With less than two weeks to go until New Democrats announce their new leader, the two candidates agitating to move the NDP more to the centre appear to have the most momentum.
Thomas Mulcair speaks repeatedly of "modernizing" the NDP and, in a debate Sunday in Vancouver, pledged to keep taking the party "in the same direction Jack Layton was taking it."
The Outremont MP, who is a former Quebec Liberal MNA, spoke of a compelling need to go beyond the party's base, noting "between Ontario and B.C. we won just three seats in the last election."
B.C. MP Nathan Cullen, meanwhile, has been pitching his own radical plan to cooperate electorally with Liberals and Greens. He favours riding run-off races to select a single candidate who would then take on each nominated Conservative.
A widespread perception in recent weeks is that Cullen is coming up from behind. The Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP claims about 1,100 campaign donors - more than any other candidate except the front-running Mulcair, with some 1,300 donors.
In past NDP races, leadership candidates with the greatest number of donors also got the most votes.
Cullen stands to benefit from his connection to B.C., a province with the greatest number - more than 30 per cent - of NDP members.
Transforming the party - "doing politics differently," is the way Cullen puts it - is not all that radical a concept.
Layton clearly was a modernizer. From 2003 until his death in August, the popular leader gradually moved his party toward the mainstream with appeals to small-business owners and middle-class families. Layton also flirted with NDP-Liberal strategic alliances.
At this point in the campaign, Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar and Parkdale-High Park MP Peggy Nash, while seen as strong candidates, are more inclined to maintain the status quo within the party.
"The NDP would face a very tall order selling either Dewar or Nash as a substitute to Layton in Quebec," journalist Chantal Hebert, a Quebecer, wrote last week.
Nash is entirely comfortable in French but Dewar's French is extremely weak.
Former party president Brian Topp - once viewed as the candidate to beat - seems to be losing strength. This, despite the fact he has been endorsed by party establishment types including former Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow and one-time federal leader Ed Broadbent.
Niki Ashton, MP from northern Manitoba, and Martin Singh, a Nova Scotia pharmacist, are thought to be well behind.
The seven faced off for 90 minutes in the final of six official party debates, this one on challenges facing youth and new Canadians.
An overflow crowd of more than 1,000 showed up for the event.
In instances during the debate when contenders were directed to specifically challenge a fellow candidate on a policy issue, most set sights on Mul-cair while Cullen got the second most challenges, as if to confirm these two are the greatest threats to the others seeking victory.
"You've been critical about our party," Nash chastised Mulcair at one point.
"It seems like you are a little down on the party," intoned Dewar, "Where is your plan for inspiration?" Mulcair, known for his temper, maintained his cool and succeeded in looking dignified and leader-like.
For his part, he lobbed softball questions whenever he was called upon to challenge his competitors, doubtless cognizant of the fact that post-convention, he may have to draw together all members of his caucus, including those less enthused at the prospect of his leadership.
Original Article
Source: vancouver sun
Author: Barbara Yaffe
Thomas Mulcair speaks repeatedly of "modernizing" the NDP and, in a debate Sunday in Vancouver, pledged to keep taking the party "in the same direction Jack Layton was taking it."
The Outremont MP, who is a former Quebec Liberal MNA, spoke of a compelling need to go beyond the party's base, noting "between Ontario and B.C. we won just three seats in the last election."
B.C. MP Nathan Cullen, meanwhile, has been pitching his own radical plan to cooperate electorally with Liberals and Greens. He favours riding run-off races to select a single candidate who would then take on each nominated Conservative.
A widespread perception in recent weeks is that Cullen is coming up from behind. The Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP claims about 1,100 campaign donors - more than any other candidate except the front-running Mulcair, with some 1,300 donors.
In past NDP races, leadership candidates with the greatest number of donors also got the most votes.
Cullen stands to benefit from his connection to B.C., a province with the greatest number - more than 30 per cent - of NDP members.
Transforming the party - "doing politics differently," is the way Cullen puts it - is not all that radical a concept.
Layton clearly was a modernizer. From 2003 until his death in August, the popular leader gradually moved his party toward the mainstream with appeals to small-business owners and middle-class families. Layton also flirted with NDP-Liberal strategic alliances.
At this point in the campaign, Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar and Parkdale-High Park MP Peggy Nash, while seen as strong candidates, are more inclined to maintain the status quo within the party.
"The NDP would face a very tall order selling either Dewar or Nash as a substitute to Layton in Quebec," journalist Chantal Hebert, a Quebecer, wrote last week.
Nash is entirely comfortable in French but Dewar's French is extremely weak.
Former party president Brian Topp - once viewed as the candidate to beat - seems to be losing strength. This, despite the fact he has been endorsed by party establishment types including former Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow and one-time federal leader Ed Broadbent.
Niki Ashton, MP from northern Manitoba, and Martin Singh, a Nova Scotia pharmacist, are thought to be well behind.
The seven faced off for 90 minutes in the final of six official party debates, this one on challenges facing youth and new Canadians.
An overflow crowd of more than 1,000 showed up for the event.
In instances during the debate when contenders were directed to specifically challenge a fellow candidate on a policy issue, most set sights on Mul-cair while Cullen got the second most challenges, as if to confirm these two are the greatest threats to the others seeking victory.
"You've been critical about our party," Nash chastised Mulcair at one point.
"It seems like you are a little down on the party," intoned Dewar, "Where is your plan for inspiration?" Mulcair, known for his temper, maintained his cool and succeeded in looking dignified and leader-like.
For his part, he lobbed softball questions whenever he was called upon to challenge his competitors, doubtless cognizant of the fact that post-convention, he may have to draw together all members of his caucus, including those less enthused at the prospect of his leadership.
Original Article
Source: vancouver sun
Author: Barbara Yaffe
I hope Mulcair wins. He's the only one of the lot with the gumption to take that bully Harper 'round behind the shed; so to speak.
ReplyDeleteShort term you might be right.
DeleteLong term, however, I am not sure it would benefit the NDP, or Canadian for that matter, to move to the centre.