Mulcair faces his makers, or his breakers
NDP convention offers critical test to leadership
More than 1,500 NDP faithful are gathering in Edmonton today to spend the next three days sifting the ashes of last year’s ballot-box disaster — and to confront the man many blame for it. Tom Mulcair won’t address the New Democrat convention until Sunday, when rank-andfile members will pass judgment on his leadership. But he will be on everyone’s mind all the same. Canadian Labour Congress president Hassan Yussuff, who has publicly declared he believes it’s time for a new leader, will address the gathering later today. NDP President Rebecca Blaikie, the head of a working group that explored what went so wrong in last fall’s federal election, will also hear feedback from the convention floor and discuss her panel’s postmortem findings. Despite high hopes of forming Canada’s first NDP government prior to the start of last year’s 11-week campaign, voters ultimately slashed the party’s caucus to just 44 seats, reducing it to third-party NDP leader Thomas Mulcair gets a five from a young supporter during the 2016 NDP Federal Convention in Edmonton on Friday. status in the Commons. It remains an open question whether Mulcair will stay or go after Sunday’s leadership review.
For his part, Mulcair has been actively engaged in outreach ahead of the convention to try to secure support — efforts that have earned the confidence of longtime party members including NDP House leader Peter Julian and former Nova Scotia MP Peter Stoffer. He also has the support of six major unions, including the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the United Food and Commercial Workers and the United Steelworkers. Privately, however, some New Democrats say they remain deeply troubled by Mulcair’s apparent inability to connect with Canadians and sell the party’s plan.