In his time as the leader of the federal New Democratic Party, Jack Layton fought many uphill battles and won. But, sadly, he succumbed to the biggest fight of his life early Monday morning.
Layton, the charismatic, likeable, feisty and inimitable NDP leader, passed away at his home in Ontario before most Albertans were out of bed Monday morning, losing a second battle with cancer in as many years. He was 61 years old.
While Alberta remains true blue Conservative territory, even the most dyed-in-the-wool Tory would likely concede respect for Layton, his tireless campaigning, what he brought to the table and how he changed the Canadian political landscape.
In 2003, Layton was elected leader of the federal NDP, and despite winning only 19 seats in his first federal election at the helm, the party gained strength under his watch.
Their number of seats in the House of Commons steadily increased between 2004 and 2008. Even in Alberta the NDP garnered an increasing percentage of the popular vote, from 9.5 per cent in 2004 to 16.8 per cent in 2011.
Over those years, Layton demonstrated a wealth of political savvy, actively trying to engage Canada's youth and tap into their energy to get them passionate about the political process.
He may have found himself in hot water a few times and had his name dragged through the mud over the years — like allegations in 1990 that he and his wife were unfairly living in a Toronto housing co-operative or stories that surfaced late in the last federal election campaign that he was found in a massage parlour during a police raid — but, instead of climbing into the gutter with his detractors and countering with his own volley of insults, Layton took the high road and pointed out the need for a fundamental shift in the way politics is practiced in Canada.
While cancer eventually claimed his life, the saddest part of Layton's death is the fact that he will not be able to reap the rewards from what was his greatest victory.
Layton led the NDP out of the woods in the last election, toppling the traditionally powerful Liberals — and, in Quebec, the Bloc Quebecois — to earn 103 seats in the House of Commons and the distinction of being the Official Opposition, much to the shock of many Canadian political pundits and Conservative Party members.
Unfortunately, even though Parliament has been in session briefly since the May 2 election, Layton never got a meaningful chance to take that seat across the aisle from Prime Minister Stephen Harper and give the country more of a glimpse of what he and his party could do.
Layton's passing was not necessarily a surprise given the gaunt condition he was in when he appeared at a press conference in July to announce that he was once again battling cancer.
But perhaps it was taken for granted that, like he did in his fight with prostate cancer a year earlier, he would prevail and his grey moustache would grace the front pages of national newspapers again before we knew it.
Condolences have poured in from across the political spectrum in the time since Layton's passing, demonstrating the far-reaching respect that so many held for him. Whether or not you agreed with his beliefs, it's hard to deny that Layton always put everything he had into passionately championing them. Canada has lost one of its brightest political beacons, and he will be missed.
- St. Albert Gazette, a Great West Newspaper
