Jack Layton dies at 61

[tuvor]

Source: CBC

NDP Leader Jack Layton has died at age 61 after a long battle with cancer, CBC News has learned.

Layton died at his home in Toronto early Monday, surrounded by family, according to a statement from his wife, Olivia Chow, and his children, Sarah and Michael Layton.

The leader of the Official Opposition announced on July 25 he was stepping away from the job, a role he coveted and had won only two months earlier, to concentrate on his cancer treatment so he could come back to Parliament in the fall, ready to fight for Canadian families.

Fighting with hope and optimism was a recurring theme in Layton's life. Long before his battles with cancer, Layton had developed a reputation as a fighter — a determined, goal-oriented, passionate one who would take on a cause and not let go.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/08/22/layton-obituary.html

[bigworld]

1. A good man.

That was fast, hope the suffering was minimal.

[Electric Monk]

23. Jack Layton's last letter to Canadians

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/08/22/pol-layton-last-letter.html

August 20, 2011

Toronto, Ontario

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.

(big snip)

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

All my very best,

Jack Layton

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/08/22/pol-layton-last-letter.html


R.I.P.

[totodeinhere]

33. What a beautiful letter. Thank you for posting it. n/t

[oldtime dfl_er]

36. RIP

He really was unique. A good man, a man of hope, a patriot for his country. My condolences to all Canadians.

[Denninmi]

2. Wow, that was fast.

Ironic, coming just after he helped propel the NDP into a major role for the first time in many years.

[GliderGuider]

3. Shockingly fast! RIP Jack, you left your mark and did a lot of good for Canada.

My family has been NDP/CCF supporters going back to the days of J.S. Woodsworth. We were deeply heartened by the recent NDP showing the the last federal election, and credited much of it to Jack's hard work, values and sensitivity to the wishes of average Canadians.

You will be deeply missed, Jack,

[iverglas]

4. farewell, Jack

I joined the party in 1969, and had the good fortune to be an NDP candidate when Ed Broadbent was leader. I know what it means to a candidate, a campaign and the voters, and ultimately to the country, when a party has a well liked and respected leader. Jack was all of that, and the voters' response in this past election was the proof: we won more seats than in 1984 or even 1972. ;)

It's a great loss that we will not be able to see the full measure of the contribution Jack could have made to Canada.

[riverbendviewgal]

5. He was my 2nd favorite politician in Canada

Trudeau is my first fave but Jack was so much like Trudeau. He was intelligent and knew his stuff and was in your face with a smile. RIP in Jack. I will miss you. I felt like one of my friends died today, even though I never met you.

[polly7]

45. I think you read my mind exactly. Sad day, nt.

[iverglas]

6. a eulogy from a Liberal in a Conservative paper ;)

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/08/22/democracy-has-suffered-a-terrible-loss

Democracy has suffered a terrible loss
By Warren Kinsella ,QMI Agency

The NDP¹s win, as per the popular consensus, was all about Jack Layton. It was all about him.

... Likeability, in politics, matters more than anything else. You either have it or you don¹t. You can have money, and experienced staff, and all the trappings of modern politics. But if you aren¹t likeable, you shouldn¹t ever expect to win.

I started liking Jack Layton a few years back. He called me up, and said he wanted to get his hands on one of my books. I assumed it was one of the ones I¹d written about politics, and said I would send it to him.

“No, I¹ve got that one,” he said. “The one about music, the one about punk rock. I want to read that one.”

I laughed, and so did everyone I told the story to. Jack Layton was an unconventional politician. He made it work for him.

[arikara]

18. Unconventional, yes indeed.

I will miss him. RIP Jack.



http://thestar.blogs.com/politics/2009/05/where-no-ndp-leader-has-gone-before.html

[mahigan]

7. A terrible day

As an old school Tommy Douglas era CCFer, I was often critical of Jack but he was rare politician - a man of integrity and vision who went about representing his constituents with enthusiasm.

The easiest way to explain Layton to Americans is that he was everything American liberals hoped Barack Obama would be. He was an energetic, persistent, consistent and uncompromising advocate for working people and small business. He was a man who could hammer out a deal with people he couldn't stand without selling out his principles or those of his party.

This is a terrible day for Canadian politics. Not only have we lost the clearest voice in national politics against Stephen Harper's Republican not so lite Conservative government, this means that both our main opposition parties are now in the hands of interim leaders. The Liberal Party that was decimated in the last election is still looking for some quality leadership candidates who might be able to lead them out of the political wilderness. Now the NDP with a caucus full of political newbies is in the same situation with no obvious heir apparent to Layton whose personality has completely dominated the NDP for years.

Harper must be rubbing his hands with glee because he is going to have free rein when parliament convenes this fall unless the novice NDP members can rise to the occasion in spectacular fashion.

[stevedeshazer]

47. Thank you for that explanation.

That clarified a lot for this American.

[iverglas]

8. a lot of views ... not many replies or recs -- people may not understand

Our neighbours in the US may not understand the nature of this event for Canada -- or, of course, know from the title of the thread what the event is. ;)

The "liberal left" in Canada, electorally, is the New Democratic Party. (Until very recently, the "liberal left" was represented federally in Quebec by the Bloc Québécois, the sovereignist party whose polices were social democratic.)

The NDP is a (mildly) social democratic party, representing the values that Canadians generally hold, even if most Canadians don't vote NDP. ;)

Universal single payer public health care, the system many in the US and particularly at DU would love to have, originated in Canada in the province of Saskatchewan under the leadership of Tommy Douglas in a CCF government, the CCF being the forerunner of the NDP. Our present health care system evolved, at the national level, as a result of pressure by the NDP on federal Liberal governments.

The NDP was also the driving force behind other elements of our social safety net, like old age pensions.

I have been a candidate for the NDP both federally and provincially. I would not be surprised if other Canadian DU members have also been; certainly there are long-time NDP activists here.

Jack Layton's leadership was a key factor in the shift in Quebec from the Bloc to the NDP in the last election -- left-leaning voters saw their interests reflected in a federalist party for the first time in many years.

This is really an extremely important development in Canadian politics and history and opens the door for enormous progress in battling the ugly right wing that has usurped our Parliament. (In a multi-party system, the party that won less than 40% of the popular vote holds a majority of seats in the House of Commons.)

An important polarization took place in the last election -- voters deserted the Liberal Party, Canada's "natural governing party" (although to be fair, that party suffered from the "first past the post" electoral system the way the NDP has in the past: its seat count does not nearly reflect its popular vote), the party of the mushy middle, or so it likes to portray itself when it is really economically right wing.

The Liberals among us don't like this at all, but the fact is that Canada does not need and is not served by two right-wing parties, and what Jack and the NDP succeeded in doing could be the beginning of a whole new era.

Jack's role in this was indeed key. We are going to have a hard row to hoe to maintain the momentum from the last election without him. His loss is enormous to the party and to Canada and Canadians.


The Canadians among you (and I think I can even speak for the Liberals among us!) would love to see the recommendations for this thread hit triple digits.

Your solidarity with us in this loss to our democracy is greatly appreciated.


Dennis Kucinich would vote NDP!
Heck, Joe Biden said during the last primaries that if he had to live somewhere other than the US it would be Canada, and I think once he got here he probably would too. ;)

http://www.politicalcompass.org/

[Blue_Tires]

14. thanks for the insight....

[stevedeshazer]

48. Thank you.

I think Canada is in many ways the clear conscience of North America, while we in the U.S. are the spoiled brat.

[northamericancitizen]

53. Well written and accurate. Thank you from a Québéquoise who voted NDP instead of BQ...

[glinda]

9. RIP. Very sad news. My heart felt condolences go out to Canada.

[Pab Sungenis]

10. Very sad news.

But I called it a year ago. Not the death part, but that his illness would take him out of politics.

Now whither the NDP?

[Canuckistanian]

11. So sad, this is quite a shock

I've been an NDP voter for all my life. Layton was the most dynamic and energetic leader the NDP has ever had.

And right at the time of his and the NDP's highest achievement yet - Leader of the Opposition.

He will most certainly be missed.

[NinetySix]

12. What will we do without you, Jack?

This one man was the lynchpin of leftist (read: sensible) politics in Canada, and in truth, in North America. If there were any analogy in the US, it would be like Paul Wellstone or Bernie Sanders at the head of the minority party in the Senate, giving the majority hell every day, never letting them get away with a thing. Layton represented the collectivist point of view, that which holds that we're all in this together, and all of us prosper when we look out for the interests of the other guy along with our own.

Without Jack, the NDP will be adrift. Most of the party's MPs are newcomers; the NDP rose from 36 seats in the last Parliament to 103 in this one, taking the old record for number of seats for this progressive party and nearly tripling it. His leadership was the heart of this incoming group, and who knows what direction there will be now.

He was a passionate fighter, but at the same time, a gentle, affable soul.

We will miss you, Jack. And when we've finished mourning your inestimable loss, we'll remember what you were all about.

[Tindalos]

13. Rest in peace, Jack

and thank you for fighting for us.

[LeftishBrit]

15. RIP

[Ken Burch]

16. Canada, North America and the world have lost a champion of the people

My sympathies to Olivia Chow, to Jack and Olivia's family, and to NDP supporters across Canada.

[FedUp_Queer]

17. I have family in Canada and received a text about it today.

How quick did the illness take him. In addition, he really was a champion of regular folks...something sorely lack down here in the US. I hope the new generation of NDP folk can keep the momentum going after the past election.

[iverglas]

19. the National Post has nothing but kind words for Jack, and Canada ;)

The NP is Conrad Black's former flagship in Canada, kind of the intellectual's Fox News. ;)

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/08/22/matt-gurney-laytons-loss-is-bad-for-the-ndp-but-maybe-worse-for-canada/

Matt Gurney: Layton’s loss is bad for the NDP, but may be worse for Canada

... Mr. Layton’s tragic passing is also politically advantageous for the Harper government. The Liberals and Bloc have been crushed, and now the NDP is leaderless. Given their strong parliamentary majority, the Tories have the ability to pass what legislation they wish. But political opposition need not be futile simply because the opposition lack the votes to actually block the governing party’s agenda. Mr. Layton’s political skill and charisma would have been effective tools in the court of public opinion, whipping up fury and indignation about Conservative policies that Mr. Layton could fiercely oppose without being expected to stop.

That might have given the Tories pause, and forced them to use their new majority judiciously. They may still act cautiously, but they now have a window of at least several months when their only serious opposition will need to attend to its own reorganization. That’s good news for Prime Minister Harper, but bad news for Canadian democracy. Even majority governments need effective opposition parties, and Mr. Layton’s skill and public profile was easily worth 20 NDP MPs all by itself. The Tories have already developed bad habits during their years of minority rule. Majority government, without any potent if only symbolic opposition, may cement these bad habits into the kind of election-losing arrogance that finally brought down the Liberals in 2006.

The sad passing of Mr. Layton is a family tragedy. But for the NDP and Canadian politics, the real tough times may lie ahead.

[alcina]

20. Such a terrible loss

I can't even begin to express my sadness over this news. After he stepped down, I hoped and prayed that he would recover again. Sadly that wasn't to be. My deepest condolences to Olivia, his children, and my fellow Canadians.

[dancing kali]

21. Requesciat in pace, Mr. Layton

Canada is a sadder place today with the passing of the only politician that I have/had any respect for.

[iverglas]

22. Jack Layton's last message

(reproduced at many websites)

August 20, 2011

Toronto, Ontario

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.

I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.

I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.

A few additional thoughts:

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.

To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.

To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

All my very best,

Jack Layton

[CanSocDem]

24. What an inspiring message.

Thanks for posting!

.

[dancing kali]

25. Thanks for posting this. (NT)

[roamer65]

51. God be with you, Jack.

[northamericancitizen]

55. Mr. Layton had written this letter in french also. We lost a caring politician...

[laundry_queen]

26. Just devastated here

Jack Layton was the one politician that seemed to be well liked by everyone, even conservatives. My own conservative family not only liked Jack Layton, they trusted him. They may not have voted for the NDP but they liked that he was head of the official opposition. In fact, his political ads during the last election were something of marketing genius. Jack Layton WAS the NDP. I truly think he may have been PM had it not been for this illness. How the NDP manages this next step will be interesting. It's a huge huge loss for the left in Canada. My thoughts are with his family at this time.

[iverglas]

27. CBC coverage on line - currently "waiting for Harper to speak"

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/1221254309/ID=2101892071

CBC has devoted the morning to remembering Jack.

I missed the reporter reading Jack's letter; my partner tells me he almost didn't get through it.

[CHIMO]

28. RIP Jack

Dreams live on.

[OswegoAtheist]

29. Just sad....

I liked Jack Layton and the NDP (as the avatar would suggest), even though I've been out of country too long to cast a ballot. No one will be able to fill his shoes, especially as Leader of the Opposition, but I hope that someone manages to come close, and soon.

Oswego "Fuck you, cancer." Atheist

[iverglas]

30. lovely CBC 5-minute video tribute to Jack

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/1221254309/ID=2101921901

To remember, for those of us who knew him, and for those who didn't, to see the man.

[CanSocDem]

39. Thanks for this...

...and for all your poignant reminders.

.

[iverglas]

44. I've sent a link to this page via the party's on-line book of condolences

which all here are welcome to sign:

http://www.ndp.ca/express_your_condolences




edit -- and I've just realized that what this thread doesn't have (apart from the great Star Trek pic that I'd never seen -- my partner tells me Olivia was suited up to match) is a picture of Jack.




http://trans.egale.ca/2011/08/jack-layton-the-lgbt-community-mourns-the-loss-of-a-great-ally/
"Jack Layton: The LGBT community mourns the loss of a great ally"

[democrat2thecore]

58. That was marvelous! A TRUE progressive leader! He will be missed. -nt

[Amonester]

31. Reposes en paix, Jack, we will miss you.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[totodeinhere]

32. Jack will be remembered for taking his party out of the political wilderness and into it's present

role as the official opposition. A fitting tribute to Jack would be if the Canadian electorate in the next election votes his party into a majority government. And it might just happen. The Liberals are tired and out of ideas, and the Canadian people will probably quickly sour on the present majority Conservative government.

[ButterflyBlood]

34. Ugh. One of my favorite political figures in the Western Hemisphere

RIP Jack.

[riverwalker]

35. a terrible loss

rest in peace

[KamaAina]

37. A sad day even in the Lower 48

we could have used a man like Jack down here, too. :(

[myrna minx]

38. Rest in peace. n/t

[craigmatic]

40. Oh that sucks for Canadians. He was a political giant.

[Evoman]

41. This has been hard for me....today, I found out my Grandpa has been diagnosed with prostate cancer

The fact that Jack Layton, one of the greatest men in Canadian politics (and this is coming from one of the most hardcore cynics around), passed away from the same disease almost caused me to melt down.

Fuck cancer. Fuck it for killing good people.

[defendandprotect]

42. Sad to hear ....

yet one more liberal fighting for the people gone -- !!

[iverglas]

43. heh heh

"one more liberal" -- fighting words, up here. ;)

Jack was a social democrat. "Liberal", small or big "l", isn't actually a compliment outside the U.S. :D



oops, typo

[defendandprotect]

49. May I ask ....

based on what? The library definition of liberal --

JFK's definition of liberal --

Or the behavior of US liberals --



However, "social democrat" sounds OK to me -- and sorry to hear you've

lost anyone fighting for the people!

[dancing kali]

62. Based on party names

When we talk about Liberals up here, we mean the Liberal Party. Mr. Layton was not Liberal, he was NDP.

[susanna]

61. Deleted.

[iowasocialist]

46. A sad day for we American leftists, too

Jack's death is a loss for all people, everywhere, who care about a politics that is people-focused rather than business-focused.

My condolences to his family and to my NDP brothers and sisters, from an American social democrat.

Rest In Peace, Jack

[Posteritatis]

50. Fuck cancer. That is all. (nt)

[laundry_queen]

57. THIS ^^^ nt

[rurallib]

52. A great loss to liberals around the world.

[socialshockwave]

54. This is why I loved Jack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl9NGWl9UeE

He was so charismatic, so likeable..so...US. He wasn't an elitist politician owned by the corporations. He was a regular guy like you and I.

[iverglas]

59. nice one ;)

... but bitter-sweet:

"I won't stop until the job is done."

Imagine how bitter for him ...

[democrat2thecore]

56. Great man and a great example of leadership. RIP. -nt

[Odin2005]

60. Oh No!