Monday mornings are always tough but for those of us who saw Jack Layton as a beacon of hope in Canadian politics, this morning was much tougher as news of his death broke.
All my social media streams are full of memorial notes and sad, bummed friends. Even those I know would never have voted for the man or for his party are moved by his loss. He brought the NDP into the spotlight, all but killing the Bloc in the process — not a small task.
Even before that, though, he truly believed he could make a difference. I recall seeing him interviewed by George Stromboulopolous who was very blunt about what he thought were Layton’s chances at getting the top job via the NDP but he never faltered from his “can do” attitude:
LAYTON: “I didn’t get into politics to be the opposition–”
STROMBO: “Then why be in the NDP??”
In addition to unfaltering positivity, Layton never strayed from his core values. He was one of the few politicians for whom the terms honesty and integrity were not just empty PR bumf. I can only hope his team returns to the Hill renewed in their resolve to counter Harper’s nonsense.
You’ll be missed, Mr. Layton.