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Feb 16 - Feb 23,2003 |
NDP elects new federal Leader
Jack Layton hopes to bring attention to environment and healthcare to Parliament Hill
By Angelo Persichilli
Originally Published: 2003-02-02
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Jack Layton
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Jack Layton has won his first, tough battle by conquering the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Canada. However, now an even tougher battle looms ahead, winning a Parliamentary seat for himself and expanding the ranks of NDP MPs.
Layton might have much less time than foreseen to prepare for this battle. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien is rumoured to be willing to call a general election before the end of his mandate, possibly even next spring.
As for Layton's victory, few were surprised by it, but many were impressed by how easily he defeated his competitors, including the runner-up, veteran Bill Blaikie, an MP for over 20 years and much respected in Canadian social-democratic circles.
Layton won at the first vote with 31,150 votes, 53.5 percent of the total. In second place, predictably, was Bill Blaikie with 14,365 votes, i.e. 24.7 percent.
The results for Lorne Nystrom were disappointing. This NDP MP, running for the third time for the party leadership and for the third time defeated, so severely that his future career might be in jeopardy. Nystrom, in fact, just barely preceded Joe Comartin, a recent MP, who garnered 4,490 votes (7.7 percent). The Windsor MP was strongly supported by the unions, particularly the Canadian Auto Worker Union of Buzz Hargrove.
Most observers were impressed by young Pierre Ducasse, current co-chair of the party, who is striving to create an electoral base for the NDP in Quebec. Ducasse received 2,155 votes, just 3.7 percent, but this result does not accurately mirror the feelings of the NDP base towards this young man, frequently referred to as "the future of the party".
The reason why Ducasse did not obtain many more votes is to be found in the voting system. The total of eligible voters was 81,000, but only about 58,200 actually voted. Over 45,000 of them had already voted by mail or via the Internet in the days preceding the congress. In practice, only 13,000 people voted after the presentation speeches: 1,000 were delegates, the rest used the Internet.
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