Nycole Turmel, the MP for Hull-Aylmer, became Interim Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada in July 2011, after Jack Layton announced he had been diagnosed with a second form of cancer, and was taking time off for treatment. Political parties in Canada usually choose interim party leaders when a leader resigns and the party needs time to organize a leadership convention. In this case, Turmel's position is expected to be temporary and short-term as Layton plans to return to work at the beginning of the fall session of the House of Commons in September. That may change, of course, depending on Layton's health.
The 68-year-old Turmel was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2011 general election in May. The election saw the NDP surge from 36 seats to 103 seats, winning most of the federal seats in the province of Quebec and making the NDP the Official Opposition for the first time in history. In her riding of Hull-Aylmer, Nycole Turmel defeated incumbent Marcel Proulx, the Liberal party whip who had held the seat since 1999. Hull-Aylmer had been a Liberal riding for 120 years.
In the short time since the election, Nycole Turmel was the unanimous choice for national chair of the NDP parliamentary caucus. She was also named critic for Public Works and Government Services.
Although the bilingual Turmel does not have much direct political experience, she does have leadership experience, experience in managing a large organization, and experience in handling sensitive national issues gained through her involvement in the union movement in Canada. From 1979, she held a variety of union positions at the local, regional and national level. In 2000, she became the first woman to be elected President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the largest public sector union in Canada. She held the position until 2006. She was a champion of the cause of pay equity in the public service.
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