- New Democratic Party leadership elections
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New Democratic Party leadership elections, more commonly known as leadership conventions, are the process by which the Canadian New Democratic Party elects its leader.
Before 2003, when a modified one member, one vote (OMOV) system was adopted, every biennial New Democratic Party convention, since 1961, was a leadership convention. However, in practice, contested elections were held only when there was a declared leadership race. The earliest example of an incumbent leader being challenged from the convention floor happened in 1973 when Douglas Campbell unsuccessfully opposed David Lewis' leadership.[1] In 2001, Socialist Caucus member Marcel Hatch challenged Alexa McDonough from the floor of the convention; however, McDonough easily retained the leadership in the resulting vote.[2]
When the NDP was created by the merger of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), Trade unions were allowed to directly affiliate to the party, and a system was unofficially arranged so that up to one-third of all delegates to NDP conventions were selected by labour and the other two-thirds by NDP riding associations.[3] This was also the case at leadership conventions, giving the labour movement a significant say in determining the party's leadership. Under the current system, each biennial federal convention includes a vote at which the delegates decide whether a leadership convention should be held.[3]
1961 leadership convention results
Main article: New Democratic Party leadership election, 1961Held in Ottawa, Ontario on August 3, 1961. [4]
First Ballot[4]
Candidate Delegate Support Percentage Tommy Douglas 1,391 78.5% Hazen Argue 380 21.5% Total 1,771 100% 1971 leadership convention results
Main article: New Democratic Party leadership election, 1971Held in Ottawa, Ontario on April 24, 1971.
Delegate support by ballot Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot 3rd ballot 4th ballot Name Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % David Lewis 661 38.9% 715 42.5% 742 44.1% 1046 63.1% James Laxer 378 22.3% 407 24.1% 508 30.2% 612 36.9% John Paul Harney 299 17.6% 347 20.5% 431 25.6% Ed Broadbent 236 13.9% 223 13.1% Frank Howard 124 7.3% Total 1,698 100.0% 1,692 100.0% 1,681 100.0% 1,658 100.0% 1973 leadership challenge results
Held in Vancouver, British Columbia on Friday, July 20, 1973.[1]
First Ballot Candidate Delegate Support Percentage David Lewis 719 90.4% Douglas Campbell 76 9.55% Total 795 100% 1975 leadership convention results
Main article: New Democratic Party leadership election, 1975Held in Winnipeg, Manitoba on July 7, 1975.
Delegate support by ballot Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot 3rd ballot 4th ballot Name Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Ed Broadbent 536 33.1% 586 36.1% 694 43.4% 984 61.5% Rosemary Brown 413 23.5% 397 24.5% 494 30.9% 658 41.1% Lorne Nystrom 345 21.3% 342 21.1% 413 25.8% John Paul Harney 313 19.4% 299 18.4% Douglas Campbell 11 0.6% Total 1,618 100.0% 1,624 100.0% 1,601 100.0% 1,642 100.0% 1989 leadership convention results
Main article: New Democratic Party leadership election, 1989Held in Winnipeg, Manitoba on December 2, 1989.
Delegate support by ballot Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot 3rd ballot 4th ballot Name Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Audrey McLaughlin 646 26.9% 829 34.3% 1,072 44.4% 1,316 55.1% Dave Barrett 566 23.6% 780 32.3% 947 39.3% 1,072 44.9% Steven Langdon 351 14.6% 519 21.5% 393 16.3% Simon De Jong 315 13.1% 289 12.0% Howard McCurdy 256 10.7% Ian Waddell 213 8.9% Roger Lagasse 53 2.2% Total 2,400 100.0% 2,417 100.0% 2,412 100.0% 2,388 100.0% 1995 leadership convention results
Main article: New Democratic Party leadership election, 1995Held in Ottawa, Ontario on October 14, 1995.
First Ballot Candidate Delegate Support Percentage Svend Robinson 655 37.8% Alexa McDonough 566 32.6% Lorne Nystrom 545 31.5% Total 1,735 100% As the last place finisher on the first ballot, Nystrom was dropped. However, Robinson determined that he could not win on the second ballot if Nystrom's supporters moved to McDonough, as they were expected to, thus he withdrew and McDonough was declared the winner.
The NDP held a series of regional and labour "caucus votes" prior to the national convention. A fourth candidate, Herschel Hardin, participated in the regional caucuses but did not win sufficient delegate support to qualify for the convention. These "primaries" were OMOV.
Primaries
Primaries Candidate Percentage Lorne Nystrom 44.69% Svend Robinson 32.06% Alexa McDonough 18.47% Herschel Hardin 4.78% Total 100% 2001 leadership challenge results
Held in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Sunday, November 25, 2001.[5]
First Ballot Candidate Delegate Support Percentage Alexa McDonough 645 82.2% Marcel Hatch 120 15.3% Total 785 100% There were 42 spoiled ballots. If these are factored in McDonough's level of support was 78% overall.[6]
2003 leadership election results
Main article: New Democratic Party leadership election, 2003Held in Toronto, Ontario on January 25, 2003.
First Ballot Candidate Votes (adjusted) Percentage Jack Layton 31,150 53.5% Bill Blaikie 14,365 24.7% Lorne Nystrom 5,397 9.3% Joe Comartin 4,490 7.7% Pierre Ducasse 2,155 3.7% Bev Meslo 645 1.1% Total 58,202 100% Starting with the 2003 leadership election, the NDP instituted a modified one member one vote system in which the vote is calculated so that ballots cast by labour delegates have 25% weight in the total result, while votes cast by party members have 75%.
2012 leadership election
Main article: New Democratic Party leadership election, 2012A leadership election will be held on March 24, 2012, to choose a permanent successor for Jack Layton, who died August 22, 2011.[7] The convention at which the results will be announced will be held at Exhibition Place in Toronto.[8]
References and notes
- ^ a b Special to The Star (1973-07-21). "David Lewis keeps leadership of NDP". The Toronto Star (Torstar): p. A9.
- ^ Lawton, Valerie (2001-11-26). "McDonough still rules NDP's house divided". The Toronto Star (Toronto): pp. A1, A18.
- ^ a b Morton, Desmond (1986). The New Democrats 1961–86. Toronto: Copp Clark Pitman Ltd.. pp. 229–235. ISBN 0-7730-4618-6.
- ^ a b Sears, Val (1961-08-04). "New Democratic Party Hails Douglas as Leader". The Toronto Star (Toronto): p. 1.
- ^ "McDonough fends off leadership challenge". Online Edition (The Globe and Mail Newspaper). 2001-11-25. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/content/subscribe?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FRTGAM.20011125.wndppvo%2FBNStory%2FFront%2F&ord=6899195&brand=theglobeandmail&redirect_reason=2&denial_reasons=15885961%3A0%3B14894981%3A0%3B17167241%3A16%3B15497601%3A0%3B14279381%3A0%3B16476981%3A0%3B8694701%3A0%3B7798161%3A0%3B8059321%3A0%3B16598921%3A4%3B7193461%3A0%3B13651401%3A0%3B9337521%3A0%3B6926821%3A0%3B15604741%3A0%3B&force_login=false&force_ppv=true. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
- ^ "NDP agrees on McDonough, little else", Torstar News Service, The Cambridge Reporter, November 26, 2001
- ^ Layton, Jack. "A letter to Canadians from the Honourable Jack Layton". New Democratic Party of Canada. http://www.ndp.ca/letter-to-canadians-from-jack-layton. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
- ^ Smith, Joanna (September 9, 2011). "NDP will choose new leader in Toronto next March". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1051483--ndp-will-choose-new-leader-in-toronto-next-march?bn=1. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
Categories:- New Democratic Party of Canada leadership elections
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