Leadership Musings

A lot of folks have started to ask me if I’m working for or supporting a candidate for leadership. So I’m going to come clean: not yet.

It’s early days in this race, and it’s entirely possible others will join in before January. I want to get a sense of each candidate’s pitch, see what their team looks like, and get a better appreciation for their vision for the future of the party.

So, a few musings at this stage of the campaign….

Generally, I support women and gender-diverse candidates. But my support for a cis (esp white) man is not completely without precedent. I was an early supporter of Jack Layton’s candidacy, because I knew him and respected him. And because the person who reached out to bring me on board was Olivia Chow. She made a strong case for the kind of feminist he was, his record on the issues I care about, and his commitment to the party’s equity policies, particularly when it came to candidate recruitment. I also was convinced by the energy he was putting into bringing new people into the party. But I did have to be persuaded, that’s for sure.

During the next leadership race, I recall being disappointed that there was not more discussion about gender equality from the candidates - especially given some challenging debates among caucus members on issues like gun control, which saw a number of caucus members vote with conservatives to abolish the gun registry (some of whom were seeking the leadership). Others in the women’s caucus agreed, so we invited all the candidates to come and answer our questions about what kind of feminist they were.

Their performances were… mixed. Perhaps not a vote-determining issue for many, but it sure was for some of us, given the Harper government’s concerted push to roll back rights.

In this current race, we find ourselves in challenging times - not just because of the devastating impacts of the last election on the party’s capacity and effectiveness inside and outside Parliament, but because public and political discourse has shifted so far away from the values and priorities at the core of our party’s identity.

In a political environment that is so overtly hostile to all things “woke”, so dismissive of public institutions and systems, so quick to abandon the progress of the last decade and ignore the lessons of a global pandemic and the warnings of worsening climate and inequality crises, it’s no wonder that the stakes feel high for many New Democrats.

I also feel that the last federal election saw a return of a masculine kind of politics that, frankly, borders on toxic. And I saw it reflected in every party, including my own. When the only remotely gender-related priority issue from any of the parties manifests as tough-on-crime approaches to intimate partner violence and femicide, you know we are in trouble.

More on that in another post, maybe. But I will say that I don’t really have an interest any kind of ”bro” vibe, regardless of the gender of the candidate.

As I watch this leadership race play out, I’m going to be looking to get a good sense of

• what kind of feminist they are, not just in words but in deeds, actions and outcomes
• how will they foster a sense of belonging and unity in a party that includes some very diverse and sometimes conflicting points of view
• how well do they know the party, its history and culture, in different parts of the country? what has their past involvement looked like?
• what’s their strategy for winning, and where do human rights fit in it? Can the discipline required to win (especially in this political climate) be achieved without marginalized folk feeling thrown under the bus? If so, how?
• what kind of politics do they practice? Do they try to get ahead by tearing others down, either openly or in whisper campaigns?
• Who’s on their team, and who do they really listen to behind the scenes? How does their team behave?
• Are they making an effort to really listen to and engage New Democrats? In all regions? In all their diversity? How is this reflected in their campaign?
• Do they truly like people? Can they connect with people in a genuine way? How do they handle disagreement, not just from folks who don’t/won‘t ever support the NDP but folks from within the tent?

Full disclosure: I’ve only been formally approached by one campaign so far (ie specifically and directly invited to a local event). I know people working on most of them and have/will provide my perspective and advice if asked (and have done so with a couple). As is my practice I will donate to any women or gender diverse candidates regardless of where my vote ends up landing.