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The CALM editor interviewed NDP leader Jack Layton at the end of February, just before the party launched its pre-election advertising. This is the first part of that conversation.
A Toronto paper reports that David Herle, a co-chair of the Liberal campaign, said about you, "I don't think working people identify with him."
The gentleman obviously hasn't spent any time with me. One thing about being a city councillor for so many years is that you're immersed in the lives of the working people of the city.
I think our ideas, the New Democratic Party ideas, are so in tune with the needs of working people today and they feel so abandoned by the Liberals and the Conservatives before them. There's a real synergy there. I think the reason the Liberal spin doctor is trying to fabricate a separation between us is that they know we're attracting support. Certainly, working people across the country are supporting us in unprecedented ways. We haven't seen this for well over a decade.
What are some of the ways?
A lot of involvement in our leadership campaign, backing the different candidates, getting excited about shaping the direction of the party. It would have been easy to stand back, but I think that people in labour felt that here was a chance to really shape the future of the party.
The unions were very generous financially and left us with a permanent home and legacy that we can build on. The purchase with funds from the labour movement of our new organizing centre in downtown Ottawa is going to be the basis for our campaign loans and also the organizing space for our work nationally.
We got a huge increase in membership in the party coming from the labour movement. There are membership drives going on in many trade unions so that the rank and file members are getting involved in the party now more than they've been in quite a number of years. This is the most exciting thing because we're a democratic party and it means those voices are going to be heard in the local ridings and in the shaping of policy. It's going to make us dramatically stronger.
Labour candidates are coming forward. People with deep roots in the trade union movement are presenting themselves to be our candidates, and quite a number are being elected in those nomination races. We're going to have a very strong contingent of voices from labour women and men, right across the country.
Input into our policy and our advocacy work in Parliament. I'm on the phone with the presidents of the major unions at least every month or two. The level of contact and discussion about the issues is high. As well, we're getting super input from local presidents, and from research departments in the unions, about the issues, particularly unemployment insurance, pensions and the basic needs of working families such as post-secondary education, health care, privatization.
The list goes on. There's an engagement in our policy making and in our daily work with the labour movement now that's quite intense and very, very positive.
What would you like to ask union members to do?
I would ask people, if you are connected to the Internet, to sign up through ndp.ca to get our weekly electronic newsletter. Second, if you like what you see, join the party. It's not very painful. You can join right on line. Then you help us to grow. The larger we become, the more effective our voice will be.
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