First NDP leadership debate

From top left, a selection of the NDP leadership candidates are shown: Peggy Nash, Brian Topp, Thomas Mulcair, Paul Dewar, Robert Chisholm, Nathan Cullen, Roméo Saganash and Niki Ashton.

The Toronto Star:

Ottawa — Strict time limits had the nine candidates in the New Democratic leadership race playing nice onstage during their first debate, but the smiles did not stop some rivals from sparring after the show.

“I am in violent agreement with my colleagues,” British Columbia MP Nathan Cullen quipped at one point as all candidates agreed that they would call for a national housing strategy should the New Democrats form government.

The joke summed up the mood — and lack of fireworks — on Sunday afternoon in Ottawa as the race to replace the late Jack Layton began in earnest with the first of six official debates between the candidates gunning for the top job.

The bilingual debate — with the first hour in English and the second in French — on the economy seemed more like a series of short stump speeches than a genuine contest as candidates chose to trumpet their experience and sometimes indistinguishable ideas rather than go after each other.

“We’re New Democrats,” Toronto MP Peggy Nash joked afterward, when a reporter asked about the candidates agreeing with each other on many points. “It’s a first debate. It’s early in the campaign. We’re going to differentiate ourselves more and more as the campaign moves ahead.”

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