POLI 410 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Jack Layton, New Politics Initiative, Tactical Voting
15 Jun 2018
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POLI410 The Contemporary NDP Lecture Notes
Two stories
- Electoral loss
- Progressive policy influence
o Through passing Liberal policy and influencing it
- A part that has never formed government but also the most important party to not take
government and influence
Rise of Jack Layton
- Elected leader in 2003
o After 1990s NDP struggle, had no reliable vote base
o A need to rejuvenate power, McDunna stepping down
- Leadership marked by professionalization and moderation of the NDP
- Idea of inclusion and home
- First NDP leader to speak French with ease
o First to pull party with serous contention into Quebec
o First and only NDP leader to form opposition
- Cross-party support
o Some debate if he was more on the left/right wing
o But party marked by party moderation
- Toronto city council, had run twice for a federal seat in Toronto but lost
o But sweeping leadership followed
o Despite being an outsider to the NDP
o Had strong internal support of the party eg. Ed Broadbent and McLaughlin
o Had support from new politics wing (New Politics Initiative – a wing that wanted
to revamp NDP as socialist and protest party)
- Early 2000s – marked by series of elections
- 2004 election, starts to grow party steadily, culminating in electoral breakthrough in
2011
- 2004 election: staples of NDP policy and ideology
o growing a green economy, investment in healthcare, investment in cities
o NDP campaign as one that is truly national – trying to show itself as a national
contender
o Struggled in the early 2000s with debates - lacked national visibility at the time
o Nothing in particular had distinguished him from other party leaders
- Early campaigns – attack Liberals or the Conservatives?
o Focused on Liberals, staked out ground to the left of the Liberals
o Motivated by an internal question about strategic voting
o Atiely stoked this idea of strategi otig: thik tie ote oe
- Regain some important constituents in 2004
o Double vote count from 8 to 16%, regain advantage among women voters and
union households
- Formed the minority government
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
o Liberals cant pass budget without NDP support, but Liberal was anti-coalition,
but did pass budget
- 2006 election
o NDP able to campaign on the NDP budget that was previously passed through
the house
o Attempt to position party as capable to governing → opposition party
- 2008 election
o forms minority government, NDP ignores Liberals until the end of the campaign
o Conservative government tries to make change to party financing by limiting the
per vote subsidy – Liberals, Bloc, NDP doesn't like this – divisive, alienated
Canadian public – leads to 2011 election
- 2001 election
o dysfunctional parliament
NDP Breakthrough 2011
- campaign:
o activist state
▪ intervene in the economy to boost it, following the recession
▪ intervention through tax credits, state intervention in agriculture
▪ limit foreign takeovers/America investment
o emphasis on cities
o pay equity
▪ oe’s rights
o family reunification for immigrants
o indigenous self-government
- but also important shifts (to the right)
o no free tuition
▪ 2004: free tuition
▪ 2011: broad references to affordable tuition
o constrained promises
▪ 2004: 200,000 childcare spots
▪ 2011: 250,000
▪ aggressive review of drug policy and commitment to hiring more nurses
o followed the conservatives (shifted right)
o willingness to build inroads into Quebec
▪ campaign promises that target the Province
▪ funding through CBC, promote Quebec culture and content
o commit to running a balanced budget
o committed to electoral reform, but drops its daring progressive ideas
▪ eg. Forgiving debt for development countries – dropping this
▪ increase foreign aid though, social programs continue but restrain scope
- biggest shift: NDP platform said they would get tough on crime
o earlier: restorative justice, rehabilitation, addressing underlying causes of crime
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Progressive policy influence: through passing liberal policy and influencing it. A part that has never formed government but also the most important party to not take government and influence. Elected leader in 2003: after 1990s ndp struggle, had no reliable vote base, a need to rejuvenate power, mcdunna stepping down. Leadership marked by professionalization and moderation of the ndp. First ndp leader to speak french with ease: first to pull party with serous contention into quebec, first and only ndp leader to form opposition. Cross-party support: some debate if he was more on the left/right wing, but party marked by party moderation. Early 2000s marked by series of elections. 2004 election, starts to grow party steadily, culminating in electoral breakthrough in. Regain some important constituents in 2004: double vote count from 8 to 16%, regain advantage among women voters and union households.
