NDP UNPREPARED FOR SIKH INDEPENDENCE CONTROVERSY

    STAR:  Singh is a federal rookie whose only political experience prior to becoming NDP leader was in opposition at the provincial level. At the time of his first-ballot victory he may have been unaware of the heightened degree of media scrutiny that attends a national leadership position.
    But the NDP does not lack for seasoned strategists who would or should have known better. A minimum amount of due diligence in the aftermath of that initial CBC interview would likely have unearthed the time bombs that exploded in the party’s face this week.
    To be forewarned is to be prepared. Judging by the scrambling that attended the Globe and Mail revelations that Singh had — in recent years — attended international events that featured speakers who openly advocated advancing the Sikh cause by violence means, the NDP brain trust was as unprepared to manage the issue as it was on the week after he became party leader.