Jack Layton died today. Layton, 61, was the “Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition of the 41st Canadian Parliament. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011,” according to his bio at Wikipedia. Few Americans knew him, fewer knew of him, yet his legacy may be firmly planted in the American consciousness if only for this, his final letter to his Canadian countrymen.
Forbes described Layton as “a folksy and charismatic political leader who guided his party to become the dominant opposition group in Canada’s Parliament,” adding, “Layton hobbled through the campaign earlier this year as he recovered from a broken hip and prostate cancer. Under his upbeat leadership the leftist New Democrats outpolled the Liberals and became the official opposition party for the first time in their 50-year history.”
“Layton’s cheerful message, his strong performance in the debates, and his popularity in the French-speaking province of Quebec went over well with voters. He once was voted the politician Canadians would most want to have a beer with.”
Sometimes that’s not a bad sign in politics.
One website offered these attributes to Layton:
“English – French – Socialist – Anti Alaska/Offshore Oil Drilling – Anti-Death Penalty – Anti-Missile Defense – Government Reform – Health Care Reform – Pro Animal Rights – Pro Environment – Pro Marijuana Legalization – Pro-Choice – Pro-Gay Marriage – Pro-Gun control – Pro-Labor.”
Pretty good in my book.
Xtra, a Canadian gay news site offered a timeline of Layton’s contributions to the LGBT community, including these thoughts:
July 9, 1988 – At his wedding to Olivia Chow, Layton reportedly expresses his desire to see the day when his gay and lesbian friends can marry under the law. Seventeen years later, he would cast one of the crucial votes for marriage equality in Parliament.
Oct 6, 2004 – Jack Layton delivers his first speech in the House of Commons. He describes his riding of Toronto-Danforth. At one point, he notes:“Finally, I would like to mention that it is the location of a very special church called the Metropolitan Community Church. It is a church wherein the first gay marriage was performed in Canada [NOTE: On Jan 14, 2001]. I had the experience of being there and I am very proud to have been there. It is the home of the gay and lesbian community in many ways, and it is one that speaks out on the issues of human rights.â€Layton also calls for equal marriage in his maiden speech and excoriates the Martin government for failing to enact it.June 28, 2005 – Parliament passes the same-sex marriage law. Layton had decreed that the issue was a matter of equality and that the NDP would have to stand united in favour of it. He was the only party leader to whip the vote on same-sex marriage. When NDP member Bev Desjarlais voted against the bill, she was relieved of her critic’s duties and eventually forced from the NDP caucus. Same-sex marriage became law on July 20, 2005, after passing through the Senate and receiving royal assent.
Read Layton’s final letter to his Canadian countrymen, and wonder, as one Canadian friend on Twitter mentioned, this is “[h]ow Politics should be done.”
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Letter to Canadians From Jack Layton
http://www.scribd.com/embeds/62833542/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-24atju7j9fjlgpylbn7h
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