Angus expected to seek NDP helm
MP a champion for indigenous rights issues
OTTAWA • New Democrat MP Charlie Angus — a nononsense “character” by all accounts — is expected to announce a federal leadership bid soon, sources say.
The race to find a leader by next October is empty so far. B.C. MP Peter Julian recently stepped down as House leader to consider his own candidacy, but hasn’t announced a decision.
An NDP insider said Angus has notified party leadership he’s planning to step out of his position as caucus chair, probably before the holidays. An announcement is likely soon after that.
“I think he’s a very likable politician and human being, which is a huge asset,” said former party director Robin Sears, of Earnscliffe Strategy Group. “I think his credibility, especially on First Nations issues, is unimpeachable.”
Angus is a champion for indigenous rights issues and has worked closely with activists such as Cindy Blackstock, who is fighting the government on discrimination against indigenous children at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
An author of seven books, Angus has worked as a journalist, a roofer and a dishwasher. He and his wife, Brit Griffin, owned and ran a magazine in the North and a homeless shelter in Toronto before he was elected MP in 2004 for a Northern Ontario riding, which includes Attawapiskat, a First Nation for which he’s been a vocal advocate.
Elected caucus chair in January, Angus has the ear of his colleagues, although his style of leadership isn’t always without friction, one insider said.
Angus is the lead singer for punk band Grievous Angels and rocked out with exMP Andrew Cash in another band, L’étranger.
“It wasn’t very long after (the 2011 election) that Jack Layton died and Charlie showed incredible leadership throughout that whole period,” said Cash. “For our party right now we do need a leader who’s got that kind of on-the-ground credibility. … He brings that sense of life experience to the table.”
“Charlie, I think, is a top contender,” said Sally Housser, a senior consultant with Navigator and NDP alumnus.
“In terms of the NDP needing to really get back to a working-class, more traditional base, Charlie’s able to do that kind of populism and has an ability to speak to people in every segment of society, from downtown Toronto to northern Saskatchewan and everything in between.”
Angus’s appeal to traditional NDP values should play well among blue-collar folks, Sears said. “I think he’s probably less of a smart alecky university type than some who would offer themselves. ... I think he has authenticity.”
Though he’s not as fluently bilingual as some of his colleagues, it’s thought that Angus has a good base in French. There’d still be work to do to be competitive in a French-language debate.
Observers in NDP circles mention MPs Nikki Ashton and Guy Caron as possible competitors, along with Ontario deputy NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, a popular figure in and around Toronto.
A first leadership debate is being organized for March.
I THINK HE’S A VERY LIKABLE POLITICIAN AND HUMAN BEING, WHICH IS A HUGE ASSET.