Wayne Marston plans to seek federal NDP nomination
Former Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MP Wayne Marston is thinking of returning to politics.
After losing to Bob Bratina, Hamilton’s former mayor, in the 2015 federal election, Marston said in an interview he intends to seek the Hamilton East-Stoney Creek federal NDP nomination. The federal election is scheduled to take place in 2019.
No date for the nomination has been scheduled.
“It’s hard to break old habits,” said Marston, 70. “People keep coming up to me asking if I will run again.”
Marston said he was watching the Nov. 11 Remembrance Day ceremony on television with his wife, Barbara, when she said, “Let’s go again.”
“I was ready to do it,” he said. “I was waiting for her to say something.”
Marston, who has been active in the Hamilton community since his loss to Bratina, says he doesn’t have a political agenda, but that “the right things happen at the right time.” “I feel real good,” he says. During his nearly 10 years serving the people of Stoney Creek and Hamilton as MP, Marston served as the NDP’s critic on human rights, was vice-chair of the House subcommittee for international human rights, was tapped by NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair to be the NDP’s critic for consular affairs, and was deputy critic for labour. He was also the NDP critic for pensions.
Marston had a close relationship to former NDP leader Jack Layton, and he also had the ear of Mulcair. Marston became one of the first NDP MPs to endorse Mulcair for leadership of the party.
Marston first ran for office in 1993 against Liberal MP Sheila Copps.
It was in 2006 that Marston upset incumbent Liberal cabinet minister Tony Valeri by 393 votes.
Prior to seeking political office, Marston, who was born in New Brunswick, served as president of the Hamilton and District Labour Council for 11 years.