Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Its not All About Tom Mulcair

Since The NDP's disappointing results in October, no discussion has been more prominent than on the question of Tom Mulcair's leadership. Many have written pieces for and against Mulcair continuing to lead the NDP into the next election, likely in 2019. This article isn't about these well-treaded topics. 

Rather, its about how the claim that there is no one to replace Mulcair does a disservice to the party, and to Mulcair himself. It implies not only that the NDP lacks the drive to shake things up after a resounding defeat, but that its current crop of MPs and voices outside Parliament don't have what it takes to lead. 

And if only Mulcair is a viable leader, how can the NDP sell itself in 2019. not just as 'Tom and company,' but as an accomplished slate of people who can lead Canada towards a social democratic future? 

Therefore, I am offering a few individuals--in no particular order--who I feel can lead the NDP, especially given that they will have time--as Mulcair did--to grow into the role. Some of these people would be likely challengers to Mulcair if his leadership review goes poorly, while others I feel would make interesting and effective candidates in a more general sense.

1. Niki Ashton

Ashton ran for the leadership in 2012, and though she was eliminated on the first ballot, she was regarded as running a positive and engaging campaign. Still only 33, she has the potential to represent the hopes and interests of younger Canadians. 

She has been an excellent voice for women, first nations, young people, and workers, and has demonstrated a propensity to build alliances with the international left, giving public support to both SYRIZA and Bernie Sanders. Perhaps most indicative of her hard work and compassion for regular Canadians is her tireless efforts for her constituents.

Her star in the NDP has been rising quickly over the past couple years, and she is highly regarded by the party's left-leaning activists. She would be a great leader going forward.

2.  Megan Leslie

Like Ashton, Leslie's NDP star has soared since 2011, becoming deputy leader in 2012. She also held high-profile critic roles on health and the environment. Though she lost her seat in the Liberal sweep of Atlantic Canada, many still feel Leslie has a role to play going forward. 

Her best contributions have come through tapping into the NDP's activist tradition. For instance, she has been a stalwart ally of the transgender community, which has lacked until recently supportive voices in Parliament. 

Leslie has demonstrated the ability to fight for those who often have limited social and economic power. While some might see her recent defeat--and her new job with World Wildlife Federation--as a barrier to a leadership run, I would be surprised if she was finished with electoral politics.

3. Nathan Cullen

Cullen placing a strong third in the 2012 leadership contest, running on a pledge to cooperate electorally with the Liberals and Greens to remove the Conservatives from power. While the Trudeau majority--combined with the potential for electoral reform--make Cullen's platform obsolete, many still feel he has the chops to lead the NDP going forward. He did, after all, consider a run for the BCNDP leadership in 2014.

Cullen in many ways would be a continuation of Mulcair's rightward reorientation of the party, but he is charismatic, youthful, and has room to grow into the job.

4. Gary Doer

Gary Doer served as NDP Manitoba premier for more than a decade, and is the current Ambassador to the United States. His age of 67 might be a roadblock, but as one of the most popular NDP politicians in recent memory, he can't be automatically overlooked. So popular and formidable was Doer that its not unreasonable to assume he was offered the ambassadorship to pull him away from electoral politics, be they provincial or federal. 

Doer has indicated his future is up in the air, and while he suspects he will continue to work in the frame of international relations, I would argue that a political comeback isn't impossible. 

5. Alexandre Boulerice

Part of the Quebec contingency that arose during the 2011 election, Boulerice has made a name for himself with important shadow appointments and now serving as Quebec Lieutenant. A bright and passionate MP, Boulerice would bolster the NDP left. And while some might say that his candidness--such as decrying World War 1 as a "purely capitalist" waste of worker and peasant life--is unfitting of the leadership, I feel its the sort of blunt honesty the NDP needs to provide the membership, the electorate, and itself. 

6. Brian Topp

Topp, despite a strong second place finish to Mulcair in 2012, is known more for his back-room efforts. Topp was integral to the historic results in the 2011 federal election, as well as the 2015 Alberta election. So while his role in the 2013 BCNDP defeat cannot be discounted, Topp is still deeply in the NDP game, serving as Rachel Notley's chief of staff

I feel he merits another go at the leadership, and might be seen as a rebuke of Mulcair's rightward reorientation, which he attacked in 2012, stating prophetically that "if there are two Liberal parties in front of the people of Canada in the next election, then people will vote for the real one."

7. Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein might well be the most famous person on this list, given her international prominence as a left intellectual unafraid to ensure that critiques of western society are not divorced from the capitalism that underwrites it. Most recently, she has been the lead figure behind the Leap Manifesto, which aims to reshape the Canadian economy in a green, cooperative, and democratic image. The Manifesto, as I've noted before, is increasingly popular among NDP riding associations and activists.

I feel her intellect, ideas, recognition, and strength would be great assets to a renewal of a democratic socialist NDP.  

8. Libby Davies

Though Davies chose not to run in 2015, I feel she might well return for a leadership contest. As the first female federal MP in an open same-sex relationship, Davies is no stranger to being a leader. She was recently a deputy leader in the party, and was one of the NDP's longest-serving MPs, holding her seat since 1997, and being a long-time Vancouver city Councillor from 1982-93. 

While she in the past has cited her unilingualism as a barrier, I feel that she can learn the language much easier than others can accomplish her record of activism on everything from gay rights to Palestine--an issue which put her at odds with Tom Mulcair and the party establishment

***

The above list likely isn't without criticisms, and it certainly isn't comprehensive. Rather, it should serve as a discussion-starter: I hope that people consider the above figures before assuming that Mulcair is the default option. After all, if Mulcair merits holding onto his job, it should be based on his record and skill set, not on the erroneous suggestion that there's no other choice.

4 comments:

  1. Naomi....indeed.....
    Ashton...absolutle

    ReplyDelete
  2. While I know Tom Mulcair has terrific assets that I admire, I believe he should make way for another leader. Your list shows how many people could lead the party. I am not looking for victory in the next election but rather the one after that. A new leader now would enhance the NDP chances at that time and I believe it would not work with Tom.

    ReplyDelete
  3. With the exception of Doer, not a single one of these individuals merits even a passing glance when considering who the next leader should be.

    ReplyDelete