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114-499: The CYND is autonomous of the main party. It sends its own delegates to the federal convention and council. Traditionally, members of the CYND have tended to be more ideologically driven than the rest of the party. Since Jack Layton took over the helm of the party in 2003, the youth base has grown and now incorporates a wider base of progressive youth. It typically elects its executives for two year terms at its own convention, usually held

228-496: A Chow Chow dog and calling Layton an " asshole ". Through the course of the campaign, Layton attempted to cast himself as the sole remaining champion of universal health care . Some opinion polls showed that Canadians found Layton the most appealing and charismatic of the leaders. Layton repeatedly insisted that "Canadians have a third choice", and urged Liberals to "lend us your vote". Some commentators and pundits mocked Layton for over-using these catchphrases instead of explaining

342-593: A Progressive Conservative cabinet minister, Layton was raised in Hudson, Quebec . He rose to prominence in Toronto municipal politics, where he was one of the most prominent left-wing voices on the city and Metropolitan Toronto councils, championing many progressive causes. In 1991 , he ran for mayor, losing to June Rowlands . Returning to council, he rose to become head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities . In 2003, he

456-696: A federal election . Gomery Commission The sponsorship scandal , AdScam or Sponsorgate , was a scandal in Canada that came as a result of a federal government " sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec involving the Liberal Party of Canada , which was in power from 1993 to 2006. The program was originally established as an effort to raise awareness of the Government of Canada's (then led by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien ) contributions to Quebec industries and other activities in order to counter

570-567: A "charming scamp." Other allegations of bias concern the commission's chief counsel, Bernard Roy , a former Chief of Staff to former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney . Roy is also a partner in Mulroney's law firm where Gomery's daughter works. Chrétien's lawyers stated that the appointment is a conflict of interest . Roy is a longtime personal friend of the former prime-minister's. Brian Mulroney and Jean Chrétien have had an adversarial personal relationship in recent years since

684-516: A broader mandate, more power and greater resources than the Auditor General, and most importantly could look beyond government to the advertising agencies that had received the Sponsorship dollars. The terms of reference allowed the commissioner to question witnesses, hire experts and adopt any procedures or methods that he considers expedient for the proper conduct of the inquiry. The purpose given

798-629: A coalition that would replace the Conservatives as the government. The three opposition parties planned to table a motion of non-confidence in the House of Commons, and counted on the likelihood that the Governor General Michaëlle Jean , would invite the coalition to govern instead of dissolving parliament and calling an election so soon after the last election. On December 1, 2008, the three opposition leaders signed an accord that laid down

912-536: A man who dedicated his life to the service of his city, his province and his country," said the former Prime Minister, dismissing Chuck Guité's testimony. Chrétien believes that Gomery's conclusion that the programme was run out of the Prime Minister's Office is wrong. Subsequent to the release of the first report, Chrétien's lawyers took action in Federal Court to invalidate the report and clear his name. They want

1026-430: A minister without portfolio to the government of Quebec's Union Nationale under Premier Maurice Duplessis . Layton was raised in Hudson , a largely Anglophone suburb of Montreal, where he served as the student council president of Hudson High School . He would later credit longtime friend and musician Billy Bryans for having played a role in his student council victory. In his graduating yearbook, Layton wrote as

1140-497: A motion calling for the return of Canadian Forces from Afghanistan . On September 24, 2006, he met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss the NDP position. After the meeting Layton stated that Canada's role should be focused on traditional peacekeeping and reconstruction rather than in a front line combat role currently taking place. Layton and his caucus voted to support the new proposed rules for income trusts introduced by

1254-545: A move that surprised many, Eggleton elected not to run again. Layton was opposed by three right-of-centre candidates: Susan Fish , June Rowlands , and Betty Disero . Right-wing support soon coalesced around former city councillor Rowlands, preventing the internal divisions Layton needed to win office. Layton was also hurt by the growing unpopularity of the provincial NDP government of Bob Rae , and by his earlier opposition to Toronto's Olympic bid . Bid organizer Paul Henderson accused Layton and his allies of costing Toronto

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1368-509: A new leadership race. This was the first time in Canadian history that a leader of a political party had lost a leadership review . The process started at the 2016 Edmonton Convention culminated for a new leadership in the election of Ontario NDP MPP Jagmeet Singh on October 1, 2017, after he won on first ballot with 53.8 per cent of the vote. Jack Layton John Gilbert Layton PC MSC (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011)

1482-580: A public inquiry. Chrétien defended the program as an important component of the government's efforts to raise federal visibility in Québec. Prior to his testimony, Chrétien's lawyers moved to expel Justice Gomery in December 2004 due to several comments he had made to a National Post reporter before the hearings that demonstrated Gomery's bias against Chrétien. These included Gomery commenting that golf balls marked with Chrétien's name, which had been paid for by

1596-656: A seat on city council. In November 1991, Layton co-founded the White Ribbon Campaign of men working to end male violence against women . Layton returned to academia and also founded the Green Catalyst Group Inc., an environmental consulting business. In 1993, he ran for the House of Commons in the riding of Rosedale for the NDP, but finished fourth in the generally Liberal riding. In 1994, he returned to Metropolitan Toronto Council, succeeding Roger Hollander in

1710-459: A society in which equality means more than negative liberty, the absolute and protected right to run races against each other to determine winners. Idealists imagine a positive liberty that enables us to build together toward common objectives that fulfil and even surpass our individual goals." Upon reading Canadian Idealism and the Philosophy of Freedom , Layton came to understand himself as part of

1824-699: A testament, "I leave to become prime minister." In 1969, he was appointed as the Quebec Youth Parliament prime minister, holding this position until 1970. That same year, Layton graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) with honours in political science and economics , and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. During his time spent at McGill, Layton's view on politics had been greatly influenced by professor, philosopher and mentor Charles Taylor , so much so that he decided to switch his major from science to arts. Moreover, it

1938-440: A vote scheduled for January 23, 2006 , many New Democrats expected Layton to deliver substantially more seats than he did in 2004. They hoped the NDP would hold the balance of power in a new minority Parliament, so that they could carry additional leverage in negotiating with the governing party. Mike Klander, the executive vice-president of the federal Liberals' Ontario wing, resigned after making posts on his blog comparing Chow to

2052-531: Is increased, that there is a consistent application of the provisions for each organization, that compliance and enforcement be enhanced, and finally that respective responsibilities and accountabilities of Ministers and public servants as recommended by the Auditor General of Canada. The Gomery Commission began holding public hearings on 7 September 2004 in Ottawa , meeting in the Old City Hall . The first to testify

2166-520: Is not a coalition, but this is a co-operative effort." One month later, on October 4, Mike Duffy , now a Conservative senator (appointed by Harper), said "It is possible that you could change prime minister without having an election", and that some Conservatives wanted Harper as prime minister. The next day Layton walked out on talks with Harper and Duceppe, accusing them of trying to replace Paul Martin with Harper as prime minister. Both Bloc and Conservative officials denied Layton's accusations. With

2280-462: Is the Parliament that's supposed to run the country, not just the largest party and the single leader of that party. That's a criticism I've had and that we've had and that most Canadians have had for a long, long time now so this is an opportunity to start to change that." However, at the time, Harper and the two other opposition leaders denied trying to form a coalition government . Harper said, "This

2394-562: The Clarity Act , considered by some to be vital to keeping Quebec in Canada and by others as undemocratic, and promised to recognize any declaration of independence by Quebec after a referendum. This position was not part of the NDP's official party policy, leading some high-profile party members, such as NDP House Leader Bill Blaikie and former NDP leader Alexa McDonough , to publicly indicate that they did not share Layton's views. His position on

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2508-524: The 2023 mayoral by-election . Layton and Chow were also the subject of some dispute when a June 14, 1990, Toronto Star article by Tom Kerr accused them of unfairly living in a housing cooperative subsidized by the federal government , despite their high income. Layton and Chow had both lived in the Hazelburn co-op since 1985, and lived together in an $ 800 per month three-bedroom apartment after their marriage in 1988. By 1990, their combined annual income

2622-456: The Airbus affair . The choice of counsel may account for the failure to call some Chrétien friendly witnesses. Conservative leader Stephen Harper was sympathetic to Chrétien's complaints of bias, stating that the main problem was that the commission's terms of reference did not allow it to investigate Paul Martin's contracting habits as finance minister. Other criticisms concern the lack of powers

2736-579: The Clarity Act was reversed in the 2006 election to one of support. Layton also continued his effort to improve his party's standing in Quebec. The NDP ran French-language ads in the province and Layton, who spoke colloquial Québécois French , appeared in them. As early as his leadership campaign, Layton advocated for electoral reform , calling for a referendum to replace the first-past-the-post system with proportional representation . He threatened to use

2850-514: The Conservatives October 31, 2006. The short-term result of the tax policy announcement was a loss to Canadian investors of $ 20 billion, the largest ever loss attributed to a change in government policy. Layton threatened to move a motion of non-confidence against the government over the " Clean Air Act " unless action was taken to improve the bill and its approach to environmental policy. Prime Minister Harper agreed to put an end to

2964-689: The Conservatives , who formed a minority government that was sworn in February 2006. February – An internal audit reveals that none of the recommendations of the 1996 Ernst & Young audit have been implemented. September – Minister Alfonso Gagliano receives the 2000 audit and suspends the Sponsorship Program. Later that year, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada begins investigating

3078-525: The Gomery Commission , formally the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities , headed by Justice John Gomery for the purpose of conducting a public inquiry and filing a report on the matter The Commission concluded that $ 2 million was awarded in contracts without a proper bidding system, $ 250,000 was added to one contract price for no additional work, and $ 1.5 million

3192-420: The Liberal Party of Canada 's Québec wing and to put Liberal workers on company payrolls. In an unprecedented event, the inquiry saw the testimony of two Prime Ministers in February 2005: then- Finance Minister Paul Martin and then-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien . The latter's testimony was much anticipated as this was the first time in over a century that a sitting Canadian prime minister testified before

3306-560: The North American Free Trade Agreement had hurt working people in both countries "and those stories have to be told." Layton, along with Prime Minister Harper and Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe, initially opposed the inclusion of Green Party leader Elizabeth May in the leaders' televised debates. Layton initially said that he was following the rules of the broadcast consortium, while NDP spokesman Brad Lavigne confirmed that Layton had refused to attend if May

3420-726: The Toronto Eaton Centre during a strike by Eaton's employees, but the charge was later dismissed on free speech grounds. He was also one of the few opponents of Toronto's bid to host the 1996 Summer Olympics . In 1985, Layton moved to the Metropolitan Toronto Council, in the first direct elections for members of that body. During the 1988 municipal elections , Layton swapped roles with his ally Dale Martin , with Martin moving to Metro and Layton returning to Toronto City Council. Layton won comfortably against former high school teacher Lois MacMillan-Walker. The election

3534-518: The sponsorship scandal damaging its popularity to the point where both the Conservative Party and the Bloc Québécois were pressing their advantage for a snap election , the prime minister approached the NDP for its support. Layton demanded the cancellation of proposed corporate tax cuts and called for an increase in social spending. The ensuing compromise in the NDP's favour was protested by

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3648-577: The Bloc Québécois (51) or the Opposition Liberals (103). At the NDP's 22nd Convention, held on September 10, 2006, in Quebec City , Layton received a 92% approval rating in a leadership vote, tying former Reform Party leader Preston Manning 's record for this kind of voting. This record was later broken in 2016 by Elizabeth May of the Green Party of Canada. At the same convention, the NDP passed

3762-472: The Conservative budget regardless of what it contained. Layton urged Ignatieff's Liberal Party to topple the Conservatives before the shelf life of the coalition expired; constitutional experts said that four months after the last election, if the government fell, the governor general would likely grant the prime minister's request to dissolve Parliament instead of inviting the coalition. On January 28, 2009,

3876-456: The Don River ward, and he resumed his high-profile role in local politics; following the "megacity" merger of Metropolitan Toronto into the current city of Toronto, he was again re-elected to Toronto City Council, serving alongside Pam McConnell in a two-member ward. He remained on Toronto City Council until pursuing the leadership of the federal New Democrats. He also came to national attention as

3990-410: The House of Commons by running in a by-election, as is the tradition among new party leaders without a seat. Instead, he waited until the 2004 federal election to contest the riding of Toronto—Danforth against Liberal Dennis Mills. With no seat in the House of Commons, he appointed the runner-up, longtime Winnipeg-area MP Bill Blaikie, as parliamentary leader. Although he had no parliamentary seat, Layton

4104-593: The Iraq War to remain in Canada . The motion again passed March 30, 2009, by 129–125, but it was non-binding. In a leadership review vote held at the NDP's August 2009 federal policy convention, 89.25% of delegates voted against holding a leadership convention to replace Layton. In October 2009, Layton paired up with the Stephen Lewis Foundation to raise money for HIV/AIDS affected families in Africa. As part of

4218-477: The Liberal Party makes some major concessions in the budget in their favor. However, the other Opposition parties were still ready to bring down the government and force an election before the summer. Conservative leader Stephen Harper and Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe announce their intention to try to force a pre-Christmas election; however, New Democrat leader Jack Layton says that he will try to have

4332-520: The Liberal government over the findings of the Gomery Commission . The NDP saw further gains in the 2006 and 2008 elections , in which the party elected 29 and 37 MPs, respectively. In the 2011 election , Layton led the NDP to the most successful result in the party's history, winning 103 seats—enough for the party to form the Official Opposition for the first time. Federal support for Layton and

4446-496: The Liberal scandals, pledging to use his minority clout to keep the Conservatives in check. Shortly after the election, the Ontario provincial branch of the NDP revoked Hargrove's party membership because he had violated the party's constitution by campaigning for other parties during an election campaign, though Layton disagreed with this. Hargrove retaliated by severing ties with the NDP at the annual CAW convention. The election increased

4560-669: The Liberal-NDP partnership. The NDP had also lost close races in the 2004 election due to the Liberals' strategic voting. Early in the campaign, NDP MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis had asked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to launch a criminal investigation into the leaking of the income trust announcement. The criminal probe seriously damaged the Liberal campaign and preventing them from making their key policy announcements, as well as bringing alleged Liberal corruption back into

4674-465: The Liberals agreed to support the Conservative budget with an amendment, ending the possibility of the coalition, so Layton said "Today we have learned that you can't trust Mr. Ignatieff to oppose Mr. Harper. If you oppose Mr. Harper and you want a new government, I urge you to support the NDP." In March 2009, the NDP, under Layton's leadership, re-introduced a motion (first passed June 3, 2008) which, if implemented, would allow conscientious objectors to

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4788-423: The Liberals implement some New Democrat policies, particularly with regard to a ban on private healthcare as the price for his support in keeping the government up. The Gomery Commission , formally the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities , was a federal commission of inquiry , with Justice John Gomery as the sole commissioner, established for the purpose of investigating

4902-593: The NDP and, consequently, of the Official Opposition. Tom Mulcair won the NDP leadership contest to replace Layton. John Gilbert Layton was born on July 18, 1950 in Montreal , Quebec , to parents Doris Elizabeth ( née  Steeves ), and Progressive Conservative MP Robert Layton . He was the maternal great-grandnephew of William Steeves , a Father of Confederation , and his grandfather, Gilbert Layton , had served as

5016-482: The NDP in the election was unprecedented, especially in the province of Quebec , where the party won 59 out of 75 seats. Layton died on August 22, 2011, after being diagnosed with cancer. He was survived by his wife of 23 years, Olivia Chow , who was elected mayor of Toronto in 2023. Details of the type and spread of the cancer, and the exact cause of death, were not released to the public. Shortly before he died, Layton had nominated Nycole Turmel as interim leader of

5130-453: The NDP platform. The NDP strategy had changed in that they were focusing their attacks on the Liberals rather than in 2004, where they criticized both the Liberals and Conservatives in equal measure, prompting some criticism from Paul Martin. Andrew Coyne suggested that the NDP not only wanted to disassociate themselves from the scandal-ridden Liberals, but also because the Liberals were likely to receive credit for legislation achieved under

5244-426: The NDP's clout in the event of a minority government. However, it was dismissed out of hand by the Liberal and Bloc Québécois leaders, as they tend to be favoured by the first-past-the-post system, normally being allocated a greater proportion of seats than the proportion of votes cast for them. Historically, the NDP's popular vote does not translate into a proportional number of seats because of scattered support. This

5358-533: The NDP's total seats to 29 seats, up from 18 before dissolution. Among the new NDP candidates elected was Olivia Chow, making the two only the second husband-and-wife team in Canadian Parliament history ( Gurmant Grewal and Nina Grewal were the first husband-and-wife team in Canadian Parliament after the 2004 federal election). In the end, the NDP succeeded in increasing their parliamentary representation to 29 MPs, though they had significantly fewer seats than

5472-520: The New Democrats, after the government was found in contempt of Parliament . It was the first time in Commonwealth history that a government lost the confidence of the House of Commons on the grounds of contempt of Parliament. The no-confidence motion was carried with a vote of 156 in favour of the motion, and 145 against, thus resulting in the prime minister advising a dissolution of Parliament and

5586-540: The Parliamentary logjam by sending the bill to a special legislative committee before second reading. He released his proposed changes to the "Clean Air Act" on November 19, 2006. On June 3, 2008, Layton voted to implement a program which would "allow conscientious objectors ... to a war not sanctioned by the United Nations ... to ... remain in Canada ..." Layton led the NDP to be instrumental in taking action on

5700-457: The Phase I Report. Gomery criticized Chrétien and his chief of staff Jean Pelletier but cleared them of direct involvement in kickback schemes. While people such as Alfonso Gagliano , Chuck Guité and Jacques Corriveau took advantage of the programme, Gomery argued that abuses would not have occurred had Chrétien set the programme with safeguards in place. Gomery said that Pelletier "failed to take

5814-535: The Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative. Layton was elected leader of the NDP at the party's leadership convention in Toronto, on January 25, 2003. Layton won on the first ballot with 53.5% of the vote, defeating Bill Blaikie , Lorne Nystrom , Joe Comartin and Pierre Ducasse . His campaign was focused on the need to reinvigorate the party, and was prominently endorsed by former NDP leader Ed Broadbent . Layton did not seek election to

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5928-455: The University of Toronto as an adjunct professor . He also became a prominent activist for a variety of causes. He wrote several books, including Homelessness: The Making and Unmaking of a Crisis and a book on general public policy, Speaking Out . While at York and Ryerson, Layton developed close ties with a number of Toronto political figures including John Sewell and David Crombie . He

6042-701: The actions of the Parti Québécois government of the province that worked to promote Quebec independence . The program ran from 1996 until 2004, when broad corruption was discovered in its operations and it was discontinued . Illicit and even illegal activities within the administration of the program were revealed , involving misuse and misdirection of public funds intended for government advertising in Quebec . Such misdirections included sponsorship money awarded to Liberal Party-linked ad firms in return for little or no work, in which firms maintained Liberal organizers or fundraisers on their payrolls or donated back part of

6156-483: The basis for an agreement on a coalition government. The proposed structure would be a coalition between the Liberals and the NDP, with the New Democrats getting six Cabinet positions. Both parties agreed to continue the coalition until June 30, 2011. The Bloc Québécois would not be formally part of the government but would provide support on confidence motions for 18 months. Opposition to the proposed coalition developed in all provinces except Quebec. On December 4, 2008,

6270-427: The campaign that Jack Layton was running", criticizing Layton for "spending too much time attacking the Liberals". During the final week of the campaign, knowing that last-minute strategic voting had cost the NDP seats in several close ridings during the 2004 election, Hargrove and Martin urged all progressive voters to unite behind the Liberal banner to stop a Conservative government. Layton intensified his attacks on

6384-479: The commission had to investigate criminal matters, which were being investigated by the RCMP. Chrétien's lawyers have indicated they are concerned about conclusions which are not based on evidence, but mere extrapolation . Chrétien, on the day the report was tabled in the House of Commons, objected to the findings of the commission, commenting that Gomery believed the wrong witnesses. "Personally, I believe Jean Pelletier ,

6498-481: The commission's recommendations matched his proposed first bill, the Federal Accountability Act . Other recommendations went further than what Harper promised, while some other recommendations (dealing with the public service) would not be enacted in the short term. Many commentators criticized the report for various reasons: alleged bias on the part of the commission, the terms of reference with which it

6612-503: The court to review the commission report on the grounds that Gomery showed a "reasonable apprehension of bias", and that some conclusions didn't have an "evidentiary" basis. On 26 June 2008, Federal Court ruled that Gomery had in fact displayed bias in several comments made before the hearings had closed and that his remarks showed that he had prejudged the issues. According to the Court, Gomery had personally insulted Chrétien when he described

6726-478: The day before the NDP holds its conventions. In the lead up to the 2015 election, the CYND had been openly critical of leader Thomas Mulcair when he broke with long standing NDP principles, in particular on matters of foreign policy. After the stunning 2015 election that saw Thomas Mulcair lose official opposition status, the party was heading into a leadership review at 2016 convention in Edmonton. One month before

6840-461: The debate has become a distraction to the real debate that needs to happen", Layton said. "I have only one condition for this debate and that is that the prime minister is there." In October 2008, Layton posted an online video message speaking out in favour of net neutrality , torrent sites, video-sharing sites, and social-networking sites. In a separate interview he said that increasing corporate control "is very, very dangerous and we have put

6954-457: The distribution of golf balls bearing the prime minister's signature as "small-town cheap." The court voided those sections of Gomery's report dealing with Chrétien and Pelletier. The Federal Court also quashed the Gomery Inquiry's conclusions that Chrétien and Pelletier bore responsibility for the sponsorship scandal. Justice Max Teitelbaum criticized Gomery for having a preoccupation with

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7068-411: The eve of the election. However, some potential NDP voters may have voted Liberal to prevent a possible Conservative win. Olivia Chow and several other prominent Toronto NDP candidates lost tight races and Layton won his own seat against incumbent Liberal Dennis Mills by a much narrower margin than early polls indicated. With the ruling Liberal Party being reduced to a minority government, revelations of

7182-462: The event. Despite this, October polls showed Layton only four points behind Rowlands, with 36% support. However, on October 17, Fish, a former provincial Progressive Conservative cabinet minister who had only 19% support, pulled out of the race, and many of her supporters moved to Rowlands. Layton lost the November 12 election by a considerable margin. However, in the same election Olivia Chow easily won

7296-469: The first official section of the NDP to call for members to "support a new direction, and a new style of leadership." Many members of the CYND spoke out about the need for party renewal throughout convention, organizing votes to trigger a leadership election. A few days later, the membership of the NDP followed the lead of the CYND with a majority of the delegates to the Edmonton Convention voting for

7410-505: The foundation's A Dare to Remember campaign, Layton busked on a busy street corner. Layton's son, Mike was elected to Toronto City Council in the 2010 city council election . In early 2011, Layton was featured in an episode of CBC Television 's Make the Politician Work . The Conservative government was defeated in a no-confidence vote on March 25, 2011, with the motion gaining full support of all opposition parties including

7524-431: The government and having an election. On March 26, 2011, in response to Harper's allegations that a coalition is not a legitimate or principled way to form government, Duceppe stated that Harper had once tried to form a coalition government with the Bloc Québécois and NDP. In 2004 Stephen Harper privately met with Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe and Layton in a Montreal hotel. The meeting that took place between

7638-495: The government, and the look into the advertising companies in Montreal uncovered a great deal of new and explosive allegations. The most important of these were by Groupaction executive Jean Brault who recounted a series of crimes committed to direct government money to Liberal party supporters. These caused a sharp fall in the support for the governing Liberals, and put their government in jeopardy. On 1 November 2005, Gomery released

7752-467: The governor general granted Prime Minister Harper's request to prorogue Parliament until January 26, 2009, at which time Harper had planned to introduce the budget. Dion had since been ousted from the leadership of the Liberals and his successor, Michael Ignatieff , had distanced himself from the coalition. Layton remained committed to ousting the Harper government, pledging that the NDP would vote against

7866-852: The intellectual tradition of Canadian idealists . In 1970, Layton joined the New Democratic Party , and would later cite his influence being from Tommy Douglas voicing opposition to the imposition of the War Measures Act during the 1970 October Crisis . He also moved to Toronto to attend York University , where he received his Master of Arts (MA) in political science in 1972; he would also later receive his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in political science here in 1983. In 1974, Layton began his academic career as an educator at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University ), where he taught political science. He also spent time working at York and, from 1978 to 1994, worked at

7980-430: The issue of privatization of health care in Canada , where Layton wanted strict provisions for controlling public spending on private health care delivery, saying that without "significant action" on the issue, "Mr. Martin can't count on our support." Martin for his part offered no comment on a meeting held to discuss the issue, only saying that it was a "good meeting", while Layton publicly expressed his disappointment at

8094-470: The issues. According to the Court, Gomery had insulted Chrétien when he described the distribution of golf balls bearing the prime minister's signature as "small-town cheap." The court voided those sections of Gomery's report dealing with Chrétien and Pelletier. Other comments by Gomery that Chrétien's lawyers argued as being indicative of bias included Gomery referring to the management of the sponsorship program as "catastrophically bad" and calling Chuck Guité

8208-614: The late 1980s and early 1990s they maintained approximately 30% of their units as low income units and provided the rest at what they considered market rent. In June 1990, the city solicitor cleared the couple of any wrongdoing, and later that month, Layton and Chow left the co-op and bought a house in Toronto's Chinatown together with Chow's mother, a move they said had been planned for some time. Former Toronto mayor John Sewell later wrote in NOW that rival Toronto city councillor Tom Jakobek had given

8322-543: The leader of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities . Federally, he ran again in the 1997 election , this time in the neighbouring riding of Toronto—Danforth , but lost to incumbent Dennis Mills by a wide margin. In June 1999, as chair of Toronto's environmental task force, the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, he was instrumental in the preliminary phases of the WindShare wind power cooperative in Toronto through

8436-539: The leadership race, Pierre Ducasse , was the first Québécois to run for leader of the NDP. After the race, Layton appointed Ducasse as his Quebec lieutenant and party spokesperson. The result of Layton's efforts was a strong increase in the party's support. By the end of 2003, the party was polling higher than both the Canadian Alliance or the Progressive Conservatives and it was even suggested that

8550-521: The leadership review CYND members from two Montreal Universities published an open letter in Le Devoir calling on Thomas Mulcair to resign. Pressure continued to mount on Mulcair when it was reported that NDP McGill had submitted a resolution to CYND convention that would urge all CYND member delegates to vote for a leadership race. On the eve of the Edmonton convention, the CYND published an open letter urging members to vote for party renewal, becoming

8664-465: The link to Martin's decisions was indirect as affordable housing is a mainly provincial jurisdiction. Layton's charge was defended by some, including the Ottawa Citizen , but most attacked it as inaccurate and negative campaigning . Moreover, the controversy consumed the campaign, overshadowing policy announcements over the next week. Further controversy followed as Layton suggested the removal of

8778-406: The major second choice leader in many political polls – for example, polling second in Quebec after Gilles Duceppe , despite the low polls for his party as a whole in the province. In mid-November 2005, when Liberal support dropped after the Gomery Commission delivered its first report, Layton offered the prime minister several conditions in return for the NDP's continued support, most notably on

8892-466: The mandate was for Gomery to make any recommendations that he considers advisable, based on his findings. Specifically requested of Gomery were the following: to prevent mismanagement of sponsorship or advertising programs in the future, taking into account legislation to protect "whistleblowers"; to recommend changes to legislation to change the governance of Crown corporations to ensure that audit committees are strengthened, that public access to information

9006-467: The mandate was investigate and report on questions and concerns addressed in the "2003 Report of the Auditor General of Canada" relating to the sponsorship program and advertising activities of the Government of Canada. These concerns included the program's creation, the selection of agencies, the program's management and activities, the receiving and use of funds and disbursement of commissions, and anything else that Gomery feels relevant. The second part of

9120-417: The media spotlight that led him to give interviews he should have eschewed, making comments that indicated he judged issues before all evidence was heard, exhibited bias against Chrétien, and trivialized the inquiry proceedings. For instance, Teitelbaum pointed out that Gomery's remark halfway through the hearings that "juicy stuff" was yet to come made it appear that evidence of wrongdoing was expected before it

9234-451: The money to the Liberal Party . The resulting investigations and scandal affected the Liberal Party and the then-government of Prime Minister Paul Martin . Though an ongoing affair for years, it rose to national prominence in early 2004 after the program was examined by Auditor General Sheila Fraser , who found significant concerns. Her revelations led to the Martin government establishing

9348-467: The most elementary precautions against mismanagement – and Mr. Chrétien was responsible for him." Gomery also exonerated Prime Minister Paul Martin, the minister of finance during most of the sponsorship programme. Gomery specifically said that Martin "is entitled, like other ministers from the Quebec caucus, to be exonerated from any blame for carelessness or misconduct," as the Department of Finance's role

9462-420: The next election could see the NDP in place as Official Opposition . During the 2004 Canadian federal election , controversy erupted over Layton's accusation that Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin was responsible for the deaths of homeless people because he failed to provide funding for affordable housing. While rates of homelessness and homeless deaths increased during the eleven years of Liberal government,

9576-421: The opposition leaders and consider all of your options before exercising your constitutional authority. On the same day the letter was written, the three party leaders held a joint press conference at which they expressed their intent to co-operate on changing parliamentary rules, and to request that the governor general consult with them before deciding to call an election. At the news conference, Harper said "It

9690-440: The other opposition parties who used it as a pretext to force a non-confidence vote . On May 19, two such votes were defeated and Layton's amendments went on to be passed on its final reading vote on June 23. As a result of this political coup and his apparent civil behaviour in a spitefully raucous parliament, many political analysts noted that Layton gained increased credibility as an effective leader of an important party, becoming

9804-444: The outcome. Layton announced he would introduce a motion requesting a February election. However, the Martin government refused to allow the election date to be decided by the opposition. A motion of non-confidence followed, moved by Stephen Harper and seconded by Layton, triggering the 2006 federal election. Layton was working with the Liberal government, but determined he would have a better chance of electoral success by voting against

9918-464: The peace issue of Canada and Iraq War resisters . On June 11, 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper made it known that he had received private counsel from Layton on the matter of Indian residential schools and the apology to former students of the schools. Before delivering the apology, Harper thanked Layton. Layton started off the 2008 federal election campaign with a speech similar to that of US presidential nominee Barack Obama . Layton denied he

10032-473: The program. May 8 – Fraser issues a report accusing "senior public servants" of having broken "just about every rule in the book" in awarding contracts worth $ 1.6 million to the Groupaction ad firm. Fraser promises a follow-up report on the sponsorship program due in early 2004. In the following rebuttal speeches, Jack Layton of the New Democratic Party offered to keep the parliament alive, provided

10146-516: The province. The 40th session of Parliament began on November 27, 2008, with a fiscal update by the Conservatives that outlined their agenda for the upcoming term. This included a temporary suspension of federal employees' right to strike and a removal of monetary subsidies for political parties. All three opposition parties including the NDP stated that they could not support this position. Layton along with Liberal leader Stéphane Dion and Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe began negotiations to form

10260-485: The release of the first report, Chrétien took action in Federal Court to review the commission report on the grounds that Gomery displayed a " reasonable apprehension of bias ," and that some conclusions did not have an " evidentiary " basis. On 26 June 2008, Federal Court ruled that Gomery had in fact displayed bias in several comments made before the hearings had closed and that his remarks showed that he had prejudged

10374-421: The scandal on 1 November 2005 and Phase II Report on 1 February 2006. In 2008, Federal Court of Canada Judge Max M. Teitelbaum set aside Gomery's conclusion that Jean Chrétien and Jean Pelletier shared blame for the mismanagement of the program to boost the federal government's profile in Quebec. Teitelbaum's decision was appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal where it was upheld. The commission had

10488-483: The sponsorship program, were "small town cheap." Gomery rejected the calls to recuse himself setting up a confrontation between him and Chrétien. At the end of his day of testimony Chrétien closed his statement by pulling out a series of golf balls bearing the name of American presidents and the law firm Ogilvie Renault (which at the time employed former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney , Gomery commission counsel Bernard Roy and Gomery's own daughter) asking whether each of them

10602-511: The sponsorship scandal, which involved allegations of corruption within the Canadian government . The commission was called by then- Prime Minister Paul Martin in February 2004 soon after a report by the Auditor General of Canada found unexplainable irregularities in the government's Sponsorship Program. The Commission held public hearings from 7 September 2004 to 17 June 2005, hearing from 172 witnesses. Gomery released his Phase I Report on

10716-444: The spotlight. Layton's campaign direction also caused a break between him and Canadian Auto Workers union head Buzz Hargrove over the issue of strategic voting . Hargrove preferred a Liberal minority government supported by the NDP and he had earlier criticized Layton for participating in the motion of non-confidence that brought down the Liberal government. Hargrove allied with the Liberals and publicly stated that he "did not like

10830-435: The story to Tom Kerr. Originally known for coming to council meetings in blue jeans with unkempt hair, Layton worked to change his image to run for mayor in the 1991 civic election . He also started wearing contact lenses, abandoning his glasses, and traded in his blue jeans for suits. In February 1991, Layton became the first official NDP candidate for the mayoralty, pitting him against centrist incumbent Art Eggleton . In

10944-466: The three party leaders happened two months before the federal election. On September 9, 2004, the three signed a letter addressed to then- Governor General Adrienne Clarkson , stating, We respectfully point out that the opposition parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution arise, this should give you cause, as constitutional practice has determined, to consult

11058-519: The wedding Layton collided with a newspaper box while bicycling. Chow later joined Layton on the Toronto City Council. She has been a candidate for the federal New Democrats five times, first winning her seat the third time in a close race against Tony Ianno in the 2006 Canadian election, and re-elected in 2008 and 2011. Chow resigned from federal politics in 2014 to run for mayor of Toronto ; she placed third. Chow would later be elected mayor in

11172-568: The whole issue of net neutrality right into the heart of our campaign platform", and that the Internet is "a public tool for exchanging ideas and I particularly want to say that if we don't fight to preserve it, we could lose it." In the end, the NDP gained 8 new seats, taking its tally to 37. This result still left the NDP as Canada's fourth party, behind the Bloc Québécois with 50. The NDP managed to retain Outremont , held by Tom Mulcair , its only seat in

11286-484: Was "small town cheap." The stunt was the focus of all the media reports. Martin appeared a few days following Chrétien, and denied any involvement in the program. After the prime ministers testified, the hearings moved to Montreal to investigate where the money had gone. The hearings in Ottawa had uncovered little more than what was in the Auditor General's report. The AG did not have the authority to investigate outside of

11400-522: Was $ 120,000, and in March of that year they began voluntarily paying an additional $ 325 per month to offset their share of the co-op's Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation subsidy, the only members of the co-op to do so. In response to the article, the co-op's board argued that having mixed-income tenants was crucial to the success of co-ops, and that the laws deliberately set aside apartments for those willing to pay market rates, such as Layton and Chow. During

11514-444: Was Auditor General Sheila Fraser who reported the findings of her earlier investigations. The first part of its investigation was of the political direction of the project. Most of the top officials involved were called to testify. Testimony confirmed the Auditor General's conclusion that advertising firms submitted invoices for work that had not been done. Witnesses also reported that companies were asked to make cash contributions to

11628-434: Was a Canadian academic and politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on Toronto City Council , occasionally holding the title of acting mayor or deputy mayor of Toronto during his tenure as city councillor. Layton was the member of Parliament (MP) for Toronto—Danforth from 2004 until his death. The son of

11742-498: Was a major victory for Layton as the reformist coalition of which he was the de facto head gained control of city council, the first time in city history a coalition of New Democrats and independents controlled council. On July 9, 1988, he married Hong Kong-born Toronto District School Board trustee Olivia Chow in a ceremony on Algonquin Island . Their whitewater rafting honeymoon plans had to be abandoned, however, when days before

11856-490: Was awarded for work that was never done, of which $ 1.14 million was repaid. The Commission found that a number of rules in the Financial Administration Act were broken. The overall operating cost of the commission was $ 14 million. In the national spotlight, the scandal became a significant factor in the lead-up to the 2006 federal election when, after more than 12 years in power, the Liberals were defeated by

11970-611: Was elected leader of the NDP on the first ballot of the convention . Under his leadership, support for the NDP increased in each election. The party's popular vote almost doubled in the 2004 election , which gave the NDP the balance of power in Paul Martin 's minority government . In May 2005, the NDP supported the Liberal budget in exchange for major amendments, in what was promoted as Canada's "first NDP budget". In November of that year, Layton voted with other opposition parties to defeat

12084-453: Was first elected to Toronto City Council during the 1982 municipal election , in a surprise upset against incumbent Gordon Chong as an underdog . Layton quickly became one of the council's most outspoken members and a leading figure on the left. He was one of the most vocal opponents of the massive SkyDome project, and an early advocate for rights for AIDS patients. In 1984, Layton was fined for trespassing after distributing leaflets at

12198-411: Was most opposed by the Bloc Québécois, who usually had the lowest popular vote but nonetheless won many seats because their support was concentrated in Quebec. Despite these problems, Layton led the NDP to a 15% popular vote, its highest in 16 years. However, it only won 19 seats in the House of Commons, two less than the 21 won under Alexa McDonough in 1997, and far short of the 40 that Layton predicted on

12312-409: Was not oversight, but setting the "fiscal framework." On 1 February 2006, Gomery released his final report consisting mostly of recommendations for changes to the civil service and its relation to government. The recommendations suggested include: Shortly after Justice Gomery held a press conference, Prime Minister-designate Stephen Harper , elected on January 23, 2006, told the press that some of

12426-435: Was noted for drawing considerable attention from the Canadian mass media. Much of his rhetoric involved attacking the policies of then Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin as conservative, and arguing the ideology of the Liberal Party of Canada had shifted in a more right wing direction. Another focus of Layton's leadership was to focus the party's efforts on Quebec, one of the party's weaker provinces. One of his opponents in

12540-491: Was on Taylor's advice that he pursued his doctorate at the University of Toronto to study under political philosopher C. B. Macpherson . Layton followed pacifism and participated in anti-Vietnam War demonstrations. In a foreword Layton wrote for Canadian Idealism and the Philosophy of Freedom , he explains, "The idealist current holds that human society has the potential to achieve liberty when people work together to form

12654-613: Was present, noting that May had endorsed Liberal leader Stéphane Dion for prime minister, and arguing that her inclusion would in effect give the Liberals two representatives at the debate. Rod Love, former chief of staff to Ralph Klein , suggested that the Greens could potentially cut into the NDP's support. Layton's stance drew criticism from the YWCA , Judy Rebick , and members of his own party. Layton dropped his opposition to May's inclusion on September 10, 2008. "This whole issue of debating about

12768-493: Was set up, and the use of evidence in the report. Several, including former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien , Warren Kinsella , and former cabinet minister Sheila Copps , criticized the commission as being little more than an extension of Liberal party infighting . Gomery was accused by some as being friendly to Paul Martin , and hostile toward Chrétien. In the spring of 2005, Chrétien's lawyers attempted unsuccessfully to have Gomery removed due to his alleged bias. Subsequent to

12882-462: Was to "investigate and report on questions raised, directly or indirectly" by the Auditor General's report. However, as is typically the case in commissions of inquiry, he was specifically directed not to make any conclusions or recommendations on criminal charges or civil liability. Commissioner Gomery was given a two part mandate with power issued to him under the Inquiries Act . The first part of

12996-508: Was trying to draw comparisons with Obama, saying "I mean, I am a lot shorter than he is. He is a brilliant orator. I'm never going to claim to be that. But what I have noticed is that the key issues faced by the American middle class , the working people of the U.S. and their concerns about their families' futures, are awfully similar to the issues that I hear in Canada." Layton said that he has also written to Obama and Hillary Clinton saying that

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