NDP leadership hopefuls make final pitches
LATEST POLLS SHOW OVER A QUARTER OF PARTY MEMBERS REMAIN UNDECIDED
References to Jack Layton and Tommy Douglas were many. Attacks on fellow candidates were few.
Thus, with a hint of nostalgia, the four federal NDP leadership candidates made their last pitches to party members Sunday afternoon, before members begin voting online this week.
Guy Caron, the only candidate from Quebec, focused on his ability to grow the party’s support in that province, where the NDP suffered badly in 2015, dropping from 59 seats to just 16.
“Building bridges between progressive-minded people in Quebec and the rest of the country is not easy,” he said. “And we absolutely need to regain our strength in Quebec.”
Charlie Angus, the northern Ontario MP and former punk rocker, highlighted his working-class background by mentioning his namesake, a grandfather who died working at a mine, and a father who attended university as an adult. In his speech, Angus focused on his experience.
“I’ll be there to fight for you in Parliament,” he said, a possible dig at fellow candidate Jagmeet Singh, who does not have a federal seat. “You can count on me.”
Niki Ashton, a northern Manitoba MP, repeated her refrain on the perils of “growing inequality and catastrophic climate change,” to frequent calls of “Shame!” from her supporters in the audience, which included a number of the millennials she sees as her key demographic.
This is Ashton’s second leadership bid, and she told the Post on Saturday she doesn’t plan to run for the leadership again if she doesn’t win this time. “For me, it was very important to get involved at this point because we’re at a crossroads as a party, as a country,” she said. “My effort has been focused on ... taking a stand here and now, not later.”
Singh’s speech highlighted the challenges he’s faced as a member of a visible minority, and his proposal for a federal ban on racial profiling. “Growing up with brown skin, long hair and a funny sounding name meant I faced some challenges,” he said. “I’ve been stopped by the police for no reason other than the colour of my skin.”
Speaking to reporters after the showcase, Singh said he’s “comfortable” with the fact that he doesn’t currently have a seat in Parliament, but said he’s “also open to hearing advice” about whether he should seek a seat before 2019 if he wins the leadership.
Each of the candidates had a band of supporters in the audience, but there were also many who haven’t yet made up their mind.
The latest polling from Mainstreet Research, published by iPolitics last week, showed that more than a quarter of members remained undecided.
Amy Brubacher, 28, said Singh’s showcase had the most energy — he shut down the event with a group of drummers — but she remains on the fence. “In terms of the policies, just from the showcase, it was hard to tell distinctions,” she said.
The showcase came on the heels of comments from Quebec NDP MP Pierre Nantel that suggested Singh’s candidacy is incompatible with Quebec’s secular values because he wears a turban and kirpan. Nantel told a Radio-Canada reporter on Saturday that “ostentatious religious symbols” are “not compatible with power, with authority.”
On Sunday, caucus members were quick to downplay any suggestion that Nantel had dredged up an issue that proved very damaging to the party in 2015.
After a meeting Sunday morning, national caucus chair Daniel Blaikie told reporters that MPs had discussed the issue. “(Nantel) said clearly today that his intention was to support the new leader and be part of the team,” he said.
“We’re all on the same side of being ready to work with whoever is going to be our new leader,” said Quebec MP Hélène Laverdière, who has endorsed Singh.