Canada: Layton asks Stephen Lewis to run for Parliament

[Minstrel Boy]

Layton asks Stephen Lewis to run for Parliament
CBC News (Last Updated Fri, 19 Dec 2003 18:03:11)

TORONTO - Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton wants Stephen Lewis, the former leader of Ontario's New Democrats, to run for the party in the next national election.

Layton confirmed Friday that he's asked Lewis to seek a spot in his caucus. But Lewis, the UN special envoy for combating AIDS in Africa, may be too busy, the NDP leader said.

"I've raised it with him," Layton said. "However … he's very, very active in his current vitally important project in Africa, and so I wouldn't suggest that there's a strong likelihood that he would make that switch."

Rumours surfaced recently that Lewis, Canada's former ambassador to the United Nations, would run for the NDP in a Toronto riding. If he agrees to go after an MP's job, Lewis will add even more political star power to the NDP's slate of candidates.
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/12/19/layton_031219

That Lewis would even consider running is another welcome indication of the revitalization of the federal party. (Party legend Ed Broadbent's returning, and polls suggest we're now Canadians second choice.) In a year-end interview, Paul Martin virtually ignored the Conservatives and targetted instead the NDP. Great news. For the last decade we were virtually ignored as voters polarized between Chretien's centrist Liberals and the far right. Now the left is becoming the natural opposition of Paul Martin's Liberals, and it's the far right that's marginalized.

[ithacan]

1. I love it!

Watching Canadian politics is great, as the main opposition party is going to be a left party against a left-center (okay, I'm using the term loosely) one! And the right is marginalized!!

Ah the joys of vicarious politics.

[The Zanti Regent]

2. Ed Broadbent returning, WOW!

now that is a blast from the Past! Looks like good things are happening to the NDP!

[Hand]

3. Yes...

It's interesting how the NDP has developed--Alexa McDonough was a deeply respected, even beloved leader, both in Nova Scotia and federally, but she had a really hard time expanding the party's representation in both places as well. I think that she made a great embodier of the party's principles and ideals, but wasn't great at the hardboiled political work.

In both cases, she was succeeded by people who were able to build the political base on the vision that she brought to the job. Of such things are political parties built. Right now the NDP is stronger in Nova Scotia than it's ever been before, and I think that Darrel Dexter, the current leader, has a better than fair shot at taking the government sooner or later. Jack Layton's in kind of the same position--doing the bricks and mortar stuff.

Alexa wielded power of a different sort and in a different way, but I'm damned glad she was in charge. She helped keep the NDP from becoming just another slightly left of center party and made sure it offered a clear alternative.

[Minstrel Boy]

4. Alexa gave us a base in the Maritimes

we never had before. That's a huge legacy.

[Hand]

6. Yep...

And we kicked the Tories' butts in my hometown of Halifax this August past!

[0007]

5. I lived in Bridgtown, Nova Scotia for a little over a year.

Very nice country. Deer jackers and raccoons ruled that part of Nova Scotia.