Canadians not ready to give the NDP power in Ottawa

By Mike De Souza
Canwest News Service

The emotion is plain on NDP leader Jack Layton's face as he and wife Olivia Chow watch disappointing NDP returns come in. (Peter J. Thompson/Canwest News Service)

TORONTO - New Democrats across Canada had heightened expectations for the elections on Monday night that were dashed when the ballots were finally counted.     

For decades, the NDP was considered to be the conscience of Canada's Parliament, never expected to govern the country. But when he took over the party leadership in 2003, Jack Layton wanted to change that reputation.     

"The NDP knew when they elected Jack Layton that they were taking the party in a new direction and now they are seeing the results of that choice," said Kathy Brock, a political scientist from Queen's University in Kingston.     

The NDP won 29 seats in the 2006 election and failed to make substantial gains this time.     

Layton identified everyday issues and concerns of average, middle-class Canadians, making an effort to reach out beyond his party's traditional roots in organized labour, she said. So instead of tailoring the NDP message to blue-collar voters and labour unions, Brock said Layton made a conscious effort to reach out to the middle class, families, youth, and build up the party's base in the country's largest urban centres.     

The party even raised millions of dollars under Layton to buy a three-storey building in downtown Ottawa that now serves as its permanent headquarters as well as a source of rental income from a ground floor pharmacy.     

"It's an example of Jack Layton's ability to build a foundation for the long term in our party," said NDP spokesperson Brad Lavigne.     

To the delight of the party faithful, Layton ran this campaign with a consistent message that he was running to be the prime minister. But although he consistently earned top marks in surveys about leadership, Canadians were still not ready to give his party more power in Ottawa.     

Brock noted that in a volatile political landscape, the NDP and Green party support is the most vulnerable among the five federal parties and is always in danger of being marginalized by the Liberals and Conservatives.     

"The NDP is going to have take a good look at what its objectives are and see if the best advantage rests with keeping Jack Layton as their leader or whether they need a change in strategy," she said. "There are always people waiting in the wings, and there are always people in the party who think they can do a better job than the current leader."     

Under the party constitution, Layton is required to face a leadership test at the next NDP convention. But after five years at the helm of the New Democrats, Layton has never faced any serious challenges to his leadership, and most party supporters maintain he's the best person for the job.     

"I wouldn't think that he would have any problems," said *** Proctor, a former NDP MP who also served as Layton's chief of staff. "I think that Canadians have been very proud of Jack's leadership. I think they're proud of the campaign that has been run by him, this time out. So I don't foresee that there would be a call that it's time for him to move on."     

He suggested that the party might have been in better shape in the 1990s if former leader Ed Broadbent had not decided to leave politics. But instead, the party was reduced to a historic low of nine seats in the 1993 election.     

"In 1988, we had our single best showing (winning 43 seats)," said Proctor. "I still think it's one of the greatest tragedies of our time that Ed Broadbent chose to leave political life, leave the leadership of the party, shortly after that election campaign and I think that really took the wind out of our sales for a decade or more."