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I was amused by Stockholm's post in the other thread:
40% huh? Heck, that's only a third more men in caucus than women - that's practically equality, right? Certainly when women earned a third less than men, we considered that close enough to be equal...didn't we?
I would personally be happier if the NDP decided "not to stop until the job was done" when it comes to gender equity in caucus.
I am asking this in the spirit of genuine curiosity: how would trans candidates fit into this dynamic of gender equity? By the very fact of having a trans candidate, you're automatically not going to have 50% female candidates / 50% male candidates.
I have no problem with trans candidates at all, and would consider it an improvement if the NDP were to run a trans candidate in a riding that is easily winnable like T-D, whether that person identifies as male or female. Obviously, having a trans candidate would contribute to fulfilling the vision of ensuring that marginalized communities are represented within the caucus.
But I have a feeling that, since the NDP has never to my knowledge ran a trans candidate (or, at least, not in a riding that is winnable), and since not one name of a trans person has come up in any thread about the leadership or in these threads about T-D, this question is really a diversion from the issue of gender equity, which still eludes all parties, including the NDP.
Quebec NDP MPs who are women: 45.8% of that caucus.
ROC NDP MPs who are women: 29.5%.
The job isn't done yet.
Agreed! There needs to be more female M.P.s, specificially New Democrats.
Here in South Shore-Margaret's, since Gordon Earle has let it be known that he will not be a candidate in the next election, the local New Democrats have already started work on finding the first-ever female NDP candidate here in S.S.S.M., which is very high on the NDP target list of ridings where a Conservative can be beaten (provided the Liberal vote doesn't collapse even more and go to the Conservatives, as it did on May 2nd!)
Perhaps the success on May 2nd will convince Alexis MacDonald to return as NDP candidate in Central Nova, and then we'd be rid of Keddy and McKay in 2015!!!
Does anyone know btw what percentage of the adult Canadian population is "trans"? I've never actually seen a statistic.
As a Toronto Danforth resident, I'd been wondering where the coverage was on who would be running in our riding. I should have just been reading this thread.
I hope that none of the lefties on council think of running. We have a real battle fighting the Ford administration, and every seat counts there, as much or more than in Ottawa.
Marilyn Churley would be a neighbourhood natural for the seat. (The Communists used to have an office right above her MPP constituancy office on the Danforth, if I remember right.) I don't think the riding would appreciate an outsider running here. I remember Jack getting some flac from people here that thought he didin't care enough about the riding. But he did have strong connections here, dating back to being a city councillor here. There is a lot of active citizen power here from both the NDP-Riverdale side and Liberal-East York side. If the Liberals run anyone stronger than Andrew Lang, they would get about a third of the vote. If the NDP parachutes someone in, and backlash develops, the seat could be lost.
Of those mentioned so far, Michael Rachlis in interesting. According to his bio, he has had ties to the riding. Rick Mercer is also interesting as the Canadian Al Franken. But would that work here? Doug Ford has been prodding Margaret Atwood to run for office, but she's fairly old, and I don't know where she lives in town.
For now I'd say Churley is probably the best fit.
On a similar topic. How does one join a party? There is a form on the NDP site. But is that universal for both provincial and federal? Or should I call the T-D office? Or should I wait until the leadership campaign and 'buy' a membership then? Reading Jack's thoughts over the past week has inspired me to get a bit more involved.
The Toronto Danforth NDP riding association website is here with contact info.
And phone the campaign office and they will help you with your membership application. One membership that is both provincial and federal - welcome thomaus.
What if they did? Are you trying to imply something about her by pointing that out?
Jian Ghomeshi would be a good candidate. I have no idea if he's thinking about making that jump, but the riding is full of people living and working in the arts. The candidate should reflect that in some way.
Margaret Atwood is 8 years older than Marilyn. Churley. Besides, since when was 71 "fairly old" for a woman in the 21st century? Toronto activist Bea Levis is in her 90s. Born in 1917, Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandi was still very actively in office at 68 when she was assasinated.
Also, regardless where Ms. Atwood lives, I suspect she wouldn't piss on Doug Ford if he were on fire, so it's unlikely she'd be prodded by the taunts of that borderline-literate tea party wannabe. In other words, her age has nothing to do with anything.
Atwood lives in Trinity Spadina. And I think Jian Ghomeshi lives in Toronto Centre. I believe Stephen Page, formerly of the Barenaked Ladies, lives in Toronto Danforth but I don't think him being a candidate is a good idea.
No, I don't stalk Canadian celebrities. Really, I don't.
And a huge no to Rick Mercer, who isn't a lefty what with all the military-worship stuff he does.
Hee hee.
Jian is having far too much fun being insulted by Billy Bob and the like to make the jump. A NOW article by him on Jack makes it sound like he's warm to progressive ideas, but he's very far from buying a membership.
Jian suported Jack in the 2003 leadership contest. I do not know if Jian was an NDP member but usually one does join if you are publically supporting a candidate so you can vote for them.
I tried to recruit Jian Ghomeshi to run for the NDP provincially in Yorkview in 1990, when he was President of the York Federation of Students. He declined and George Mammoliti won the nomination.
Jian lives in Riverdale. He probably won't run, but he'd be great.
How about the elephant in the room?
Maybe someone noted it in thread 1 that I didnt read. Anyway...
The next leader may not have a seat. And if so, guess where everyone expects per will run?
So much so, that there will be a hue and cry should Harper call for once call a quick by-election... to make it that much harder for a seatless leader to get going.
All the more reason to make sure the next leader HAS a seat already. In fact, that scenario should automatically disqualify anyone who isn't an MP. I mean, with 102 MP's, what possible reason could there still be to choose someone who isn't in the House right now? It's not as if there's any non-MP's who are that massively superior to the members of the parliamentary caucus.
No, I always thought it was kind of cool having them over the Danforth. Don Cherry was right about one thing -- that there are Commies in Toronto. Like that's a bad thing. Maybe someday the general populace will bristle at the term "Tea Partier" or "Gravy Trainer" the same way they have over the "Communist" label.
I thought the elephant in the room was that Dalton is going to raise taxes. I saw a lady on TV that said it was so.
...
Isn't it a bit presumptious for Toronto-Danforth to get two leaders in a row? What it the rest of the country finds out we have Communist offices right in the riding? So much for the centrist strategy to gain power.
George Strombolopolous? I also like the ideas of Marilyn Churley and Michael Rachlis.
Sarah Polley is out. According to the paper she's expecting.
The mind reels at the alternative history.
Well its up to the Executive search committee (i believe) to go forth and ask him. I'm quite sure that there will be strong names lining up. My preference (as a TD member) would be for a woman, but Jian would be a well know strongh voice from an underrepresented community (ethnic community and the arts). I think the party is going to be very pre-occupied with the leadership race, and so will members that is until Harper calls for a by-election which could end up in the middle or right near the end of the leadership race.
Has anyone heard anything on the by-election in the way of candidates?
I would think that we will not hear anything about candidates, because the expectation, or at least the hope, would be that the Prime Minister will wait until after the leadership race, or call the date for long enough after.
Granted, that is likely not the hope of a lot of riding people. But even in the NDP, with an open seat at the same time as a leadership race, the party will be in practice the ones to decide what goes forward on a formal basis. Really, the party is going to have the final say on timing for ANY by-election.... its just that it is generally a case that you get everything moving as quickly as possible.
But I dont know and cannot guess what all the strategic considerations are. So even if that is the hope, plans may be made. It would be kind of tricky for prospective candidates to be guessing / anticipating. Because if it is going to be after the race, you stand to running a very uphill nomination battle with Brian Topp- whether he is Leader or not.
My guess is that both party and prospective candidates are waiting to see when it is.
But I am also inclined to think there are at least some prospectives doing what they can to gauge potential support.
The latest I believe the by-election can be called is in January and then it has to be held 36 days after it's called. The by-election will have to occur before the leadership vote.
No, someone will tell us the exact length.... but it can be called for about 6 months later.
It has been over 3 months already. Layton died on August 22, the election must be called within 180 days, which means it must be called on February 26, 2012, at the latest.
http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=bkg&document=ec90700&lang=e
Jian Ghomesh as the candidate? Well goddamn, does the NDP wants to shoot itself in the foot?
I would not mind Marilyn Churley.. She would make a far more genuine candidate than say Margaret Atwood..