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Most NDP members have by now received their leadership voting packages in the mail.

My voting package was sent to my old mailing address, so I still haven’t been able to see the return card lay-out or register my voter ID PIN number yet, but this has given me some extra time to consider how the candidates stack up in some categories of personal importance.

I have spent time during the last month, volunteering with several of the different leadership campaigns on-going here in Quebec and it has become clear that the supporters of the different leadership candidates have far more in common than anything that would keep them apart after the selection of a new NDP leader.

The debate on Sunday in Montreal was a testament to the ability of the candidates to rationally and respectfully discuss the issues of importance to the appreciation of assembled members. That is what is supposed to happen — that is why they are the leadership candidates. What happened Sunday night, after the debate, is why this party is going to succeed in the long-term, no matter who is chosen as leader.

Each candidate selected a different Old Montreal watering hole as their site for a post-debate reception meet and greet. As the sun set and happy hour turned into a late supper, Cote St.Paul Street had been turned into a virtual Orange Pub Crawl — rife with party supporters, members and volunteers from each of the various campaigns.

Although Tom Mulcair’s crew had cleared out of Pub St. Paul by the time we had got there, at about 6 p.m. — the Orange Wave continued nonetheless, with the largest contingent spontaneously congregating for a  bite of Old Montreal at the Trois Brasseurs — in a Viking-style banquet-meal that incorporated, at various points in the evening:

Offers of a pint of local micro-brewed lager for Paul Dewar, a Montreal-style two-cheek kiss for Niki Ashton with roasted peanuts for her dad, Steve, Manitoba Provincial Minister of Transport — and, of course, numerous new and riding association contacts being exchanged between volunteers and members.

All in all, the entire day was a good attestation to the joint unity and comradeship between the cores of the party’s base. If our assemblies and combined spirit can continue to provide people throughout Quebec with new shared experiences that will include local people and businesses, this will result in economic and political windfalls for all that will assure the Orange Wave continuing in Quebec — with or without Jack’s laurels.

I feel confident of the party’s ability to work progressively with each other, whoever is chosen as the next leader.

Along with a number of members met this weekend, I still haven’t been able to choose one candidate above the others, perhaps a testament to the strength of the field. With the experience I have volunteering for some of the various campaigns, together with what I am personally looking for in a leader, as well as my ideas of who and what would make the most practical leader for the party at this time, I put together a quick flow-chart assessment of how the candidates compare.

By all means, feel free to make your own rankings and post them as comments! I think that what we find out about what we are looking for in a party leader will help bring us closer together.

Here is a quick explanation of the four categories that I chose to qualify a more focused appreciation of what I’m looking for in a candidate and what I feel each candidate has to offer:

Works with others — ability to work with all people, regardless of personal perspectives, towards common and sustainable team goals.

Party presence — autonomy, respect and integration with and from party colleagues and members.

Media presence — autonomy, respect and integration with and from Canadian mainstream and grassroots media.

Growth potential — measure of the individual’s capacity for addition and improvement within the party — not specifically the potential of the party to grow with the individual.

Works with others, Party presence, Media presence, Growth potential, Overall

Niki Ashton              b                 b                      b                     a                B+

Brian Topp               a                 b                      b                     b                A-

Martin Singh             b                  c                      c                     c                C+

Thomas Mulcair         c                  b                     a                      c                B-

Nathan Cullen           b                  b                     c                      b                B-

Peggy Nash              b                  a                     b                      c                B

Paul Dewar               b                  b                     c                      b                B-

Next — Compilation of your rankings and explanations behind the letter grade in each category!