Jack Layton

NDP Leader Jack Layton was fluently bilingual, glib, sometimes flashy, full of energy and always media-friendly. From a political family, Layton was a left-wing Toronto city councillor for 17 years and spent a year as head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He became leader of the federal New Democratic Party in 2003. In his first election as leader the NDP won 20 seats and in the 2008 election the NDP was up to 37 seats.

Going into the 2011 federal election there was concern over Layton's health. He had been dealing with prostate cancer for a year, and had surgery on his hip a few weeks before the campaign.

Things changed late in the 2011 federal election when a surge in polls in Quebec held and the NDP won 103 seats, 59 of them in Quebec. The NDP became the Official Opposition for the first time in history.

In July 2011, Jack Layton faced a bigger challenge. He announced that he had been diagnosed with a new form of cancer, and would step down as NDP Leader temporarily to get treatment. He hoped to be back on the job when the House resumed in September and recommended that Nycole Turmel fill in for him.

Jack Layton died on Monday, August 22 at his home in Toronto. Before he died, he wrote a letter to all Canadians.

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Jack Layton NDP Leader

Dateline: 01/29/03

Jack Layton, a Toronto city councillor, won the NDP leadership vote on January 26, 2003 on the first ballot, clearly showing the NDP membership is eager for a change in direction. The NDP leadership was opened up when Alexa McDonough announced in the summer of 2002 that she planned to step down after seven years as leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada.

In the Canadian federal election in 2000, the NDP won only 13 seats, barely enough to hold on to official party status. Since then, the NDP has been going through a renewal phase, questioning what it stands for, its relationship with organized labour and how to attract new and young members to the party. Jack Layton won the leadership over two long-time members of parliament, Bill Blaikie and Lorne Nystrom, and does not plan to run for a seat in parliament until the next election, expected early in 2004. In the interim, veteran Winnipeg MP Bill Blaikie will serve as NDP House Leader.

Jack Layton says his top priority issues as leader of the NDP are: stopping a war with Iraq public health care improving the environment strengthening municipal infrastructure.

Jack Layton has also been vocal about election reform the need for a national housing program education

The New Democratic Party has a long tradition of social activism, and while the party was officially formed in 1961, from the joining of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and affiliated unions of the Canadian Labour Congress, the roots of the NDP go back to the socialist movement in Canada in the early 1900s.

The NDP has never formed a national government, but has had influence in minority government situations.

Traditionally the New Democratic Party supports a moderate form of socialism. favoring a mixed economy with a strong government role in providing jobs and services. The NDP has strongly supported social security programs, and advocates their expansion to areas such as a national daycare program. The NDP often serves as a voice for labour unions in Canada.

Jack Layton is a dynamic, issues-oriented politician with a flair for media attention. Layton is also fluently bilingual, which may help the NDP with their consistently dismal record in the province of Quebec. Although clearly identified with Toronto, and big-city central Canada, Layton's experience as president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities gives him some sensitivity to issues facing smaller municipalities, and he may be able to strike a chord across the country. If nothing else, Jack Layton will likely shake the NDP out of its doldrums, and put pressure on both the Liberal Party and the Canadian Alliance as they position themselves for the next election.

View the original article here

Jack Layton

NDP Leader Jack Layton was fluently bilingual, glib, sometimes flashy, full of energy and always media-friendly. From a political family, Jack Layton was a left-wing Toronto city councillor for 17 years and spent a year as head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He became leader of the federal New Democratic Party in 2003, and in his first election as leader the NDP won 20 seats. In the 2008 election the NDP was up to 37 seats.

Things changed in the 2011 federal election when a surge in polls in Quebec held and the NDP won 103 seats, 59 of them in Quebec. The NDP became the Official Opposition for the first time in history.

In July 2011, Jack Layton faced an even bigger challenge. He announced that he had been diagnosed with a new form of cancer, and would step down as NDP Leader temporarily to get treatment. He hoped to be back on the job when the House resumed in September and recommended that Nycole Turmel fill in for him.

Jack Layton died on Monday, August 22 at his home in Toronto. Before he died, he wrote a letter to all Canadians.

View the original article here