Friday, October 27, 2006

A strong start

It's certainly a disappointment that Stephen Maynard dropped out of the NDP's London North Centre nomination race after his solid showing in the last federal election. But the resulting nominee, Megan Walker, left little doubt that she's pulling no punches in the by-election:
"I'm asking you to send the anti-women, anti-gay, anti-environment, anti-equality but pro-George Bush Dianne Haskett a message," Walker said to loud applause from the more than 200 people at the Central Library's Wolf Performance Hall.

"London-North-Centre isn't the London parachute club. (The riding) is not here for you to drop in when you need a job.

"Dianne, I hope the new lease you signed on your apartment has a one-month expiry date, because you're going to need it."...

"To Elizabeth May, London-North-Centre is not rent-a-riding to be used and discarded. Real people with real problems live here," she said, calling the NDP the greenest party in the country.

A Liberal nomination meeting is scheduled for Sunday.

"The Liberals just don't know who will lead them, or who they will follow. Well, London-North-Centre deserves a hell of a lot better than that," Walker said.

Among the issues Walker said will stand out in this by-election are health care, education, equality, the environment, housing and the war in Afghanistan.
Walker's forceful entry into the race should make it clear that while May won't lack for media profile in the race, she'll quite properly have to earn the trust of voters rather than having anything handed to her. And the end result should be a genuine contest of progressive values.

Of course, it would be all the better if the contest was going to be a battle of all the candidates' principles and ideas. But since that would require Haskett to wriggle her way out of PMS' duct tape, London North Centre will apparently have to settle for a choice between three candidates and a mannequin. And of those three real candidates, Walker's experience and strong message look to have her well positioned to win the seat for the NDP.

(h/t to Cerberus.)

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