2012 New Democratic Party leadership election


In 2012, the New Democratic Party held a leadership election to elect a permanent successor to Jack Layton, who had died the previous summer.
The New Democratic Party's executive and caucus set the rules for the campaign at a series of meetings in September 2011. The election took place in Toronto and on the Internet. At the leadership convention, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on March 24, 2012, Tom Mulcair was declared to be the new leader of the party. The convention was to be held at Exhibition Place's Allstream Centre, but it was moved to the larger venue due to a greater than expected number of delegates registering for the event.
The vote was open to all NDP members in a combination of exhaustive ballot and instant-runoff voting with one member, one vote ; each member voted by preferential ballot in advance, or with a single ballot for each round on the day of the election. The entrance fee was set at $15,000 and each candidate's spending limit was capped at $500,000.
Mulcair was the NDP's seventh leader elected since its founding in 1961. Because the NDP was the Official Opposition in the 41st Canadian Parliament, he also assumed the position of Leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons of Canada.

Convention timing

In a letter written days before his death, Layton recommended that a leadership election be held as early as possible in 2012 on approximately the same time lines as in 2003, and that Nycole Turmel, who had been appointed interim leader because of his illness, continue in that role until the election of a permanent leader. Turmel initially said that the party intended to hold the leadership election in January 2012. Others, including party president Brian Topp and Deputy Leader Tom Mulcair—both prospective candidates—called for a longer race. Topp agreed with calls for a vote later in the year, such as February or March. Mulcair said he would not run if the convention is held too early. Like Topp, he suggests a convention in "late winter or early spring". He also pointed out that such a time frame would be consistent with the last leadership election, which took 7.5 months. On September 9, the NDP federal council set the election for March 24, 2012, in Toronto.
The longer timeline was to allow more members to be recruited in Quebec, which had low numbers of NDP members but, following the "Orange Crush" in the recent election, the bulk of the party's MPs.

Election rules

The leadership election was open to all members during a convention in a combination of exhaustive ballot and instant-runoff voting. Votes mailed in advance were cast by instant-runoff voting, but votes on the day, either at the convention or online, were for one round only. Candidates could withdraw before being formally eliminated and release preferences to lower down candidates who stay in. In the 2003 leadership election, members were able to vote in person at the convention, by mail, or online. Also in that election, affiliated organizations were allotted a minimum of 25 percent of the vote, with the remainder held by individual party members. The party's federal executive ruled in September 2011 that a 2006 change to the party constitution mandating one member, one vote precluded a carve-out for affiliated groups.
Party president and leadership candidate Brian Topp supported retaining the carve-out as did former MP Dawn Black, while MPs Thomas Mulcair, Peter Stoffer, and Pat Martin opposed it. In previous leadership elections, a union's delegates would normally vote as a block making union endorsements an important factor in the outcome.
Candidates in the campaign had a $500,000 spending limit.
On September 14, 2011, interim party leader Nycole Turmel announced rules for candidates from the federal caucus that would have members of the caucus executive, e.g., deputy leaders, to stay in their posts, but would require critics and committee chairs and vice chairs to step down if they chose to join the race.
All those who were party members by February 18, 2012, were eligible to vote and could do so in one of three ways:
  1. mail-in preferential ballot;
  2. by internet either by casting a preferential ballot prior to March 24, 2012, or by voting ballot-by-ballot in real time on March 24; or
  3. in person as a delegate at the convention.

    Leadership debates

The candidates participated in six debates, in Ottawa, Halifax, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Montreal and Vancouver. The first debate was held in Ottawa on December 4, 2011, and focused on the economy. The Halifax debate on January 29, 2012, focused on families, while the February debate in Quebec City were about "Canada on the world stage", and the February debate in Winnipeg was about "Connecting people and regions".

Timeline

2011

  • May 2 – For the first time in the party's history, the NDP became the Official Opposition in the House of Commons of Canada due to the party's runner-up finish in the 2011 federal election.
  • July 25 – Leader of the Opposition Jack Layton takes a medical leave of absence; Nycole Turmel is appointed acting leader of the New Democratic Party.
  • August 22 – Jack Layton dies of cancer. Turmel becomes interim leader of the NDP, and acting Leader of the Opposition.
  • September 9 – The NDP federal council meets to discuss the date and rules for the election, and the venue for the convention.
  • September 15 – Campaign rules for caucus are announced by interim leader Nycole Turmel, official start of the leadership campaign, and nomination period opens.
  • December 4, 2–4p.m. – All-candidates debate on the economy. Ottawa Convention Centre.

    2012

  • January 18, 7p.m. – Toronto Area Council NDP Leadership debate, Bloor Collegiate Institute, Toronto.
  • January 24 – Deadline to register as leadership candidate.
  • January 29, 2p.m. – All-candidates debate on families. Spatz Theatre at Citadel High, Halifax.
  • February 12, 2p.m. – All-candidates debate on "Canada on the world stage". Palais Montcalm, Quebec City.
  • February 18 – Membership deadline to join the NDP and be eligible to vote.
  • February 26, 2p.m. – All-candidates debate on "Connecting people with regions". Pantages Playhouse Theatre, Winnipeg.
  • March 1 – Advance voting begins by online or mail-in ballot.
  • March 1, 6:30p.m. – Forum and Meet & Greet with NDP leadership candidates. Trinity-St. Paul's United Church, Toronto.
  • March 4, 2p.m. – All-candidates debate on "Building a strong, united Canada". Marché Bonsecours, Montreal.
  • March 11, 12 p.m. – All-candidates debate on "Opportunities for young and new Canadians". CBC Regional Broadcast Centre, Vancouver.
  • March 23–24 – Leadership convention in Toronto at Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
  • March 24 – Last day of voting. Results announced at leadership convention.

    Candidates

Niki Ashton

;Background
Niki Ashton has been the MP for Churchill, Manitoba since 2008. Until she announced her bid, she had been the Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women. She was also a past shadow cabinet critic for Youth, and for Rural and Community Development. Ashton is fluent in Greek, English, French, and Spanish.
;Endorsements
;Background
Nathan Cullen is MP for Skeena—Bulkley Valley, first elected in 2004. Cullen was the longest-standing MP in the leadership race and the only MP to have defeated an incumbent Conservative to claim his seat. Before becoming involved in politics, Cullen worked in community and economic development throughout Latin America, North America and Africa and also started his own business, Maravilla Consultants, providing strategic planning and conflict resolution services to business, government, and non-profit agencies throughout B.C. Cullen had served as a critic in the NDP shadow cabinet, first for environment, national parks and youth, then natural resources and energy. In the 2011 Parliament, Cullen served as Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Privacy, Access to Information and Ethics. He was also the Associate Critic for Natural Resources, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, and Environment and Sustainable Development. In the 2011 federal election, Cullen received over 55% of the popular vote in his constituency, the highest plurality in the region since 1962. He is functionally trilingual.
;Endorsements
;Other information
  • Nathan Cullen proposed a "Joint Nomination" process for Conservative held ridings, in which the Liberals, Greens and NDP will come together and choose one candidate among themselves to run against Conservatives, in that riding, to avoid splitting the vote.