Why I'm Voting Peggy Nash

Nash: Staying connected to the grassroots.

Bill Tieleman, Opinion, TheTyee.ca:

Tenacious and gracious, the NDP leader candidate is Layton's most worthy successor.

My reasons for backing the Member of Parliament for Toronto's Parkdale-High Park riding are both complex and simple.

It's rare to find someone who is extremely tenacious as well as gracious -- two qualities I admire and easily see in Nash.

Nash was the first woman negotiator to lead a union into bargaining with a major auto firm, reaching a deal in 2005 for the Canadian Auto Workers with Ford.

Nash comes unquestionably from a dedicated career in labour, but has the wisdom to understand that Canada is built on a private sector economy whose success helps provide the public sector services that Canadians depend on.

Nash is also a social justice advocate, passionate about ending inequality and defending human rights everywhere, serving as an international observer for South Africa's historic 1994 election that chose Nelson Mandela as president and in the Ukraine.

She is outspokenly supportive of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered rights, has been honoured by the Sierra Club for environmental leadership and by the YWCA for championing women's rights.

Fluently bilingual, tough, experienced, knowledgeable, a powerful speaker, a social democrat who understands the economy and someone who will listen and learn as well as lead, Peggy Nash is my choice.

Nash's biggest advantage may come down to her ability to build an electoral coalition of New Democrats determined to select a progressive leader who can grow the party while still maintaining its core values.

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