{"id":11205,"date":"2011-07-28T12:59:01","date_gmt":"2011-07-28T17:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=11205"},"modified":"2018-11-02T14:21:14","modified_gmt":"2018-11-02T18:21:14","slug":"laytons-hiatus-presents-a-critical-time-for-the-ndp-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2011\/07\/laytons-hiatus-presents-a-critical-time-for-the-ndp-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"Layton’s hiatus presents a critical time for the NDP: expert"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"NDP

NDP leader Jack Layton is temporarily stepping down to focus on his health. Other members will have to do "heavy lifting" to preserve the party's gains, says a Brock expert. Photo: ndp.ca<\/p><\/div>\n

With Jack Layton temporarily stepping down for health reasons, preserving the NDP\u2019s recent gains depends on the ability of its prominent MPs to step into the spotlight, says a Brock expert in Canadian and labour politics.<\/p>\n

All eyes have been on the NDP this week after Layton announced Monday<\/a> that he had a new type of cancer. He is stepping down as leader but plans to return in the fall. The party has backed his pick for interim leader<\/a>, rookie Quebec MP Nycole Turmel.<\/p>\n

\"Larry

Larry Savage<\/p><\/div>\n

This is the time for some of the party\u2019s other potential stars to step into the spotlight, said Larry Savage<\/a>, associate professor of Political Science<\/a> and Labour Studies<\/a>. And it\u2019s critical that they present themselves as able to govern.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people think of the NDP, they think of Jack Layton,\u201d he said. \u201cHis personal popularity outstrips the popularity of the party. Life without Layton will be difficult for the NDP, so it\u2019s important for his shadow cabinet to step up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Savage predicts that in addition to Turmel, the public will see more of foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar, and deputy leader Libby Davies, and even agriculture critic and Welland MP Malcolm Allen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re going to have to do some heavy lifting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The NDP saw a landmark growth in this spring\u2019s election. By becoming the official opposition, it knocked the Liberals out of second place and the Bloc Quebecois into near extinction. Much of this had to do with Layton\u2019s personal charisma, particularly with \u201cLayton Liberals\u201d \u2013 people who previously voted Liberal but instead switched to the NDP.<\/p>\n

Layton\u2019s announcement has created a crucial moment for the party, Savage said. In the coming months, it is critical that the party consolidates its support in Quebec to get repeat voters. It is also important for it to perform competently and flawlessly to earn the public\u2019s trust, and to keep the Liberals in third place. The party seems to be aiming for the latter by drifting closer to the centre, he said. Recent moves include proposals to remove the word \u201csocialism\u201d from its constitution earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Layton\u2019s gaunt appearance at the press conference startled people, but he would not be the first opposition leader to come back from a health crisis, Savage said. Jean Chretien underwent surgery to remove a nodule from his lung in 1991 and eventually became Prime Minister. Former Bloc Quebecois leader Lucien Bouchard lost his leg to necrotizing fasciitis (\u201cflesh-eating disease\u201d) in 1994 and went on to become Premier of Quebec.<\/p>\n

Turmel is not a shocking choice for leader, Savage said. She is bilingual and uncontroversial. She is an experienced labour leader and has no leadership aspirations of her own.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes sense to put someone with her organizational experience into an interim leadership position,\u201d he said. \u201cShe does, however, have pretty big shoes to fill.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With Jack Layton temporarily stepping down for health reasons, preserving the NDP\u2019s recent gains depends on the ability of its prominent MPs to step into the spotlight, Larry Savage says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[110,4104,31],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11205"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11205"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54176,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11205\/revisions\/54176"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}