Craig Scott wins nomination for Jack Layton’s riding

The NDP's newly chosen representative for the riding of Toronto-Danforth Craig Scott, centre, celebrates with NDP MP Olivia Chow, left, and MPP Peter Tabuns.

The National Post:

Winning on the first ballot, law professor Craig Scott was chosen Monday night as the NDP candidate for Toronto-Danforth, the riding of the late NDP leader Jack Layton.

After declaring his candidacy in early December, Mr. Scott quickly emerged as the clear front-runner. A Rhodes scholar and human-rights lawyer who teaches at Osgoode Hall Law School, Mr. Scott was most recently an advisor in Maher Arar’s civil lawsuit against the Canadian government.

Mr. Scott defeated two other contenders in his first attempt at elected politics. Several hundred party members packed into Riverdale’s Metropolitan Community Church on Monday night to choose a candidate to run in an upcoming byelection.

Mr. Scott had the support of Metropolitan Community Church Reverend Brent Hawkes (and the officiator of Jack Layton’s funeral), the Secretary-General of Amnesty International Canada and Peter Tabuns, Toronto-Danforth’s MPP.

In his speech, Mr. Scott outlined a campaign of affordable housing, green issues and family reunification. “We are up against a government that chases compassion with heat-seeking missiles,” he told the crowd.

“Jack overhangs all of this,” said Mr. Scott before the meeting, noting that he is trying to “follow in Jack’s footsteps, not walk in his shoes.” When he took the podium later in the night, his voice wavered.

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