Just
less than a year after the NDP saw historic electoral success in winning the
position of official Opposition, Canada’s political landscape is still
experiencing one of the most turbulent years in our history. With Jack Layton
having tragically passed away last August, there is a vacuum in the NDP organization
at possibly the most crucial time in the party’s history. This month, the party
faces the painful task of replacing its irreplaceable fallen leader, and the only
candidate who can really be expected to fill Jack Layton’s enormous shoes is
B.C.’s own Nathan Cullen.
Another
runner-up is Thomas Mulcair, a Quebec native and the province’s longest
standing NDP MP. CBC News cites his “defense of the French language” and
Mulcair himself is quoted saying he “fought hard and passionately to keep Quebec
in Canada” and he almost guarantees continued Quebec support. However, Nathan Cullen
has also demonstrated that he is fully aware of the importance of Quebec and
has a plan to maintain the NDP’s goodwill by getting MP’s to “spend a lot of
time on the doorsteps and attending events in their ridings.” Although Mulcair was
elected as the new NDP leader at the recent party convention, a comparison of
the candidates illustrates the value of what could have been, had Cullen been
elected instead.
Mulcair’s
plan to beat the Conservatives also involves what Globe and Mail columnist Lawrence Martin
describes as “[broadening] the NDP tent,” which would result in “crowding [the
Liberals] for votes in the middle,” leading to a repeat of the left-wing split
that led to the Conservatives managing to attain a majority government. Cullen
has instead suggested the idea of Liberal/NDP co-nominees in the next election,
which would unite the left to defeat the Conservatives rather than encouraging
the split.
Meanwhile,
Peggy Nash is focused on proving that the NDP are “the best party to manage the
economy.” She has described the economy as “the central issue” of Canadian
politics and says “it ought to be [the party’s] strength.” Her support among
unions, fostered when she worked as a union negotiator, lends credibility to
her economic platform, especially among the NDP’s working-class base, but her
largely one-track focus appeals to a narrow portion of NDP supporters; this is
in stark contrast to Cullen’s diverse agenda on democratic reform, the
environment, and also his economic plan to address NAFTA, increase domestic
trade instead of relying of exportation, and continue his work to help small businesses
create jobs.
Brian
Topp’s campaign has been largely based on party tradition. He says the NDP must
stay connected to its “fundamental identity as a social democratic/democratic
socialist party.” In his policy papers, Topp has described economic inequality
as “the central economic and moral issue of our time” and pledged to increase
governmental presence in the economic market to ensure distribution of “wealth and
income more evenly.” He has also promised to cut corporate tax breaks and to
work with small businesses, which he says “drive our economy,” to foster job
creation and economic growth.
Topp
has also criticised Mulcair’s desire to make the NDP a more centrist party,
saying that if there are two liberalised parties, voters will choose “the real
one” come election time. The problem with this hard-lining is that it fails to acknowledge
those Canadians who are not diehard social democrats, which risks nullifying
the progress made under Jack Layton, and returning the NDP to a fourth-place
party. Nathan Cullen’s co-nominee idea, although controversial within the party
ranks, will show that the NDP is ready to cooperate and to represent the entire
country, not just its own base.
Cullen
is the only candidate to have defeated a Conservative incumbent MP. “I know how
to beat these guys,” he said in the final debate in Vancouver, but still he
recognizes the Conservative threat for what it is. “Mr. Harper is many things,”
he says, “but not stupid.” By not underestimating the Conservative party,
Cullen shows that he is prepared to tackle the complex challenges facing both
the party and the nation.
As
the Vancouver Sun’s
Peter O’Neil says in his recent column, “Jack Layton is going to be on the mind
of every New Democrat during this vote.” Given that, the new leader must be
someone who can live up to Layton’s reputation. O’Neil agrees that “Cullen is
by far the closest of the seven candidates to the late leader in terms of
personality and charisma” and that “his message … also echoes Layton’s style.”
Whoever
is elected must be someone that the party, and the country, will rally around with
the devotion and enthusiasm that Jack Layton inspired, and it is Cullen, with
his fresh and charismatic vision, who can create that inspiration.
//Julian Legere, writer
//Graphics by Desiree Wallace
//Julian Legere, writer
//Graphics by Desiree Wallace
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