[EdmontonAspie]

Jack Layton, Leader of Canada's New Democratic Party and of the Opposition in Parliament, died this morning (22 August 2011) at his home in Toronto at the age of 61. Layton had informed the Canadian public that he was undergoing treatment for a new cancer after undergoing treatment for prostate cancer two years ago.

Olivia Chow, Layton's wife, and their two children, Sarah Layton and Michael Layton, have issued the following statement:

"We deeply regret to inform you that the Honourable Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, passed away at 4:45 AM [Eastern Daylight Time] today, Monday August 22. He passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family and loved ones.":


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[Persona]

RIP that dude. I met him at a party in Ottawa last year. He was pretty neat. Definitely had cancer though
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[Nemesis]

That sucks.

Well, at least he went on on a relatively high-note. The NDP was just starting to gain a foot-hold and momentum among the Canadian people, which was a long struggle for Layton. Let's hope that the party's successor is every bit as charismatic and tenacious as Layton was.

Lord knows someone has to get that prick Harper out of there.

[Persona]

	Originally Posted by Nemesis To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Lord knows someone has to get that prick Harper out of there.

Hear, hear!

[EdmontonAspie]

	Originally Posted by Persona To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Hear, hear!

True, I don't trust Harper as far as I can throw him.

[tooboku]

Jack Layton was a great leader. The NDP would have never had been the official opposition without him. He represented politics at it's finest; without the mind games, under the table dealings, and a genuine interest for the people he spoke for. Although I oppose his general policies, I found great value in them as they were sincere and he was always willing to revise his own policies to make things better for all Canadians and not just the ones who saw things his way. He will sorely be missed and I hope the next NDP leader, possibly his widow (after a vote) or Nycole Turmel, is able to push the same legacy for one of the major parties in Canada.

PS. It's pretty tasteless to hate on Harper at a time like this. I thought this thread was to commemorate a good Canadian, not to argue politics. This affects all Canadians, not just people who vote NDP or ABC.

[Persona]

Originally Posted by tooboku To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Jack Layton was a great leader. The NDP would have never had been the official opposition without him. He represented politics at it's finest; without the mind games, under the table dealings, and a genuine interest for the people he spoke for. Although I oppose his general policies, I found great value in them as they were sincere and he was always willing to revise his own policies to make things better for all Canadians and not just the ones who saw things his way. He will sorely be missed and I hope the next NDP leader, possibly his widow (after a vote) or Nycole Turmel, is able to push the same legacy for one of the major parties in Canada. PS. It's pretty tasteless to hate on Harper at a time like this. I thought this thread was to commemorate a good Canadian, not to argue politics. This affects all Canadians, not just people who vote NDP or ABC.

As awesome of a person as Layton was, most of us knew him primarily as a politician. So as heartless as it sounds, the effects his death will have on the political climate of this country are actually the only reason for most of us to care. He was the one person who gave Harper a run for his money, and in many ways did far more to deserve his position. This dichotomous thinking is intrinsic to the political stage; as the most experienced and charismatic possible head of opposition, his death is yet another victory for the Conservative government.

Is it tasteless? Perhaps. But death lost its flavour ages ago.

[Silverity]

Tragic
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He died far too young. Politically I can only hope his passing will create the space for another champion to step up. This is a gap that needs to be filled before the Conservatives take advantage of it, you know they'll try to.

[gracious]

Very sad. I could barely stand to watch his press conference a month ago when he announced the leave of absence. I don't want to see it replayed again now either.
It's a shame that he didn't get to enjoy being leader of the opposition for a little longer. It's been quite some time since there was anyone effective or invested in that role.

[Nemesis]

I just found a link to Jack Layton's final letter to the Canadian people. Words of wisdom.

Originally Posted by Jack Layton

August 20, 2011 Toronto, Ontario Dear Friends, Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination. Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue. I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected. I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election. A few additional thoughts: To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer. To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government. To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election. To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all. To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future. And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done. My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world. All my very best, Jack Layton

Source:
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[tooboku]

	Originally Posted by gracious To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Very sad. I could barely stand to watch his press conference a month ago when he announced the leave of absence. I don't want to see it replayed again now either. It's a shame that he didn't get to enjoy being leader of the opposition for a little longer. It's been quite some time since there was anyone effective or invested in that role.

Best opposition leader we've had in decades.

[envirodude]

Jack was on city council when I lived in T.O. It was clear he was going places even then, so I was happy to see him move to federal politics. I really liked the man. A great loss.

[Nemesis]

	Originally Posted by tooboku To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Best opposition leader we've had in decades.

Definitely. He was one of those rare politicians that we rarely see anymore (anywhere). Layton fought to be taken seriously for most of his career, and suffered many numerous crushing defeats by the larger parties. It's admirable that he stuck it out till his last, and succeeded in solidifying the NDPs relevance in Canadian politics only very recently. A true underdog story, and a fine example of integrity in politics.

Side note:

Although I'm not a native born Quebecois, the rise of the NDP among the young voters in Quebec seems to have signified a turning point in Canada/Quebec relations. From what I understand, this is one of the first times the Quebec voting base has felt their needs fairly represented by a party advocating a unified Canada. In many ways, Layton has laid the groundwork for a new era of politics within Quebec. I hope that the NDP can continue to build on this.

[Digity]

Sucks that he's dead. Wonder what's going to happen with the NDP part now...

[LaoTzu]

Originally Posted by Nemesis To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Although I'm not a native born Quebecois, the rise of the NDP among the young voters in Quebec seems to have signified a turning point in Canada/Quebec relations. From what I understand, this is one of the first times the Quebec voting base has felt their needs fairly represented by a party advocating a unified Canada. In many ways, Layton has laid the groundwork for a new era of politics within Quebec. I hope that the NDP can continue to build on this.

Me too. It was one of those quiet, yet momentous turning points that people may not recognize for decades. Hopefully, they don't forget how important it is that they won.


If only all Politicians were as decent as Jack Layton.
Honorable People can do amazing things together. Even if they're on opposite ends of the political spectrum.
Shame Canada only had the one honorable Guy in there these past few years. One's not enough; and will always be at a disadvantage for being the only honorable person in the room.

To be fair: because of the shock factor of Layton's death... there's a rush to point to him as the only viable option against Harper. Lets be fair in this, He was never really a viable candidate for PM. Maybe given a couple more elections, this could have changed. But I doubt it. (And I've been voting NDP for a few years now).

In any case, I think Canada needed Him. I hope they draft Howard Hampton to lead, I think he could win the Leadership; and He carries himself much the same way Layton did.

[Lucrezia Borgia]

	Originally Posted by Nemesis To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	That sucks. Well, at least he went on on a relatively high-note. The NDP was just starting to gain a foot-hold and momentum among the Canadian people, which was a long struggle for Layton. Let's hope that the party's successor is every bit as charismatic and tenacious as Layton was. Lord knows someone has to get that prick Harper out of there.

FYI: Prime Minister Harper has been doing an excellent job of keeping our country (Canada) afloat during this global economic mess. No one is perfect, give the guy some slack, ok?

---------- Post added 08-22-2011 at 06:26 PM ----------

Originally Posted by tooboku To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Jack Layton was a great leader. The NDP would have never had been the official opposition without him. He represented politics at it's finest; without the mind games, under the table dealings, and a genuine interest for the people he spoke for. Although I oppose his general policies, I found great value in them as they were sincere and he was always willing to revise his own policies to make things better for all Canadians and not just the ones who saw things his way. He will sorely be missed and I hope the next NDP leader, possibly his widow (after a vote) or Nycole Turmel, is able to push the same legacy for one of the major parties in Canada. PS. It's pretty tasteless to hate on Harper at a time like this. I thought this thread was to commemorate a good Canadian, not to argue politics. This affects all Canadians, not just people who vote NDP or ABC.

Yes, you're right, Jack Layton was a great politician who devoted the better part of his life to a cause that he truly believed in: to better the lives of all Canadians. He was a true socialist who never wavered from his ideals or principles and for this he earned the respect and admiration of all Canadians, irrespective of their political stripe.

RIP Jack.

[Nemesis]

	Originally Posted by Lucrezia Borgia To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	FYI: Prime Minister Harper has been doing an excellent job of keeping our country (Canada) afloat during this global economic mess. No one is perfect, give the guy some slack, ok?

No.

[RedOrange823]

^ What Nem said. Hell, no.

I went to his rally in Edmonton back in April. He was such a nice guy, really genuine, and he was a great leader for the New Dems. I was living under a rock in July and missed the news of his new cancer, so when I heard this this morning, I was actually shocked. Last I heard he was recovering from prostate cancer... This is so sad. Fucking cancer.

[JonD]

RIP Jack Layton.

That being said, like it or not, this will be great for Stephen Harper. I'm not sure the NDP are petty enough to play the sympathy card. I expect that after a period of mourning they will replace him and try to get the ship back on track. But Jack made the NDP who they are now. He was charismatic, sincere, and had a genuine smile. The man believed in what he did, and had an evident passion for what he was doing.

I can't say that I agree with their party on the key issues, but I valued the importance of their role in our country. They were always reminding us that it isn't just a two-party system. We had choice. It kept the Grits and Tories from evolving into what the US's political culture was like a few years ago: two factions of the same party: the business party. Jack took a suffering, nearly completely irrelevant party and tailored into the official opposition. Like him or not, that's a significant accomplishment.

[Bisclavret]

Although I haven't historically invested much time following current political matters, and never cared for most politicians, I must say that from the little I know about Jack Layton (i.e. relating to the professional assistance in which he gave to some family members of mine), he always struck me as a genuinely trustworthy and dedicated individual who seemed all too passionate about his work and life in general. He seemed like a friendly fellow indeed; it's an unfortunate loss to say the least.

[tooboku]

Anyone go by Nathan Phillips Square? The place is covered in chalk. Everyone writing notes to Jack. It's beautiful. This has got to be a first for a Canadian politician.

---------- Post added 08-24-2011 at 12:30 AM ----------

	Originally Posted by JonD To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	That being said, like it or not, this will be great for Stephen Harper.

Please explain why? Jack was his biggest collaborator. Harper and all the other party leaders have adopted so many of his ideas that you wouldn't know where to begin. The thing about Jack was that he dedn't need a lot of seats to do his job. An honest, hardworking, and sincere politician really only needs what he had.

and... there was a lot of coorperation between the NDP and Conservative leadership since Cretien retired. If anything, this is bad for Harper as now he has to rebuild his relationship with the opposition leader. Didn't you notice how smoothly parliament was going after the two of them ate up the leftover pieces of the Liberals? Jack and Harper could have made for a very stable parliament.

Anyway, if you haven't been by Toronto City Hall, I suggest you come see it before the rain washes it away.

---------- Post added 08-24-2011 at 12:34 AM ----------


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[Lucrezia Borgia]

Tooboku,

Thanks for posting the pictures. Nice to see Torontonians finally do something of some significance and meaning. BTW, I've lived in this city almost all my life so I'm entitled to say that.

[Paji eh Wong]

Oh man. Why couldn't one of the douche-nozzle politicians get cancer and die?

[paleoeco]

	Originally Posted by Paji eh Wong To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Oh man. Why couldn't one of the douche-nozzle politicians get cancer and die?

Evidence in Point: Life isn't fair.