WATCH: NDP MP Peter Stoffer joins Tom Clark for a little “Plane Talk” on where he’d time travel if he had the choice and the possibility of bi-partisan agreements.
NDP stalwart Peter Stoffer bravely went last week where few have gone before: high above the nation’s capital in a small plane with Tom Clark.
The Nova Scotia MP was first elected to the House of Commons nearly two decades ago, in 1997. Throughout the years, he has served as the NDP critic for fisheries, seniors and Canada Post, to name a few. By far, though, his greatest passion lies in the job he’s held since 2001, critic for veterans affairs.
During his flight, Stoffer opened up about the personal reasons he holds that file so close to his heart, his favourite part of the country, the best song he has ever heard and where he stands on a possible coalition with the Liberals come October.
A full transcript of the segment is pasted below, but here are some highlights from the interview – as well as some outtakes.
Favourite part of the country: Yukon Territories
Worst political moment: Sitting out a vote and not standing up to the party for his beliefs.
Favourite song: Desolation Row, by Bob Dylan.
On the possibility of joining forces with the Liberals: If the parties together have a majority, he sees no reason why they can`t form a working agreement. “But I’m hoping we will be successful and form a majority ourselves. Why not?”
WATCH: The Stoffer outtakes – on his life after politics and what he’s learned about his political opponents.
Full transcript:
Tom Clark:
So Peter Stoffer, are you sure you want to do this?
Peter Stoffer:
Yeah.
Tom Clark:
We’re off… we’re still on the ground.
Peter Stoffer:
No worries, let’s do it.
Tom Clark:
Rockcliffe traffic: Charlie, Gulf, Bravo, X-ray, Papa is rolling 27, Rockcliffe.
Peter Stoffer, good to have you on the plane. Welcome to “Plane Talk.”
Peter Stoffer:
Thank you very much for allowing me to come with you. This is a real honour and a treat. Thank you.
Tom Clark:
If you had a time machine, what period in history would you want to go back to?
Peter Stoffer:
I would say the initial arrival of John Cabot and those folks, Champlain and all those folks who … the European contact with North America. I’d love to be on the boat with Mathieu da Costa and Champlain, and to step on this beautiful land and see it long before it was developed like this, and interact with our First Nations people at that time. It would have been a wonderful, wonderful thing to be able to do.
Tom Clark:
What was your worst moment in politics?
Peter Stoffer:
There was a time when I was the defence critic and Elsie Wayne has moved a motion to increase the defence spending. She didn’t say any amount. It could have been 25 cents for all that matter, but I was defence critic and said we should support that initiative because of the fact that the defence budget was woefully inadequate. And my party at that time was pushing for others within the party to vote against it. And so I sat that one out. And it was the first time that I’ve ever sat a vote out, not to sort of have a fight within the party. And that I did not like. I learned from that and I never did it again. I just said, this is wrong, I should be voting, and I should have the courage to stand up to the party and do that. At that time, I was still a fairly new MP and I didn’t understand the whole party aspect of it but I learned from that and I’ve never done it again. So that was my worst time.
Tom Clark:
You’ve lived in three very distinct parts of this country. You’ve been up in the Yukon. You’ve been out in British Columbia and now of course you’re from Nova Scotia. So let me ask the tough question, what’s your favourite part of the country?
Peter Stoffer:
The Yukon, but the most… the Yukon…
Tom Clark:
Do you want me to cut out that out for the folks in Nova Scotia?
Peter Stoffer:
No, no. Those who lived in the Yukon and those who are there now know how beautiful it is. But I’m going to be very honest with you. To me, the most beautiful spot in all of Canada is Twillingate, NL.
Tom Clark:
What is your favourite bit of music?
Peter Stoffer:
Bob Dylan.
Tom Clark:
What’s your favourite song?
Peter Stoffer:
My favourite song is Desolation Row on Highway 61. By the way, the greatest album of all times.
Tom Clark:
Why is Desolation Row your favourite song?
Peter Stoffer:
You just listen to the words. That’s all I gotta say.
Bob Dylan’s Desolation Row song playing: And the Good Samaritan, he’s dressing. He’s getting ready for the show. He’s going to the carnival tonight. On Desolation Row.
Tom Clark:
I’m going to do this to get the sun out of your face. You’ve been known on both sides of the aisle in the House of Commons as a person who is absolutely seized with the lives of veterans of this country both living and dead. Why is that?
Peter Stoffer:
Well I was born in the Netherlands and my mom and dad were liberated by the Canadians and her allies back in ’44, ’45, and they told me every single thing what happened during the war. The birth of my brother, the death of my other brother at two days old, the birth of my sister, my dad taken away for two years in a work detail camp, my mother having to go to various agencies for food, and then the liberation by the Americans of Lindburg at that time, and then my dad liberated by the Canadians.
And then in ’56 my dad’s… after they shut the coal mines of southern Holland were closing down, the only answer was out-migration and we could have gone to the United States, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Australia etc., but they chose Canada because my dad said that they have a military like that, can you imagine what kind of country they come from. Ever since then, I’ve attended Remembrance Day ceremonies. I’ve been members of a legion for many years and ANAVETS Hall as well and I just find the men and women who serve our country and that of the RCMP as well, and many others,– firefighters, police officers, those who wear a uniform every day to protect us and look after my family and my friends. They are a very special breed of people and I admire them and love them dearly for what they do and their sacrifice and their families as well. I greatly appreciate what they do for our country.
Tom Clark:
That’s your political mission?
Peter Stoffer:
Yes, sir.
Tom Clark:
Would you ever consider a coalition with the Liberals?
Peter Stoffer:
Well if after the next campaign, if the NDP and Liberals have the majority of seats to form a government, I don’t see why we can’t do something we did in ’72 when Pierre Trudeau and David Lewis.
Tom Clark:
That wasn’t really a coalition though. That was more an agreement.
Peter Stoffer:
A working agreement, sort of like what happened in England. But I’m hoping we will be successful and form a majority ourselves. Why not?
Tom Clark:
Why not?
Peter Stoffer:
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