The 2003 New Democratic Party leadership election was a leadership election held in Canada to replace New Democratic Party 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.[1] Ducasse's speech attracted widespread praise,[2][3] although its late delivery was unable to sway the postal and internet votes which had already been cast.
At the time of the election, Jack Layton was serving on Toronto City Council 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.
At the time of the election, Bill Blaikie 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 served as a member of Parliament (MP) since the 1979 Canadian federal election. 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.
.jpg/1280px-Lorne_Nystrom_(2012).jpg)
Lorne Nystrom had served as the MP for Regina—Qu'Appelle from 1997 at the time of the election, and the NDP critic for economic policy, finance, banks, national revenue, public accounts, Crown corporations and electoral reform. He previously served as MP for Yorkton—Melville from 1968 to 1993. Through his 29 years in Parliament, it was the third time he had run for leader, following unsuccessful bids in 1975 and in 1995. 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.
Joe Comartin was the MP for Windsor—St. Clair and the party's 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 had helped add a second Ontario seat with Brian Masse's win in the neighbouring riding of Windsor West in 2002. He emphasised foreign affairs, particularly in the Middle East, and his campaign included significant outreach to Arab and Muslim Canadians. Comartin received high profile support from the Canadian Auto Workers. Of the candidates, Comartin was considered the furthest left on economic policy.[4]
Pierre Ducasse 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.
Bev Meslo was a Vancouver-area activist and represented the New Democratic Party Socialist Caucus in the leadership election.
NOTES:[5]
The labour votes at convention were weighted to equal 1/3 of the total membership votes cast (43,652 / 3 = 14,550.67).
This was done to ensure that labour held 25% of the total votes cast for Leader, as required by the NDP Constitution.
As a result, the vote of each labour delegate was equal to approximately 15.2 membership votes.
Campaign contributions were those reported on the interim financial statements, as of November 30, 2002.