NDP leadership candidates look to Layton's legacy

Paul Dewar admits he's no Jack Layton, and neither are the eight other federal NDP leadership candidates.

“What we have been given is an incredible legacy, and an opportunity to build on what he's done,” the NDP MP for Ottawa Centre, said.

“For me, this campaign has to be about ideas, about people, and about continuing the work that he did.”

Dewar was one of three federal NDP leadership candidates to pay a visit to the Ontario New Democratic Youth Convention, which was held at the Days Inn in Sudbury Nov. 12-13.

Parkdale-High Park MP Peggy Nash and Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou MP Romeo Saganash also took part in the event.

After Layton passed away in August from cancer, the federal NDP launched a leadership race to choose their next leader. The successful candidate will be elected at a convention in March.

Dewar said he'd be a good leader because he held the foreign affairs critic role, a post he says is quite demanding, for four years.

He was required to give up the shadow cabinet post when he declared his candidacy for the leadership race.

Dewar also said that like Layton, he is committed to grassroots politics.

Nash said her past experience as a union leader with the Canadian Auto Workers union would help her to effectively lead the party.

“Canada is a very complex country,” she said.

“It's a complex federation with First Nations, English language and French language, many newcomers and a big geography. It needs someone who is not a divider, but a builder.

“My experience as a negotiator means I listen to people, and I know how to find common ground to bring people together. I know I can do that in our party and in our country.”

Until she declared her candidacy, Nash was the party's finance critic. She said she laid out an economic plan for the country that's “very different” from the one put forward by the Conservatives.

She said it was “wonderful” to meet the NDP youth members.

“It's important that youth in our country understand they can play a role, that they can build a better country,” Nash said.

Romeo Saganash said he wants to meet as many people as he can at the party's grassroots level.

“That's what I've been focusing on during the first phase of my campaign,” he said. “I want people to get to know me, where I'm from, what I've done in the past, and where I want to take this country.”

Saganash, who has served in the past as the deputy grand chief of the James Bay Crees of Northern Quebec and the director of governmental relations and international affairs for the Grand Council of Crees, said he'd like to make Canada a better place to live for everyone.

“No one would be excluded,” Saganash said. “The principles behind what I've done for the past 25 years... have taught me that it's possible to strike a balance between the interests and rights of one group and another.”

When asked if he can fill Layton's shoes, he jokes that “I don't wear shoes, I wear moccasins.”

“No, I think those are big shoes to fill,” Saganash said. “Jack is Jack, and Romeo is Romeo. I think we were walking on the same path and going in the same direction, even if he wore shoes and I moccasins.”

Candace Jazvac, the Ontario New Democratic Youth co-chair, said the 35 delegates of the convention spent the weekend voting on policies that they hope to put forward to the Ontario NDP Party, and holding open forums.

While the youth were focused on official business, she said it's “amazing” that the leadership candidates dropped by the conference.

“It's such an honour for them to want to come to talk to the youth,” Jazvac, who works for Scarborough-Southwest NDP MP Dan Harris, said.

“It's a chance for us to chat with them one-on-one and get their ideas for what they see for the future of the party.”

As much as Jazvac said she thinks the late NDP leader was a “giant” who “inspired every single one of us,” she said it's also important to look beyond comparisons to Layton when assessing the leadership candidates.

“It's important to look at what they have to offer, rather than to constantly compare them to Jack,” Jazvac said.

Posted by Heidi Ulrichsen