‘Best equipped to convince Canadian voters’

The text of an open letter released by the Mulcair campaign from Charles Taylor, the political philosopher and professor (and mentor to Jack Layton).

This weekend in Quebec City Thomas Mulcair pulled off another acclaimed performance in the latest debate of the NDP leadership race–the first NDP leadership debate held in French. Tom was in command of the facts, in command of the language and in command of the stage. He once again showed why his candidacy is gaining so much support across the country.

But today I’m writing to you about my own reasons for supporting Tom. This leadership race has attracted several fine candidates, but having known Tom for many years, I have two reasons for backing his candidacy:

First, Tom has made an invaluable contribution to the establishing our party here in Quebec, thanks to his exceptional ability to listen and his sensitivity to the needs and aspirations of his constituents. Looking ahead I think his presence is essential for the party to maintain its momentum–especially after the loss of our extraordinary leader, Jack Layton.

But my main reason for supporting Tom is that I believe he is best equipped to convince Canadian voters of the merits of the NDP’s program–as well as the adverse consequences and dangerous policies of the current government.

Tom’s tremendous success here in Quebec is a testament to his abilities as a leader–abilities that will serve him well in every region of the country.