NDP.ca Blogging Tools - Free NDP Themed Templates

Greg Farries — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:33:14 -0600

In addition to the typical videos and banner ads that nearly every political party gives way on their political party websites, the New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP) has gone the extra mile and created NDP themed weblog templates. The two templates that are provided included versions for Wordpress and Blogger - both popular weblog systems.

With the recent growth of the partisan blogosphere in Canada, any initiative that increases the virtual brand of a political party would certainly be considered a good thing.

Mason has a point (or at least the start of one)

Harold Jansen — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:24:42 -0700

NDP leader Brian Mason is proposing an end to corporate and union donations to political parties in Alberta. Mason is pitching this as something that would eliminate (or at least reduce) corruption in Alberta. I'm not entirely convinced that this will make much of a difference on that front, but Mason is correct in pointing to the deficiencies in Alberta's party finance laws. Compared to other provinces in Canada (and to the federal government), Alberta has very little in either regulation of spending or in public reimbursements that would help to make political parties more competitive and able to communicate with the public. A ban on corporate and union donations might be part of the solution, but it needs to be part of a more comprehensive review of how we regulate party and election finance in this province.

Incidentally, this also points to the relative lack of discussion about the democratic deficit in Alberta so far in the election. Alberta's democractic institutions are in sorry shape, but Mason's foray into this field has been the only discussion of this thus far. I'm thinking this doesn't resonate particularly well with voters, who seem more preoccupied with what government does, not how it does it or why how government does things affects what it does (if you follow me).

Jack Layton

Jay Makarenko — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:12:27 -0600

Jack Layton is leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. He is a Member of Parliament for the riding of Toronto—Danforth, in Ontario.

Layton became leader of the federal NDP in January 2003; however, he did not immediately seek election to the House of Commons, waiting instead until the 2004 general election. He won his seat in a hotly contested battle against long-time Liberal incumbent Dennis Mills. During his tenure as leader, Layton has helped the Party increase its presence in the House of Commons. For example, the NDP has made inroads in Quebec with a key 2007 by-election victory. In the 2006 federal election, the party also increased its seat count to 29, from the 19 seats it won in the 2004 federal election — Layton`s first campaign as leader.

In the current Parliament, Layton and the NDP have strongly promoted curbing climate change, ending the combat mission in Afghanistan, and addressing the growing gap between wealthy and middle-class families. The Party has also been critical of the Liberal Party’s “support” of the minority Conservative government on issues such as Afghanistan, and that party's seeming unwillingness to bring down the government through a vote of non-confidence. In the next election, climate change will be a central issue for the NDP, as will a number of social policies such as accessible and affordable education, poverty reduction, preserving universal health care, and ensuring economic security for working families. The NDP will likely also campaign on Afghanistan.

The Politics of the Left in Canada

Layton arrived on the national scene at a time when many, both within and outside the NDP, were seriously questioning the future of left politics in Canada.

Traditionally, the New Democratic Party organized itself around the labour and farm movements; the NDP fought for the protection of workers and farmers in the economy, and the provision of basic social services to the working classes, such as education and health care. In the latter part of the 20th century, however, left politics began to change significantly with the presence of feminists, environmentalists, cultural groups and opponents of globalization.

These “New Left” groups have challenged the policies and practices of traditional New Democratic supporters. Environmentalists often oppose labour and farmers on environmental policy, while globalization opponents often advocate decentralized forms of social cooperation, which clashes with the highly centralized and hierarchical organization of unions. Moreover, many on today’s New Left do not support the NDP, instead choosing either to support other alternatives, such as the Green Party of Canada, or not to participate in the democratic system at all.

This change in left politics, coupled with the decline in support for the New Democratic Party since its heyday in the late 1980s, when it won more than 40 seats in the 1988 federal election, has given rise to calls for a significant change in the party’s direction. Some contend that electoral success lies in moving away from unions and towards specific groups in the New Left. Others propose moderation in the left-wing message, in the style of the US Democratic Party or the UK’s Labour Party. As a community-based activist from outside the ranks of big labour, Layton may be able to attract New Left support, however he must, at the same time, counterbalance against the loss of big labour support.

Municipal Politician and Academic

The selection of Layton as leader of the New Democratic Party was somewhat surprising. While he had extensive municipal political experience, Layton had very limited qualifications on national issues. With the support of influential NDP party members, including former leaders Audrey McLaughlin and Ed Broadbent, as well as provincial party leaders in British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, and the Yukon, Layton defeated seasoned, long-serving NDP MPs Bill Blaikie and Lorne Nystrom, to win the leadership.

Layton ran, unsuccessfully, as a New Democratic candidate in the 1993 and 1997 federal elections. Prior to entering federal politics, he was involved in Toronto municipal politics, on and off, between 1982 and 2003; he served as a city councillor and also ran for mayor in 1991, a contest he lost to June Rowlands.

As an elected city politician in Toronto, Layton gained notoriety for his outspokenness and left-wing activism. He opposed the city’s construction of the SkyDome, the stadium where the Toronto Blue Jays play baseball, and its bid for the 1996 Olympic Summer Games, arguing that public resources would be better spent on other priorities. He was also a strong rights advocate for AIDS patients and workers. Layton participated in several social initiatives, such as Canada’s first municipally sponsored AIDS strategy and The White Ribbon Campaign, a movement of men speaking out against violence against women. He was also involved in many environment projects, including the deep lake-water cooling (whereby cold water is pumped from the bottom of a lake as a heat sink for climate control systems) of downtown office buildings and the Better Buildings Partnership, which promoted higher efficiency in energy consumption.

Outside politics, Layton is an academic; he became a professor at Ryerson University while completing his dissertation. He then became an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto’s Department of Geography. Between his teaching positions at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto, he also taught in the graduate program at the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University. Layton also continued participated in several community-based municipal movements in the Toronto area. In his life outside politics, Layton also operated an environmental consulting firm, and served as President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

A Personal Snapshot

Layton, who comes from a long line of politicians and activists, was born in Montreal in 1950, but grew up in the small town of Hudson, Quebec. His grandfather, Gilbert Layton, was a cabinet minister in Quebec’s Union Nationale government during the 1930s; he eventually resigned his cabinet position in protest of his government’s opposition to conscription in World War II. His father, Robert Layton, was an activist in the Liberal Party of Canada during the 1960s and 1970s, before joining the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in the 1980s. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1984 and served in the cabinet of Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

Jack Layton completed his undergraduate studies at McGill University, where he was exposed to the left-wing ideologies and political activism of the 1960s and 1970s. Active in his university days, Layton took part in political science department sit-ins and campaigned for affordable student housing. He then attended York University where, in 1984, he graduated with a Ph.D. in political science.

Layton is a published author. In 2000, he published Homelessness: The Making and Unmaking of a Crisis, which focuses on the nature and extent of homelessness in Canada, and argues for a national housing policy in which the federal government would directly subsidize the housing of low-income families. In 2004 his second book was published; Speaking Out: Ideas that Work for Canadians, discusses practical ideas for addressing Canada’s social and environmental problems.

He is married to Olivia Chow, who is the New Democratic MP for the constituency of Trinity—Spadina. Layton has two children from a previous marriage.