The next leader of the official Opposition…

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/03/2012 (5139 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — More than 3,500 New Democrats will descend on Canada’s largest city this weekend to crown their new leader.

It’s the first time the federal NDP has held a leadership convention while sitting as official Opposition, and with the knowledge whomever they choose could become prime minister.

“People get that the stakes are high,” said Jean-Guy Bourgeois, a former senior adviser to ex-premier Gary Doer who now works at the Manitoba Federation of Labour.

Bourgeois is one of a large contingent of Manitoba NDP members backing Ontario MP Paul Dewar. Dewar has attracted support from nearly half of provincial NDP cabinet ministers, as well as other NDP stalwarts from Manitoba.

He is one of the seven candidates on the ballot. Also running are MPs Niki Ashton, Nathan Cullen, Thomas Mulcair, and Peggy Nash, former party president Brian Topp, and Nova Scotia pharmacist Martin Singh.

Former Manitoba NDP MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis, who supports Topp, said she doesn’t think any one candidate has a huge edge from Manitoba NDP voters.

Ashton has a lot of Manitoba support with the backing of four provincial ministers and several MLAs.

There are more than 12,000 NDP members from Manitoba, about a tenth of the total. It’s unclear how many will attend the convention in Toronto. About 3,500 members from across the country were registered as of Thursday.

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said he wouldn’t give any of the candidates advice heading into the convention.

“I think the most important thing is for people to recognize they’re on the same team when this is over,” he said.

He said the fact the NDP is the official Opposition and could possibly form government in the next election is making “people think more even more carefully” about their choice.

Members could vote in advance by mail or online using a preferential ballot. Live voting will take place on the convention floor in Toronto and online. About 70 per cent of members were expected to vote in advance.

Manitoba MP Pat Martin said he expects the vote to take at least two or three ballots.

The convention will start with speeches from the seven candidates this afternoon and a tribute tonight to Jack Layton, who lost his battle with cancer last year. The first ballot results will be announced at 9 a.m. CST on Saturday.

Layton’s memory will loom large over the weekend although most members are trying not to expect whoever wins to be another Jack Layton, said Martin.

Layton himself took several years as the NDP leader to become a popular and skilled politician but Martin acknowledges the new leader won’t have that time.

“For the first time we don’t have the luxury of time to break in a new leader.”

Micah Goldberg, 22, will attend his first ever political convention. He said he’s backing Cullen because he is taken by Cullen’s platform promise to run joint nomination meetings with Liberals and the Green party, to end the division of left-of-centre votes.

He was so taken by Cullen, he volunteered for his campaign, the first time Goldberg has done political work without getting a paycheque.

He isn’t entirely sure what to expect at the convention.

“A lot of people have said it’s going to be super exciting, but I’m trying not to let my expectations grow too much.”

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca