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New Democratic Party officials present at the CLC Convention in Toronto
told this reporter that the party’s federal convention, originally slated
for Halifax, Nova Scotia in the Fall of 2008, is now postponed to occur
in late August 2009 in Halifax.
The decision violates the party constitution, which requires a federal
convention every two years. The previous one was held in Quebec City in
September 2006.
The rationale for the postponement is anticipation of a federal general
election. Ironically, given the present minority government situation in
Parliament, a federal election is equally possible just before, during,
or after the summer of 2009. Have I just forecast another undemocratic
convention delay, still to come?
Meanwhile, in the Ontario section of the party, provincial Leader Howard
Hampton announced on June 13 that he would not seek re-election to his
post. The race to replace him begins officially in mid-July, culminating
in a one-member-one-vote election (in which unions affiliated to the NDP
receive 25 per cent of the ballots)—the results to be tabulated at an
Ontario NDP policy convention in early March 2009.
Several NDP members of the Ontario legislature, including middle to right
of center MPPs Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth), Gilles Bisson
(Timmins-James Bay), Michael Prue (Beaches-East York), and Andrea Horvath
(Hamilton Centre), are testing the waters.
Many in the socialist left wing of the party would like to see NDP House
Leader Peter Kormos, who ran a strong third to Hampton 12 years ago,
throw his hat into the ring. The Ontario NDP Socialist Caucus will host a
conference in early October, in Toronto, to grill the leadership
candidates, discuss policy, and to consider its options. For more
information, visit the website at: www.ndpsocialists.ca
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