourism Chapter 6 Worker Ownership and Labour-Led Venture Capital Chapter 7 Northern Exceptionalism Chapter 8 From Downsview to Davos Chapter 9 Corporatism’s Moment Chapter 10 New Left Communitarianism Conclusion The Seductive Mist of Pragmatism Notes Index Show more