This morning when the old man switched his breakfast news dollops from the local channel to CBC Newsworld, he found himself immediately in the midst of a special Politics program revealing the sad and serious voice and visage of its host. I found out then about the death, in the early hours of this Monday morning, of John Gilbert Layton, Ph.D.
Dr. Layton was the brilliant scion of a well-to-do Anglophone Quebec family long steeped in Quebec and Canadian politics since Confederation in 1867, generally on the centre right side of the spectrum. His father, Robert Layton, was a cabinet minister in Brian Mulroney’s government. After studying political science at McGill in Montreal, he moved his young family to Toronto in 1970 when he was only 20, went to York University there for his Ph.D., took employment as a professor at Ryerson University and became a prominent activist for various causes. He became popularly known as Jack Layton, likely from the time he went to York, a place sometimes in the news in the 1960’s as the haven of hippy radicals who became professional “protesters” of that era. From activism to city politics to federal politics was his determined course. He persisted and became leader of the New Democratic Party in 2003. Through several elections he kept improving the party’s standing until he became official Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons at last spring’s election. I think he was himself surprised by his success in Quebec.
When I heard the many tributes from political friends and foes alike, I shed a few tears myself, saddened that he died so young. Like the biblical Moses he led his people to the Promised Land, briefly climbed his Mount Nebo to see it with his eyes but would not “cross over into it.”
I was not a fan of Jack Layton. He was young enough to have been my son. I never met him or even saw him in person, but I never warmed to him as I had to Tommy Douglas, though just as opposed to that prairie preacher’s politics. In spite of Jack’s stalwart appearance and smooth leadership style, my age and background led me to dislike his lifestyle and his political opportunism. Jack inevitably reminded me, both in appearance and in his youthful “activism” of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, who was equally brilliant and even more politically active as a young teenager. The image posted above shows Lenin circa 1910 at the age of about 40 adjacent to Jack Layton, likely in his fifties in this picture.
I was very impressed with Layton’s letter to Canadians, composed within days of his death, which has already been declared a historic document by the CBC. Likely his followers will follow the recommendations for the NDP he outlined, but I see trouble ahead. I expect changes in his party and others happening sooner rather than later as a consequence of his departure. An earlier Liberal-Democratic union perhaps? With my usual cynicism, I felt at last spring’s election, that the NDP’s virtual sweep in Quebec, was thrust upon Layton, rather than achieved by his party’s efforts alone. I speculated (Why not? The TV pundits do it all the time!) that a group of left wing nationalist Quebecers had given up on the Bloc Quebecois and decided that the NDP would be a better way to exercise clout for Quebec in Ottawa. I expect the NDP split between the Quebecers on one hand and the rest on the other hand will become evident at next year’s proposed leadership convention if not before.
Notwithstanding my likely wrong assessment of Jack Layton and his politics, I grieve with the rest of you, over the loss of one man’s promise, and sorrow with you for his family and his friends.
Dr. Layton was the brilliant scion of a well-to-do Anglophone Quebec family long steeped in Quebec and Canadian politics since Confederation in 1867, generally on the centre right side of the spectrum. His father, Robert Layton, was a cabinet minister in Brian Mulroney’s government. After studying political science at McGill in Montreal, he moved his young family to Toronto in 1970 when he was only 20, went to York University there for his Ph.D., took employment as a professor at Ryerson University and became a prominent activist for various causes. He became popularly known as Jack Layton, likely from the time he went to York, a place sometimes in the news in the 1960’s as the haven of hippy radicals who became professional “protesters” of that era. From activism to city politics to federal politics was his determined course. He persisted and became leader of the New Democratic Party in 2003. Through several elections he kept improving the party’s standing until he became official Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons at last spring’s election. I think he was himself surprised by his success in Quebec.
When I heard the many tributes from political friends and foes alike, I shed a few tears myself, saddened that he died so young. Like the biblical Moses he led his people to the Promised Land, briefly climbed his Mount Nebo to see it with his eyes but would not “cross over into it.”
I was not a fan of Jack Layton. He was young enough to have been my son. I never met him or even saw him in person, but I never warmed to him as I had to Tommy Douglas, though just as opposed to that prairie preacher’s politics. In spite of Jack’s stalwart appearance and smooth leadership style, my age and background led me to dislike his lifestyle and his political opportunism. Jack inevitably reminded me, both in appearance and in his youthful “activism” of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, who was equally brilliant and even more politically active as a young teenager. The image posted above shows Lenin circa 1910 at the age of about 40 adjacent to Jack Layton, likely in his fifties in this picture.
I was very impressed with Layton’s letter to Canadians, composed within days of his death, which has already been declared a historic document by the CBC. Likely his followers will follow the recommendations for the NDP he outlined, but I see trouble ahead. I expect changes in his party and others happening sooner rather than later as a consequence of his departure. An earlier Liberal-Democratic union perhaps? With my usual cynicism, I felt at last spring’s election, that the NDP’s virtual sweep in Quebec, was thrust upon Layton, rather than achieved by his party’s efforts alone. I speculated (Why not? The TV pundits do it all the time!) that a group of left wing nationalist Quebecers had given up on the Bloc Quebecois and decided that the NDP would be a better way to exercise clout for Quebec in Ottawa. I expect the NDP split between the Quebecers on one hand and the rest on the other hand will become evident at next year’s proposed leadership convention if not before.
Notwithstanding my likely wrong assessment of Jack Layton and his politics, I grieve with the rest of you, over the loss of one man’s promise, and sorrow with you for his family and his friends.
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