Nash wants economy to be NDP's strong suit

NDP leadership candidate Peggy Nash says the NDP needs to prove to Canadians that it can manage the economy better than the Conservatives.

CBC:

Toronto MP says she has the qualities to be the next NDP leader

The NDP can do a better job managing the economy than the Conservatives, according to Peggy Nash, who is running for the leadership of her party and is out to prove her claim.

Nash acknowledges the NDP has a reputation for being focused on social issues and weak on economic ones, but the Toronto MP says she can help change public perception by encouraging her party to shine on the finance file.

"In the next federal election, we have to be able to convince Canadians that we are the best party to manage the economy and to provide the kind of good stable jobs that people are looking for," Nash said in a recent interview in her Ottawa office.

"In the past, sometimes the NDP had shied away from addressing economic issues. In my view, it is the central issue and ought to be our strength," she said. Social democratic governments in Canada, and around the world, have solid records on reducing inequality and creating economic stability, she said.

Her contract negotiations with auto companies gave her experience working with industry and the private sector, and helped build her understanding of how the economy operates.

She has always been well-connected to social movements, another box she can tick off on the list of qualifications Nash says the next NDP leader should have. She has been involved with anti-poverty groups, was a founding member of Equal Voice, an organization that aims to get more women in politics, and has been active with other causes.

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