New Democratic Party leadership election, 2003
Encyclopedia
The New Democratic Party leadership election of 2003 was held to replace New Democratic Party
of Canada
leader Alexa McDonough
, after her retirement. It ended on January 25, 2003, with the first ballot victory of popular Toronto
city councillor Jack Layton
.
The election was the first to be conducted under the NDP's new partial one member, one vote
system, in which the popular vote of the members is weighted for 75% of the result. The rest are votes cast by delegates for affiliated organizations (mainly labour unions). It was also the first Canadian leadership convention to allow Internet
voting; delegates who chose to vote electronically were given a password to a secure website
to register their votes.
The race was heated, with the leaders campaigning to NDP audiences across Canada. One of the most notable events of the campaign occurred at the convention in Toronto, the day before the election, when candidate Pierre Ducasse
made a stirring speech. Ducasse's speech attracted widespread praise, although its late delivery was unable to sway the postal and internet votes which had already been cast.
was the Toronto City Councillor for Ward 30 and vice chair of Toronto Hydro
, and a former university lecturer and environmental consultant. He had run and lost in both the 1993
and 1997 federal elections
. His emphases included homelessness, affordable housing, opposing violence, the natural environment and the green economy. While other campaigns stressed federal experience, Layton's campaign contended that his record on Toronto council and as former president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
encompassed national issues and would transfer to the federal stage, and that as Alexa McDonough had on her election as leader, he could lead the party successfully from outside Parliament until winning his own seat.
was the MP
for Winnipeg-Transcona, the NDP House leader and the critic on intergovernmental affairs, justice, the Solicitor General, and parliamentary reform. He had been a Member of Parliament for over 20 years. His emphases included trade, Medicare
, taxes and the environment, and his parliamentary experience. An ordained minister in the United Church of Canada
, Blaikie was a prominent heir to the Social Gospel
, Christian left
tradition deeply rooted in the NDP.
was the MP for Regina—Qu'Appelle
at the time of the election, and the NDP critic of economic policy, finance, banks, national revenue, public accounts, Crown corporations and electoral reform. Through his 29 years in Parliament, it was the third time he had run for leader. Nystrom campaigned heavily on the issue of electoral reform. Other emphases included his parliamentary experience and practical left-wing economics; he had edited a book on financial issues, Just Making Change.
and the environment critic at the time of the election. His election in 2000 had been the first federal win for the NDP in Ontario in ten years, and he helped add a second Ontario seat with Brian Masse's win in the neighbouring Windsor West in 2002. His emphases included Mideast peace and support for UN resolutions on Palestine, and his campaign reached out prominently to the Muslim Canadian
community.
was the Associate President of the NDP at the time of the election. His underdog
campaign stressed outreach in Quebec
and building the party toward electoral success. It also drew on Ducasse's background in co-operative economics
.
was a Vancouver-area activist and represented the New Democratic Party Socialist Caucus
in the leadership election.
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
leader Alexa McDonough
Alexa McDonough
Alexa Ann Shaw McDonough OC is a Canadian politician who became the first woman to lead a major, recognized political party in Canada, when she was elected the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party's leader in 1980...
, after her retirement. It ended on January 25, 2003, with the first ballot victory of popular Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
city councillor Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
.
The election was the first to be conducted under the NDP's new partial one member, one vote
One member, one vote
One member, one vote , as used in the parliamentary politics of the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Canadian provinces, is a proposal to select party leaders and/or determine party policy, by a direct vote of the members of each party...
system, in which the popular vote of the members is weighted for 75% of the result. The rest are votes cast by delegates for affiliated organizations (mainly labour unions). It was also the first Canadian leadership convention to allow Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
voting; delegates who chose to vote electronically were given a password to a secure website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
to register their votes.
The race was heated, with the leaders campaigning to NDP audiences across Canada. One of the most notable events of the campaign occurred at the convention in Toronto, the day before the election, when candidate Pierre Ducasse
Pierre Ducasse
Pierre Ducasse , a Canadian politician, is a prominent New Democratic Party activist.He grew up in Sept-Îles, Quebec, and studied at Université Laval...
made a stirring speech. Ducasse's speech attracted widespread praise, although its late delivery was unable to sway the postal and internet votes which had already been cast.
Jack Layton
At the time of the election, Jack LaytonJack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
was the Toronto City Councillor for Ward 30 and vice chair of Toronto Hydro
Toronto Hydro
The Toronto Hydro-Electric System is the local distributor of electric power in the City of Toronto. In 2005 the utility served a peak load of over 5,000 MW and had nearly 600,000 residential and 70,000 commercial and industrial customers, and had around 1,600 employees. In 2005 the corporation...
, and a former university lecturer and environmental consultant. He had run and lost in both the 1993
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
and 1997 federal elections
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
. His emphases included homelessness, affordable housing, opposing violence, the natural environment and the green economy. While other campaigns stressed federal experience, Layton's campaign contended that his record on Toronto council and as former president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is a civic advocacy group representing many Canadian municipalities. It is an organization with no formal power but significant ability to influence debate and policy, as it is main national lobby group of mayors, councillors and other elected municipal...
encompassed national issues and would transfer to the federal stage, and that as Alexa McDonough had on her election as leader, he could lead the party successfully from outside Parliament until winning his own seat.
- Supporters: Ed BroadbentEd BroadbentJohn Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life...
, Svend RobinsonSvend RobinsonSvend Robinson is a former Canadian politician. He was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 2004, representing the suburban Vancouver-area constituency of Burnaby for the New Democratic Party...
, Libby DaviesLibby DaviesLibby Davies is a Canadian Member of Parliament for the New Democratic Party , representing the riding of Vancouver East in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2007, she was named Deputy Leader of the federal NDP, jointly with Thomas Mulcair.-Background:Davies was born in Aldershot, England and...
, former Ontario NDP leader Stephen LewisStephen LewisStephen Henry Lewis, is a Canadian politician, broadcaster and diplomat. He was the leader of the social democratic Ontario New Democratic Party for most of the 1970s. During many of the those years as leader, his father David Lewis was simultaneously the leader of the Federal New Democratic Party... - Date campaign launched: July 22, 2002
Bill Blaikie
At the time of the election, Bill BlaikieBill Blaikie
William Alexander "Bill" Blaikie, PC is a Canadian politician. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since April 2009, representing the Winnipeg division of Elmwood as a member of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, and Minister of Conservation and Government House Leader...
was the MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Winnipeg-Transcona, the NDP House leader and the critic on intergovernmental affairs, justice, the Solicitor General, and parliamentary reform. He had been a Member of Parliament for over 20 years. His emphases included trade, Medicare
Medicare (Canada)
Medicare is the unofficial name for Canada's publicly funded universal health insurance system. The formal terminology for the insurance system is provided by the Canada Health Act and the health insurance legislation of the individual provinces and territories.Under the terms of the Canada Health...
, taxes and the environment, and his parliamentary experience. An ordained minister in the United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
, Blaikie was a prominent heir to the Social Gospel
Social Gospel
The Social Gospel movement is a Protestant Christian intellectual movement that was most prominent in the early 20th century United States and Canada...
, Christian left
Christian left
The Christian left is a term originating in the United States, used to describe a spectrum of left-wing Christian political and social movements which largely embraces social justice....
tradition deeply rooted in the NDP.
- Supporters: MPs Wendy LillWendy LillWendy Lill is an award-winning Canadian playwright, screenwriter and radio dramatist who served as an NDP Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2004. Her stage plays have been performed extensively in theatres across Canada as well as internationally in such countries as Scotland, Denmark and Germany...
, Judy Wasylycia-LeisJudy Wasylycia-LeisKlazina Judith "Judy" Wasylycia-Leis is a Canadian politician. She was a Manitoba cabinet minister in the government of Howard Pawley from 1986 to 1988, and was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from September 22, 1997 to April 30, 2010...
, Pat MartinPat MartinPatrick "Pat" Martin is a Canadian politician. He has been a member of the Canadian House of Commons since 1997, representing the riding of Winnipeg Centre for the New Democratic Party.-Career:...
, Bev DesjarlaisBev DesjarlaisBev Desjarlais is a retired Canadian politician. She represented Churchill in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2006, initially as a New Democrat and later as an Independent after losing her party nomination in late 2005...
, Dick ProctorDick ProctorDick Proctor is a Canadian political activist, former New Democratic Party Member of Parliament, and a former journalist....
and Yvon GodinYvon GodinYvon Godin is a Canadian politician.Godin is currently a New Democratic Party Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Acadie—Bathurst since 1997. Previously, Godin was a labour representative for the United Steelworkers...
, Manitoba PremierPremier of ManitobaThe Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
Gary DoerGary DoerGary Albert Doer, OM is a Canadian diplomat and politician from Manitoba, Canada. Since October 19, 2009, he has served as Canada's Ambassador to the United States...
, Ontario New Democratic PartyOntario New Democratic PartyThe Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
leader Howard HamptonHoward HamptonHoward George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
and several former MPs - Date campaign launched: June 17, 2002
Lorne Nystrom
Lorne NystromLorne Nystrom
Lorne Edmund Nystrom, PC a Canadian politician, was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1993 when he lost his reelection bid. He returned to parliament in 1997 and served until 2004...
was the MP for Regina—Qu'Appelle
Regina—Qu'Appelle
Regina—Qu'Appelle is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1968 and since 1988.-Geography:...
at the time of the election, and the NDP critic of economic policy, finance, banks, national revenue, public accounts, Crown corporations and electoral reform. Through his 29 years in Parliament, it was the third time he had run for leader. Nystrom campaigned heavily on the issue of electoral reform. Other emphases included his parliamentary experience and practical left-wing economics; he had edited a book on financial issues, Just Making Change.
- Date campaign launched: July 31, 2002
Joe Comartin
Joe Comartin was the MP for Windsor—St. ClairWindsor—St. Clair
Windsor—St. Clair was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 2003. It was located in the province of Ontario, and included a part of the city of Windsor. This riding was created in 1987 as "Windsor—Lake St. Clair" from parts of Essex—Windsor and...
and the environment critic at the time of the election. His election in 2000 had been the first federal win for the NDP in Ontario in ten years, and he helped add a second Ontario seat with Brian Masse's win in the neighbouring Windsor West in 2002. His emphases included Mideast peace and support for UN resolutions on Palestine, and his campaign reached out prominently to the Muslim Canadian
Islam in Canada
According to Canada's 2001 census, there were 579,740 Muslims in Canada, just under 2% of the population. In 2006, the Muslim population was estimated to be 0.8 million or about 2.6%. In 2010, the Pew Research Center estimates there were about 0.9 million Muslims in Canada. About 65% were Sunni,...
community.
- Supporters: MP Brian MasseBrian MasseBrian S. Masse is a Canadian politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 2002, representing the riding of Windsor West as a member of the New Democratic Party....
Pierre Ducasse
Pierre DucassePierre Ducasse
Pierre Ducasse , a Canadian politician, is a prominent New Democratic Party activist.He grew up in Sept-Îles, Quebec, and studied at Université Laval...
was the Associate President of the NDP at the time of the election. His underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
campaign stressed outreach in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and building the party toward electoral success. It also drew on Ducasse's background in co-operative economics
Co-operative economics
Co-operative economics is a field of economics, socialist economics, co-operative studies, and political economy, which is concerned with co-operatives.-History:...
.
- Supporters: Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour CongressCanadian Labour CongressThe Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in English Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.- Formation :...
Bev Meslo
Bev MesloBev Meslo
Beverley "Bev" Meslo is a Canadian democratic socialist, a New Democratic Party member, and a political activist based in Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, Canada....
was a Vancouver-area activist and represented the New Democratic Party Socialist Caucus
New Democratic Party Socialist Caucus
The New Democratic Party Socialist Caucus is an unofficial left-wing faction within Canada's New Democratic Party. Its manifesto maintains that the New Democratic Party has moved too far to the right, and is in danger of becoming indistinguishable from the Liberal Party...
in the leadership election.
Results
- Jack LaytonJack LaytonJohn Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
- 31 150 (winner, 53.5%) - Bill BlaikieBill BlaikieWilliam Alexander "Bill" Blaikie, PC is a Canadian politician. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since April 2009, representing the Winnipeg division of Elmwood as a member of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, and Minister of Conservation and Government House Leader...
- 14 365 (24.7%) - Lorne NystromLorne NystromLorne Edmund Nystrom, PC a Canadian politician, was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1993 when he lost his reelection bid. He returned to parliament in 1997 and served until 2004...
- 5397 (9.3%) - Joe Comartin - 4490 (7.7%)
- Pierre DucassePierre DucassePierre Ducasse , a Canadian politician, is a prominent New Democratic Party activist.He grew up in Sept-Îles, Quebec, and studied at Université Laval...
- 2155 (3.7%) - Bev MesloBev MesloBeverley "Bev" Meslo is a Canadian democratic socialist, a New Democratic Party member, and a political activist based in Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, Canada....
- 645 (1.1%)- Total Votes - 58 202
Timeline
2002
- June 5: Alexa McDonough announces she will step down as leader.
- June 5 - 7: The NDP Federal Council convenes.
- June 6: The leadership race begins.
- June 17: Bill Blaikie declares his candidacy.
- June 25: Pierre Ducasse declares his candidacy.
- July 22: Jack Layton declares his candidacy.
- July 30: Bev Meslo declares her candidacy.
- July 31: Lorne Nystrom declares his candidacy.
- August 13: Joe Comartin declares his candidacy.
- November 26: Final day for candidates to declare candidacy.
- December 10: Last day to become an NDP member who can vote.
2003
- January 24: The convention begins in TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. - January 25: Ballots are cast, Layton declared victorious.