The Jagmeet Singh juggernaut began barrelling towards Parliament Hill on Sunday as the 38-year-old turbaned Sikh bounded past his three more experienced rivals and claimed a historic first-ballot triumph in the race to become leader of the federal New Democrats.
We are proud to congratulate on his victory as the newly elected leader of the NDP. (1/3)
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Singh, a charismatic, fashion-forward member of the Ontario legislature, became the first visible minority to claim the leadership of a federal party, romping to victory with a convincing 35,266 votes 香蕉视频直播� 53.8 of the eligible ballots, well past the margin required to end the race early.
Northern Ontario MP Charlie Angus, who was widely seen as Singh香蕉视频直播檚 closest challenger, came in second with a disappointing 12,705 votes, followed by Manitoba MP Niki Ashton with 11,374 and Quebec MP Guy Caron with 6,164.
As Singh香蕉视频直播檚 victory and its margin became apparent inside the Toronto hotel meeting room, supporters leaped to their feet and hoisted their champion in the air before gathering behind him on the stage, many of them with tears in their eyes.
香蕉视频直播淐anadians must stand united to champion the politics of courage over the politics of fear, the politics of love to fight the growing politics of division,香蕉视频直播� Singh said, with supporters, friends, family members and fellow candidates crowded in around him.
香蕉视频直播滳anadians deserve the kind of government that only New Democrats can deliver 香蕉视频直播� that gets the job done, that keeps its promises. That香蕉视频直播檚 why today I香蕉视频直播檓 officially launching my campaign to be the next prime minister of Canada.香蕉视频直播�
Singh told the story 香蕉视频直播� a staple of his campaign 香蕉视频直播� about his family香蕉视频直播檚 struggle to get by during a period when his father was unable to work. He described it as a 香蕉视频直播済limpse香蕉视频直播� of the sort of challenges countless Canadians endure every single day, people whose priorities have been abandoned by government.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 unacceptable that our government tells people to just get used to unstable work,香蕉视频直播� said Singh, referring to Finance Minister Bill Morneau香蕉视频直播檚 infamous comments about what he considers the realities of the modern economy.
香蕉视频直播淢aybe if you look at employment as a hobby, you can get used to unstable work. But if your work means the difference between putting food on the table or a roof over the heads of your family, then job insecurity is unacceptable.香蕉视频直播�
Singh sang the praises of his predecessor Tom Mulcair as well as his rival candidates, whom he celebrated for helping to generate a renewed sense of excitement and vitality around the party over the course of the campaign.
With its long-haul leadership race now over, the party 香蕉视频直播� which has just 44 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons 香蕉视频直播� is now free to focus on presenting a unified front to battle Justin Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 Liberals in the 2019 federal election.
Insiders and political observers alike say it香蕉视频直播檚 high time the NDP regrouped, put the disappointment of the 2015 election result in the past and start laying the foundation for a strong showing in two years.
More than 124,000 card-carrying members were eligible to take part in the vote, which was conducted online and by mail by way of a ranked ballot 香蕉视频直播� voters were able to rank the candidates in order of preference.
Kathleen Monk, an NDP stalwart who worked as director of strategic communications to former leader Jack Layton, said a new leader will now allow the party to begin growing again after two years in the political wilderness.
Mulcair, who took over the party after Layton香蕉视频直播檚 death in 2012, carried on his shoulders the party香蕉视频直播檚 long-standing dream of forming a federal government for the first time.
Those hopes were dashed during the 2015 election campaign when the party香蕉视频直播檚 support collapsed in the face of Justin Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 Liberal juggernaut 香蕉视频直播� an electoral disaster many blamed on Mulcair himself.
Even after party members voted resoundingly to turf their leader during a spring convention in Edmonton, Mulcair chose to remain on an interim basis until a successor could be named. Following that convention, the party opted to take the long road towards choosing a new leader, culminating in Sunday香蕉视频直播檚 first round of voting results.
香蕉视频直播淭he reason I was able, with eyes wide open, to stay on after Edmonton is my profound belief that the NDP offers the only real hope for a progressive government in Canada,香蕉视频直播� Mulcair said in an interview.
The two front-runners brought diametrically opposed perspectives to the race: Angus the elder statesman, with years of House of Commons experience and name recognition among party members, versus Singh the outsider, a member of the Ontario legislature with a youthful, more suburban following.
Former NDP national director Karl Belanger admitted it is 香蕉视频直播渓ong overdue香蕉视频直播� for the NDP to get on with building towards 2019.
香蕉视频直播淗opefully that is what is going to happen,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 think there香蕉视频直播檚 lots of people who are still reeling and debating the reasons behind the defeat in 2015.香蕉视频直播�
It香蕉视频直播檚 also high time the party got serious about fundraising: Elections Canada returns show the NDP has some $5.5 million worth of debt on its balance sheet.
But perhaps most importantly, Job 1 for Singh will be to 香蕉视频直播渒nit together the teams that may have supported different candidates,香蕉视频直播� said Peggy Nash, a well-regarded former NDP MP and leadership candidate who ran unsuccessfully against Mulcair.
香蕉视频直播淕et out there and build the party and restore our voice as the legitimate voice of progressive Canadians.香蕉视频直播�
