|
In response to
"I'm slowly getting it. At least I recognized NDP this time around :) -- nm"
by
crash davis
|
Long story short, former Quebec Liberal provincial cabinet minister, went federal as a coup to the NDP, became leader after death of previous leader and... -- (edited)
|
...Led the then-second place party into the 2015 election, which for a briefest of windows early in the fall that year, they were polling ahead for the first time in Canadian history on the strength of a centrist platform (for a traditionally leftist party) and the growing fatigue with the Harper government.
Then Trudeau occurred, Muclair tripped up over the face-covering issue in Quebec. Suddenly you had electorate polarizing into "Stephen Harper Tories" and "Justin Trudeau Liberals". The NDP suffered a bad defeat and the knives began emerging.
Canadian party leaders often face a nominal "confidence vote" at the first election following an election defeat they led. Few only get one shot and even fewer let the vote take place if there's a chance they are going to lose, instead manipulating the rules to buy more time or resigning before the convention.
Well, his vote went through and he lost. It was a shock (though the deck had been stacked against him). He stayed on to "lead" the party until the next leader would be chosen and earlier this year announced his summer retirement.
He was widely seen as a cool personality, but whip smart and an effective "prosecutor" of Harper's agenda in the House.
|
Responses:
|