Mulcair in NDP leadership race, 33 MPs support

CBC News:

Quebec MP Thomas Mulcair launched his bid for the NDP leadership on Thursday by highlighting his political experience, calling for a clean and fair competition and making a promise to build and unite his party.

Mulcair kicked off his campaign in Montreal with the endorsement of 33 of his fellow NDP MPs and other high-profile party members including Lorne Nystrom and New Brunswick NDP Leader Dominic Cardy. The strong caucus support for Mulcair comes mostly from Quebec, with four MPs from outside the province, all from Ontario. Thirty MPs attended the event and provided a backdrop for Mulcair as he made his remarks to launch his bid for the leadership.

Mulcair laid out the themes for his campaign and described how Jack Layton, the party's leader who died in August, recruited him to the NDP. They worked together to grow the party in Quebec from one seat, Mulcair's, to 59 in the spring election. Mulcair won a byelection in Montreal for the NDP in 2007, after quitting provincial politics where he served as a cabinet minister in Premier Jean Charest's Liberal government.

Mulcair called on party members to make the competition a clean, fair and honest one. He said his political experience in Ottawa and at the provincial level in Quebec, and his ability to bring people together are among the qualities he has to offer.

Mulcair's political experience was also highlighted by Nystrom, who said that the party's next leader must have "proven parliamentary experience" and "proven electoral experience."

"That is certainly Tom Mulcair," he said. Nystrom said Mulcair is the person who can take on Harper in the House of Commons and who can take the NDP from Official Opposition to government in the next election.

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