I captured the following footage of NDP leader Jack Layton outside of the House of Commons after the budget was tabled. He was the first opposition leader to react to the budget and helped set the tone for the other parties.
Tag: NDP
Pre-budget interviews
On budget day yesterday, I took the camera to the Hill and spoke with a few people concerning their expectations for the budget.
Gord Brown, CPC MP Leeds-Grenville:
Anne McGrath, president of the NDP:
Tim Powers, Conservative strategist:
Stay tuned, there’s more to come…
Martha’s parachute
Today, Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion handed Martha Hall Findlay the safe Liberal riding of Willowdale to replace retiring MP Jim Peterson. As I said in December, even though I disagree with her ideas, I was quite impressed with Findlay as a candidate for Liberal leader.
Saying this, I believe that she could have fought and won a contested nomination campaign and a competitive riding.
This is also good for the Tories and NDP because it removes a competitive candidate from the field.
Today, Dion said:
“Martha, through her tireless traveling of our great country, first as a leadership candidate and now in her role as Platform Outreach Chair for the Liberal Party, has come to represent Liberal renewal.”
It is unfortunate that Liberal renewal doesn’t include a departure from appointed candidates.
In fact, the Liberal democratic body in charge of holding a nomination contest abdicated its duty enthusiastically:
“Our riding association overwhelmingly passed a motion requesting that Mr. Dion appoint Martha as our candidate,” said Willowdale Federal Liberal Riding Association President Joanne Pratt.
It’s too bad she’s not challenging Stronach’s nomination in Newmarket-Aurora.