Federal NDP promise unity during leadership campaign
Posted Sep 14, 2011 03:11:38 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NDP MPs are all speaking about unity today as they sit down for a series of meetings in their caucus retreat in Quebec.
In a symbolic gesture, Jack Layton’s widow Olivia Chow gave two feathers owned by the late NDP leader to Nycole Turmel, who has taken his place temporarily.
They are to help guide through her term until a full replacement can be selected.
But can they really stay united? Or is that just wishful thinking during a leadership campaign?
Political scientist Cheryl Collier says she can already see the divisions of the perceived front runners. Declared candidate Brian Topp represents unions and the left wing, and potential candidate Thomas Mulcair leans to the centre with the Quebec caucus on his side.
She tells 1310News the wedge may go even deeper with the party’s future at stake.
“They will feel very viscerally about where they want to steer the ship and any time you have that, obviously it makes it harder to come together and see common ground.”
She points out this could cause a lot of internal turmoil, something the Liberals have been dealing with for years.
Big names like Paul Dewar, Peggy Nash and Nathan Cullen could also enter the race and depending how it plays out, Collier says that could make matters worse.
