Alexa McDonough to retire
Mon, 2008-06-02 06:27
#1
Alexa McDonough to retire
Mon, 2008-06-02 06:27
#2
[url=http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=bd4f28d8-1e7c-4...'s McDonough retiring from politics[/url]
quote:
Former federal NDP leader Alexa McDonough announced Monday that she will not run for Parliament again."In my beloved city, in the very room I officially launched my political career 29 years ago, I am here today to announce I will not be running as a candidate in the next federal election, whenever that may be," she said.
McDonough, 63, led the federal NDP from 1995 to 2003. Her biggest accomplishment may have come in the 1997 election when the party's seat count rose to 21 from nine and the NDP returned to official party status in the House of Commons.
McDonough, the MP for Halifax, was also leader of the party's provincial wing in Nova Scotia from 1980 to 1994. She was first elected to provincial politics in 1981.
Mon, 2008-06-02 06:36
#3
I'll personally be sorry to see her go. While in the 1990s I saw her as a strong "Third Way" advocate, and I really didn't like her stands on the issues that brought her into conflict with Svend, I must say my respect for her has gone up some notches in recent years. Her statements on Lebanon, among others, were far more consistent with what I saw as traditional party policy than the "new" wave represented by Dawn Black and (unfortunately) Jack Layton.
Mon, 2008-06-02 06:37
#4
"Osama is a Canadian name" was one of her best moments, I think.
Mon, 2008-06-02 06:41
#5
Oh, let me add her immediate opposition to Chrйtien's decision to send Canadian troops to join the illegal U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, in October 2001. That was a historic moment. Sadly, under Layton's leadership, the party abandoned that stand, only to return to it in late August 2006 on the eve of the convention which Layton knew would roast him alive on that issue.
Farewell, Alexa.
Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone...
Mon, 2008-06-02 06:51
#6
remind
Oh no, what a way to start the morning, I am so sad, well, perhaps devastated would be a better word, to hear this.
Gosh, what can one say other than she is a tremendous voice of truth and honesty in Ottawa, and it will be a loss to ALL Canadians.
Mon, 2008-06-02 06:55
#7
My former editor and I interviewed her back in '96 in Ottawa. Very engaging.
Unfortunately, after the interview, we encountered a snowstorm on our return to Montreal. A white-knuckle trip back.
Mon, 2008-06-02 07:06
#8
I'm sorry to see her go - as i was in the case of Bill Blaikie, but it is normal that some proportion of a party's MPs will retire each election cycle and she has certainly paid her dues.
On the bright side, given that Halifax is practically an NDP one-party state now - there should be lots of hot prospects to succeed her. A while ago I heard speculation that Alexis MacDonald (of the Stephen Lewis Foundation who gave Peter McKay a real run for his money in Central Nova) was being groomed to succeed Alexa in Halifax.
Not only is she supposed to be fantastic, but her name is so similar that a lot of Alexa MacDonough fans may think that they are the same person!
Mon, 2008-06-02 07:20
#9
I treasure a picture I have of myself, Alexa McDonough and Shirley Douglas. Both were so warm and welcoming for this star-struck hick.
It was Alexa who asked Shirley to be in the picture we were taking together and was quite funny about the whole thing.
She is a class act and will be missed on the Hill.
Mon, 2008-06-02 08:47
#10
Apparently Alexa decided against development work in Africa and when the Liberals released their anti-social 1995 budget. With that budget the federal Liberals reversed decades of social progress in Canada.
Mon, 2008-06-02 08:50
#11
quote:
Originally posted by Stockholm:
[b]
Not only is she supposed to be fantastic, but her name is so similar that a lot of Alexa MacDonough fans may think that they are the same person![/b]
Audrey McLaughlin
Alexa McDonough
Alexis MacDonald
What is it about the NDP?
[ 02 June 2008: Message edited by: aka Mycroft ]
Mon, 2008-06-02 08:55
#12
Aleksei Medvedev.
Mon, 2008-06-02 09:05
#13
I'm sad to see her go as well. The NDP have lost an excellent MP and peace advocate. But the New Democrats have a solid caucus and whoever steps in will be good peace advocate as well.
From what I've heard about her, I think that Alexis MacDonald will have an excellent chance of winning if she decides to run in Halifax to follow in Alexa's footsteps.
Mon, 2008-06-02 13:47
#14
To an outside observer, Alexis really impressed in the 2006 election. She agave McKay a good run for his money and on a tight budget to boot. Another factor weighing in Alexis' favour is her youth. It gives her a long career with the NDP, potentially, if she can get elected.
Mon, 2008-06-02 13:51
#15
As for Alexa, she will be sorely missed. I am also a Svend fan, but I give Alexa full credit for bringing back the NDP from the brink in 1997 and making the party relevant (after decades of disconnect) in the maritimes.
Mon, 2008-06-02 14:45
#16
Another side of Alexa that many see, but is not in the public eye.
Alexa has a truly amazing capacity to connect with people one to one. And a phenomenal memory for personal details about literally thousands of people.
Alexa was always on the run when she was Leader of the NSNDP. She would go anywhere to talk to anyone. But even when she was in a running for the elevator hurry she'd ask you things about yourself or your family, following up on what she'd talked to you about 2 months ago.
She was obviously able to connect really well with her sons when she was home- because she was gone most of the time. Not surprising for someone REALLY there at all times.
Often not the worlds best listener when it comes to politics, policy, and organizational details. But the rest is much more special in politics.
Mon, 2008-06-02 15:02
#17
Cueball
Yes. I always had the feeling that Alexa really got short shrift in the NDP political scene because she did not do a lot of granstanding, whereas her talents lay in her direct political organizing ability, and her ability to build consensus. I only ever talked to her once briefly, and while I am sure we would not agree (in fact did not agree) on a lot of things she said, I also thought she represented a kind of politics that spoke more to the grass-roots organizing approach that had made the NDP an effective political voice in the past.
Mon, 2008-06-02 16:01
#18
From what I've heard about her, I think that Alexis MacDonald will have an excellent chance of winning if she decides to run in Halifax to follow in Alexa's footsteps.[/QB][/QUOTE]
If Alexis was going to be a candidate in the next election, she would have run in CENTRAL NOVA, where she came such a strong second in 2006.
It wouldn't surprise me if Maureen MacDonald, currently the NDP M.L.A. for HALIFAX-NEEDHAM, thinks very strongly about succeeding Alexa.
We're probably going to have a provincial election next spring, so Maureen can decide not to re-offer at that time, and then be nominated for the federal riding of HALIFAX.
Mon, 2008-06-02 18:14
#19
quote:
If Alexis was going to be a candidate in the next election, she would have run in CENTRAL NOVA, where she came such a strong second in 2006.
Unless she was being groomed to succeed Alexa in Halifax and decided that it was better to wait for that than to take another longshot run at Central Nova. Besides she actually LIVES in Halifax now.
[ 02 June 2008: Message edited by: Stockholm ]
Mon, 2008-06-02 21:39
#20
I haven't read any articles or seen the TV clips. So i don't know if she talked about what she will be doing.
But I expect she'll be doing more iternational work. Over the last couple years she has already been spending quite a bit of time- including trips to Africa- for an MP not doing work directly related to MP or Caucus duties.
Especially nationaly, many people thing alexa stepped down as the still very popular and highly respected NSNDP Leader to run federally.
Not the case. She stepped down as NS Leader because it was time to do so. Personally popular doesn't mean you are still the best Leader. So she stepped down.
I don't think there is any surprise at all that she came around to wanting to be federal Leader- she was still living and breathing politics.
But she seriously explored devoting her time to international work then.
Mon, 2008-06-02 21:47
#21
laine lowe
I remember first working with her when she was the NSNDP leader and was endorsing Marion Dewar in her run as the president of the federal NDP. I've always admired Alexa's roots but was disappointed when she jumped on the Third Way movement. Nonetheless, it is a loss to the party. It's kind of sad to see the old guard drifting away.
Mon, 2008-06-02 22:15
#22
Alexa was never "Third Way" or sort of.
What might give people that idea is that she was very much middle of the road from the point of view of internal NDP politics.
Good, bad, or indifferent, Alexa was pretty reluctant to do anything that would alienate a big NDP consituency- and 'going Third Way' would alienate many.
She did after becoming federal Leader encourage and support discussions of fiscal responsibility. This was seen by many, including within the NDP, as the leading edge of "Third Way". But the intension of the discussion was much more limited, and more mainstream [within the NDP] than that.
I don't think the diviseness the discussion revealed was that big a deal. IMO, the NDP ought to have more frank internal discussions. But I think it is fair to see that Alexa recoiled from the devisiveness and just didn't want to go there any further. Not her style.
Mon, 2008-06-02 22:30
#23
If Maureen MacDonald were to run, she might miss out on a historic opportunity for the NS NDP to form government. If I were Maureen, I would stay pat. Who knows, with only six women in the NDP caucus and as part of the 2003 crop, she might end up in cabinet.
Alexis on the other hand has nothing to lose.
Mon, 2008-06-02 22:54
#24
I saw third way as somewhat necessary for a number of reasons:
[LIST][*] increased trade along with restrictions on public ownership by FTA-NAFTA [*] an established trend toward privatizations of Crowns and public assets [*] massive national debt buildup since NeoLiberal banking and financial deregulations during the Mulroney era(and leading to even more taxpayer-funded bailouts) [*] and followed by massive cuts to provincial social transfers by federal Liberals[/LIST]
Social democrats around the world also needed to react to NeoLiberal reforms for deregulation and globalization. But there is still no reason why Canada's Social Democrats cannot achieve what Nordic countries' Social Democrats have since start of the 1990's, given that we are able to elect the NDP federally Our two fiscal Frankenstein big money parties will continue to rely on anemic eligible voter support somewhere below 24% each with their pro-Washington policies on the environment and military occupations of desperately poor countries.
quote:
"If our nation can issue a dollar bond, it can issue a dollar bill. The element that makes the bond good makes the bill good." -- Thomas Edison, The New York Times, December 6, 1921
Farewell, Alexa
Mon, 2008-06-02 23:02
#25
quote:
Who knows, with only six women in the NDP caucus and as part of the 2003 crop, she might end up in cabinet.
Only "might"? She'd have one of the top 2 or 3 positions.
I really have no idea whether Maureen would be interested in going for the nomination. I suspect that's just speculation on David's part.
But the plan would appear to be that the nomination will be fairly soon. The point of Alexa announcing now is so the new candidate can be much seen. And there is no provincial election in sight- Spring 2009 or even later.
And Mareen is pretty keen on the opportunity to be government.
Tue, 2008-06-03 05:16
#26
quote:
Originally posted by V. Jara:
[b]...I am also a Svend fan, but I give Alexa full credit for bringing back the NDP from the brink in 1997 and making the party relevant (after decades of disconnect) in the maritimes.[/b]
Agreed.
It was Alexa McDonough who made it possible for the NDP to break through in Atlantic Canada, and for the provincial NDP to do so in NS. Of course, there were a variety of other factors, the Liberals move to the right, etc., etc., but it was Alexa that provided the necessary momentum to make the NDP a power to be reckoned with out East, helping make the party that much more truly national in scope. That is quite an achievement.
Tue, 2008-06-03 16:55
#27
I've known Alexis MacDonald forever, and there's no better person in my mind to follow in Alexa's footsteps. My one question for Haligonian babblers is how much of Alexa's vote is personal and not party-based?
Tue, 2008-06-03 18:29
#28
quote:
Originally posted by KenS:
Good, bad, or indifferent, Alexa was pretty reluctant to do anything that would alienate a big NDP consituency- and 'going Third Way' would alienate many.
No kidding. Almost nobody in the NDP says they're "Third Way" supporters, even if they are pretty much in line with it ideologically.
Tue, 2008-06-03 19:01
#29
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Palmerston:
[b]No kidding. Almost nobody in the NDP says they're "Third Way" supporters, even if they are pretty much in line with it ideologically.[/b]
And almost no NDP'ers I know ever provide a meaningful criticism of third way social democracy in the Nordic countries. They beat the pants off Liberal Canada based on a range of social and economic measures.
They say if you've never been to Sweden, now is the time to go. They have social democracy down to a tee.
Tue, 2008-06-03 20:37
#30
quote:
Originally posted by Fidel:
They say if you've never been to Sweden, now is the time to go. They have social democracy down to a tee.
I've never been to Sweden, but I have tentative plans to go.
Tue, 2008-06-03 20:56
#31
Let me tell you something about Sweden - since i am its capital - it's great place, but it currently has a non-socialist coalition gov't of Liberals, Conservatives, Christian Democrats and Agrarians.
Tue, 2008-06-03 21:29
#32
Ya but they haven't been in long enough to run Sweden or Norway or Finland or Denmark into the rhubarb like our Liberals and conservatives have with this colony du glace nord.
I think Swedish social democrats must look at Canada with all our natural wealth and ask themselves how our stoogeocrats could achieve so little with so much at their disposal?
Tue, 2008-06-03 23:04
#33
quote:
My one question for Haligonian babblers is how much of Alexa's vote is personal and not party-based?
While Alexa has an undeniable personal vote, the NDP is incredibly solid in Halifax. And the surface only began to scatched in the 2006 campaign how much that can be boosted.
Not to mention that Alexa will be seen constantly and everywhere with the candidate, starting with the nomination.
Tue, 2008-06-03 23:15
#34
quote:
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by KenS:
Good, bad, or indifferent, Alexa was pretty reluctant to do anything that would alienate a big NDP consituency- and 'going Third Way' would alienate many.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i]No kidding. Almost nobody in the NDP says they're "Third Way" supporters, even if they are pretty much in line with it ideologically. [/i]
Nope. I'm not saying what Alexa says, but what she IS.
And if you pay attention to her actions and what she supporter there is no "wandering" which people have perceived her having 'corrected' since the late 90s or since she stepped down as Leader.
Alexa supported the mid Nineties NDP affirmation of fiscal responsibility. That is the norm now, and was the federal NDP coming late to the norm.
And even that which Alexa and others then viewed as an overdue rectification [not a start toward 'Third Way'], she shrank from for the non-substantive reason that she has always shrunk from what proves to be internally devisive.
Wed, 2008-06-04 02:02
#35
quote:
Originally posted by KenS:
[b]Only "might"? She'd have one of the top 2 or 3 positions.
I really have no idea whether Maureen would be interested in going for the nomination. I suspect that's just speculation on David's part.
But the plan would appear to be that the nomination will be fairly soon. The point of Alexa announcing now is so the new candidate can be much seen. And there is no provincial election in sight- Spring 2009 or even later.
And Mareen is pretty keen on the opportunity to be government.[/b]
I hope the nomination isn't TOO soon. I'm still sad about Alexa leaving. Other women in the NDP caucus are going to need to continue to step it up, because the NDP has big shoes to fill.
As for Maureen MacDonald, I met her once at an event in Halifax and found her to be a highly agreeable person. I don't know the internal dynamics of the NS NDP, but my sense was she would definitely make a strong candidate for cabinet or the Halifax nomination.
Wed, 2008-06-04 04:20
#36
quote:
Originally posted by V. Jara:
[b]I hope the nomination isn't TOO soon.[/b]
Considering we don't know when the next election will be held the nomination couldn't happen fast enough. I want the NDP to keep that seat.
I'm sorry to see her go. Retiring at 63. Wow, isn't that considered to be a bit young for a politician to retire?
Wed, 2008-06-04 04:25
#37
Alexa is the main reason I joined the NDP in 1987, she has been a huge influence on me and I admire her more than almost any living politician. I'm shellshocked to see her leave, even now, days later. We got an email the night before she announced publicly and I was so surprised I let out a little scream as I stared at the screen.
But as to the future, yes the party has a solid base in Halifax but she was a huge reason for it and a big part of her personal wins had a lot to do with her. I know a number of Liberals who voted for her in particular. To hold the seat, given how hard the Liberals and Tories will gun for it, we need a candidate with a real name and real drawing power. My first choice would be former provincial leader Robert Chisholm but I can't imagine him wanting back in politics. Maureen MacDonald would be the most logical choice - she can win the seat and she'd be very, very good in the role. MLA Graham Steele would also be a strong candidate but Maureen would be stronger. I like Alexis but she has no roots nor history in Halifax that I'm aware of and that gives me pause. If Maureen goes for it, and she was cagey enough in her language with reporters this week I believe she's stongly thinking about it, than she would be the overwhelming favourite for the nomination and the general election win.
[ 04 June 2008: Message edited by: Charles ]
Wed, 2008-06-04 07:24
#38
Since Alexa led the NDP's historic Atlantic breakthrough in '97, where the NDP won eight seats and came close in several more, the NDP has failed to hold a single non-incumbent NDP seat or to win any additional seats.
Nova Scotia has become a much better place for the NDP provincially since '97, and Halifax in particular is a provincial stronghold. But still, I am worried about the long-term federal trend and hope the NDP can put forward the best possible candidate to hold this seat.
Wed, 2008-06-04 16:49
#39
'I'm sorry to see her go. Retiring at 63. Wow, isn't that considered to be a bit young for a politician to retire?[/QB][/QUOTE]
Alexa's first campaign was as the federal NDP candidate in HALIFAX in 1979...the same year Bill Blaikie was first elected as an M.P.
1979 & 1980 - federal candidate,
1980 - Nova Scotia NDP Leadership candidate,
1981 -(only New Democrat & woman elected to N.S. Legislature),
1984, 1988, 1993 - provincial candidate,
1996 - Federal NDP Leadership candidate,
1997, 2000, 2004, 2006 - elected M.P. for HALIFAX.
Alexa has done more campaigning than any 3 or 4 of us combined.
Too young a politician to retire at 63?
SHE HAS EARNED IT!
Wed, 2008-06-04 19:41
#40
quote:
Nova Scotia has become a much better place for the NDP provincially since '97, and Halifax in particular is a provincial stronghold. But still, I am worried about the long-term federal trend and hope the NDP can put forward the best possible candidate to hold this seat.
Relax. On two fronts.
It would be difficult for the NDP to lose the seat.
The federal NDP's highest province wide vote share is in NS. 30% +.
That doesn't translate into seats, but it is quite the opposite of a downward trend.
A goodly amount of winning 5 seats in 1997 was a fluke.
Dartmouth should not have been lost. But now that Mike Savage is in there, he is going to be hard to beat. Its going to take quite a strong tide to beat him. More likely to knock off a Cons or 2 first.
There is no single big reason the vote share does not translate into more seats. Sometimes and places it just cuts that way.
Partly because there are no real 3 way races where any party can win.
Thu, 2008-07-10 15:12
#41
quote:
Originally posted by Charles:
[b]My first choice would be former provincial leader Robert Chisholm but I can't imagine him wanting back in politics.[ 04 June 2008: Message edited by: Charles ][/b]
I bet a lot of people are looking to draft Robert Chisholm. He would hold the seat easily, and I don't think either Maureen MacDonald or Graham Steele will move from provincial politics.
With Alexa going door to door with Alexis, I think we could hold the seat, but her candidacy would encourage hopefuls from the Liberals and Tories to run (Bill Black maybe? He'll never be leader of the Tories provincially) who would feel she has very low visability in the community.
Thu, 2008-07-10 19:02
#42
If Alexis MacDonald was able to almost topple Peter McKay in a riding like Central Nova - where there was almost no previous NDP tradition - I think she would be an easy winner in a riding like Halifax where the core NDP vote is vastly higher. I hope the Tories do run a very strong candidate - it will only help split the non-NDP vote even more!