General

The NDP v. Thomas Mulcair

If last night’s NDP leadership debate is any indication, Thomas Mulcair is the favourite to win the race, at least so far as his fellow candidates can tell. They all spent considerable energy attacking him during last night’s debate in Montreal, the second-last before the party’s convention on Mar. 23-24.

As Brian Topp accused Mulcair of wanting to move away from the party’s core values, the candidate retorted: “I want us to continue moving forward. I do not want us to go backwards. (…) With Jack [Layton], we proposed a modernization and we must continue this modernization. It’s far from finished.”

Peggy Nash even wagged a finger at Mulcair, while asking him why he only made financial contributions to the party’s Quebec wing, and none to the national party, before 2011: “Are you ready to admit your error? I am not questioning your allegiance. Are you saying there are rules for everyone and different ones for you?”

According to the CBC, Mulcair is currently lead fundraiser, with $205,000 in campaign contributions compared to $182,000 for Topp, $144,000 for Paul Dewar and $139,000 for Peggy Nash. Nathan Cullen has raised almost $130,000. Martin Singh and Niki Ashton have raised less than $60,000 each.

The next and final NDP leadership debate will take place on Mar. 10 in Vancouver.

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
FILED UNDER: