EDMONTON — Although the party lost 51 seats and earned less than 20 percent of the popular vote in the recent federal election, the NDP faithful can create their own alternate reality where that didn’t happen thanks to virtual reality showcased at this year’s party convention.
Computer software developers were featuring Orange Vision, a special virtual reality headset where viewers can witness an historic NDP victory, and Prime Minister Thomas Mulcair is at the helm. The scenario replicates an election night at NDP Headquarters where tears are replaced with cheers, and 44 seats in Parliament are replaced with 224 seats.
“We were really testing the limits of creative technology in this industry,” said Orange Vision’s creator Kim Hansen of Douglas Technologies. “To somehow keep tax credits, balance a budget and invest billions more in infrastructure and social programs seemed to be impossible for the computer to process, but we managed to develop the right the rhetoric coding and completely ignored the niqab debate in Quebec.”
Entranced delegates wearing the headsets were also exploring what the cabinet would look like with Paul Dewar as Justice Minister, Nikki Ashton as Environment Minister and Pat Martin as Minister of Creative Insults.
According to developers, the headsets also come with miniature wipers just in case some Dippers get a little teary when a universal child care system is finally created in Canada in the virtual world.
Delegates expressed amazement at the fantasy world they had experienced.
“It was so cool to see Mulcair living inside 24 Sussex,” said one anonymous NDP member. “I’m glad at least technology can imagine him as Prime Minister, because I certainly can’t.”
