He was a likable guy, but a political animal to the end.

His farewell letter summed up his philosophy, both as federal NDP leader and, before that, as a leading municipal politician in Toronto.

At the core of Layton’s beliefs was his view only “progressive-minded Canadians” like himself value “equality, justice and opportunity,” and a compassionate society that “shares its benefits more fairly.”

This has always been the approach of the NDP to issues of governance: They’re on the side of the angels. Everyone else is heartless, greedy and short-sighted.

But there’s a problem with compassion when it ignores the public’s ability to pay, because then it no longer serves the interests of the public it claims to serve.

Toronto’s budget is in the mess it is today in large part because of the culture of spending cultivated by Layton and his fellow NDPers at City Hall a generation ago.

[More]

See Also:

Sandy: Stephen Lewis claimed “social democracy” for NDP in Layton eulogy

Afternoon Updates:

12:58 pm EDT, August 29th, 2011 — Solberg: Can the NDP survive without Jack?

12:59 pm EDT, August 29th, 2011 — Merging with NDP not on agenda as Liberals gather for summer retreat

1:01 pm EDT, August 29th, 2011 — Jonathan Kay: Why do we cry for people we never met?

It was a state funeral for a man of the people – short on pomp, long on populism, carefully crafted by the man who was no longer there. It was emotional, inspiring, personal, and also deeply political. It was partly a celebration of a life well-lived, and partly a call to action. Many of the speakers talked about a different kind of politics, especially of a return to civility.

Outside in the square, people applauded that message. If there is one big lesson from Jack Layton’s death, it’s that Canadians are hungry for a more civil and constructive form of public life. They came to his funeral because Mr. Layton exemplified the best of Canada.

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Related:

Ivison: Layton turns into a legend

Jack Layton Hysteria

Stephen Lewis spoke and as usual was eloquent in his words about Jack but I had some difficulty with them.  I had no idea how far left he really is until today and my respect for him is diminished.

Regarding the ideas expressed at the funeral I feel that no thinking Canadian would have any quarrel with them — just about how we go about achieving them.  On that point many Canadians have huge differences of opinion.  Today I saw a “dreamworld” inhabited by people who do not connect with reality because they do not appear to grasp the fact that what they want costs a lot of money — your money.

Robert Fulford wrote a column which appeared in the National Post this morning and I urge people to read it.  It begins:

“Jack Layton led the NDP more successfully than anyone else but what he led was as much a fantasy as a political party. Over five decades, under half a dozen different leaders, the NDP has evolved into a dream, a means of escape from ordinary life for those who feel the need of it. Layton’s successor will be required to embrace an elaborate and much-loved fiction.”

I have remained silent for several days about the situation because one should “never speak ill of the dead” and indeed that remains so.  I am thankful to Jack Layton for exposing the goals of the left in this country in a way that he never would have been able to in life.  I will not say a bad word about “Bon Jack” now or at anytime in the future.  But I will about his movement without hestitation.

It seems to me that the NDP this past week has overstretched as they try to take advantage of their leader’s untimely death and in my view it will come back to haunt them.  I say that because following socialist dreams, while they sound like a great idea, have bankrupted great nations in the past (USSR comes immediately to mind) and are in the process at this moment of destroying another (USA).  Socialism sounds fine on it’s face but the problem the people who believe in their ideas run into all the time is what do they do when they run out of other people’s money?

They have no clue and neither do I.

“Farewell Jack — and thank you.”

All Canadians truly needed to see this spectacle and will assess it for themselves when next they get a chance to vote.  And in case anyone has missed the point — the Prime Minister of Canada was present at the funeral and was not invited to speak.  That is all that needs to be said regarding “Her Majesty’s Official Opposition”.

I’ll leave them to explain why that happened and I can hardly wait for it.  It will be a dandy.

Yes, his death at 61 was sad and too soon; yes, he made an enormous contribution to his party and a significant one to Canada (though I would quibble with NDP MP Libby Davies’ characterization that “He gave his life for this country”); yes, he fought a brave battle against cancer, as, mind you, does just about anyone who has it; and yes, he was a likeable, agreeable, smiley man.

Yet what was truly singular about him was how consumed by politics he was and how publicly, yet comfortably, he lived.

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The charismatic, 61-year-old politician had recently stepped down as federal NDP leader, but had expressed hope that he would return when Parliament resumed next month.

“I was deeply saddened to learn this morning of the death of Jack Layton,” PrimeMinister Stephen Harper said in a statement.

Harper offered his condolences to Layton’s wife, MP Olivia Chow, and family.

“When I last spoke with Jack following his announcement in July, I wished him well and he told me he’d be seeing me in the House of Commons in the Fall.

“This, sadly, will no longer come to pass.

“On behalf of all Canadians, I salute Jack’s contribution to public life, a contribution that will be sorely missed.

“I know one thing: Jack gave his fight against cancer everything he had. Indeed, Jack never backed down from any fight.”

News of Layton’s death came shortly before 9 a.m. Monday in a statement from his family.

[More]

Related:

Timeline: Jack Layton’s political career

McParland: Jack Layton’s passing is a Canadian tragedy

Reaction to Jack Layton’s death

Jack Layton, champion of positive politics, dead at 61

Grieving Quebeckers bid farewell to ‘bon Jack’

Star: Jack Layton’s final letter to all Canadians, dated Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011, two days before he died (scroll down)

 

Notes:

My condolences to Jack’s family.  They are in my thoughts today as is the future of his party.  A huge loss for all concerned.

I also note as I skim through some of the comments on other sites that the “Jack bashing” is already in full sway.  I find that crass on this particular day and I feel we all need to pause and reflect for a decent interval.  The man has earned respect even though many disagreed with him and the “post mortem” on his impact on Canadian politics will commence soon enough.  Ultimately, our history books will render the final verdict on his career and that is as it should be.

For now Jack should be permitted to “rest in peace” and his family allowed to grieve privately for a few days.  Why do I say that?  Because “It’s the right thing to do”.

Canada lost a powerful politician today and we should all stop and remember whether we agreed with him or not.  As “Cy” mentioned in a comment below it’s called “class” and Canadian politics is nothing if not “classy” as we remember all who put their country first no matter their beliefs.

Jack Layton was one such person and I regret the loss.  I say that because he could have steered Quebec in a new direction and likely would have had he lived.  Now we will never know as we return to “square one”.  Canada lost a lot today and voters should be cognizant of it.

“Cancer”– a truly “filthy” disease that needs to be conquered no matter the cost.  Jack would approve.

“Just saying.”

Evidence that the party is fully cognizant of the obstacles ahead can be found in the tight, Conservative-esque control it exerted this week over information about Mr. Layton’s health. Inexperienced MPs were far from the media as veteran members of caucus pronounced Nycole Turmel’s turn in the Leader’s office to be nothing more than a seven-week interim.

But insiders and political observers are well aware that Ms. Turmel, a rookie MP who is the former head of Canada’s biggest public-sector union, could remain the leader when Parliament returns from the summer break – and maybe much longer. Here are some of the top issues she faces in the weeks, and possibly months, ahead.

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But life is brutally unfair sometimes. His new fight will be dark and difficult. Most of us understand this far too well. Almost everyone has shared in the pain and grief of a dreadful diagnosis inflicted on someone we love. Mr. Layton’s struggle feels so personal because we know how hard this is going to be. Everyone hopes Jack will be all right. No one wants to say he might not be.

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On the NDP front bench, Libby Davies is Layton’s seatmate to his left (appropriately enough), while Tom Mulcair sits just to his right in the far corner of opposition benches. And judging by their body language, the House was an exceedingly uncomfortable place for all three of them.

Davies was under continuous fire for her idiotic statements about Israel given in a video interview to a blogger at an anti-Israeli protest rally in Vancouver on June 5. But it was only this week that her remarks on the Israeli “occupation” of Palestine, dating from 1948 she said, went viral on YouTube.

She had quite a bit more to say about the imperative that “Israel has to remove itself from illegal settlements — they’re basically all illegal.” She went on to refer to the siege, rather than the blockade, of Gaza, and that “there has to be some kind of settlement, whether it’s negotiated or somehow imposed.”

Since Davies is deputy leader of the NDP, the question naturally arose as to whether she was announcing policy other than the boilerplate two-state solution. Mulcair, the party’s other deputy leader who has a large Jewish community in his Montreal riding of Outremont, called her comments “grossly unacceptable.”

Well, who’s in charge of this outfit? Stephen Harper wanted to know when he jumped into the fray in question period on Wednesday. For the second day running, Harper demanded Layton fire Davies for her “extremist” comments and “a fundamental denial of Israel’s right to exist.”

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Related:

A cancer on the political left

The NDP leader is to tell a party gathering in Toronto on Saturday that the NDP caucus will no longer be “bullied” by a Conservative government that believes the threat of a federal election will hold the opposition parties at bay.

The NDP will oppose the bill, Layton told the Star Thursday.

“I think that it is time for us to take a firm position,” Layton said. “To propose that we eliminate environmental assessments for major energy projects with what we’re seeing going on in the Gulf (of Mexico) is madness.”

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Mr. Layton’s office issued an announcement saying he would “make an announcement about his personal status and his immediate future as NDP leader.”

According to CBC reports, Mr. Layton has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. According to NDP sources Mr. Layton’s cancer is treatable but may require time away and rest.

His role as leader of that party remains unclear. But according to sources he will not be running for Mayor of Toronto, a race that some speculated he would join.

[Source]

Updates:

3:03 pm EST, February 5th, 2010 — Layton press conference comments

Last spring, it certainly seemed that way. As his caucus voted against the minority government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper in one confidence vote after another, Mr. Layton and the NDP taunted Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals for propping up the Tories.

They even took out radio ads that challenged Mr. Ignatieff to “take a stand” and defeat the government.

But now, as MPs prepare to return to the House of Commons Monday and with the Liberal declaration that they will no longer support the Tories and will indeed push for an election at the first opportunity, Mr. Layton’s springtime ardour to “stand up” to Mr. Harper has changed.

“I think some Canadians are going to be looking for a new direction,” Mr. Layton said in an interview with Canwest News Service and Global National. “There’s two ways we can get it: either by Mr. Mr. Harper working with other parties to establish a new approach on some key issues — that’s what we’re offering — or by rattling the cages and trying to take us off into an election.”

Mr. Layton has been here before, ready to “offer” a prime minister with a minority government the chance to continue governing.

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Updates:

4:29 pm EDT, September 12th, 2009 — Fall election not inevitable, Layton says