John Gilbert “Jack” Layton,  was a Canadian social democratic politician and Leader of the Official Opposition died from cancer he was 61. He was leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, occasionally holding the title of “Acting Mayor” or “Deputy Mayor” of Toronto during his tenure as city councillor.^[1] He was the Member of Parliament for Toronto—Danforth from 2004 until his death.

(July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011)

Son of a Progressive Conservative cabinet minister, Layton was raised in Hudson, Quebec. He rose to prominence in Toronto municipal politics where he was one of the most prominent left-wing voices on city and Metropolitan Toronto councils, championing many progressive causes. In 1991, he ran for mayor, losing to June Rowlands. Returning to council he rose to become head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. In 2003, he was elected leader of the federal NDP on the first ballot of the convention.
Under his leadership, support for the NDP increased in each election. The party’s popular vote almost doubled in the 2004 election, which gave the NDP the balance of power in Paul Martin‘s minority government. In May 2005 the NDP supported the Liberal budget in exchange for major amendments, in what was promoted as Canada’s “First NDP budget”.^[2] In November of that year, Layton voted with other opposition parties to defeat the Liberal government over the findings of the Gomery Commission. The NDP saw further gains in the 2006 and 2008 elections, in which the party elected 29 and 37 MPs, respectively.
In the 2011 election Layton led the NDP to the most successful result in the party’s history, winning 103 seats—enough to form Canada’s Official Opposition.^[3] Federal support for Layton and the NDP in the election was unprecedented, especially in the province of Quebec where the party won 59 out of 75 seats.
Layton died on August 22, 2011, aged 61, after suffering from an
undisclosed type of cancer. He was survived by his wife of 23 years,
fellow MP Olivia Chow. Shortly before he had named Nycole Turmel as interim leader of both the New Democratic Party and subsequently of the Official Opposition; Thomas Mulcair eventually won the formal leadership election that followed.

Early life and education

John Gilbert “Jack” Layton was born in Montreal and raised in nearby Hudson, Quebec, a comfortable and largely Anglophone community.^[4] His parents were Doris Elizabeth (Steeves), a grand-niece of William Steeves, a Father of Confederation,^[5] and Progressive Conservative MP Robert Layton. He was elected student council president of his high school, Hudson High School, and his yearbook predicted that he would become a politician;^[6] he would later also credit classmate Billy Bryans, who went on to become a prominent musician with the band Parachute Club, for having played a role in his student council victory.^[7] He graduated from McGill University in 1970 with an Honours BA in political science and became a Brother of the Sigma Chi fraternity.
In 1969–70 he was the Prime Minister of the Quebec Youth Parliament.^[8]
Layton credits a professor at McGill, the political philosopher Charles Taylor,
with being the primary influence in his decision to switch from a
science degree to an arts degree. Moreover, it was on Taylor’s advice
that he pursued his doctorate in Toronto to study the work of University
of Toronto political philosopher C.B. Macpherson. In what is perhaps
his most complete articulation of his political philosophy, a foreword
he wrote for Canadian Idealism and the Philosophy of Freedom, he
explains that, “The idealist current holds that human society has the
potential to achieve liberty when people work together to form a society
in which equality means more than negative liberty, the absolute and
protected right to run races against each other to determine winners.
Idealists imagine a positive liberty that enables us to build together
toward common objectives that fulfill and even surpass our individual
goals.”^[9] Upon reading Canadian Idealism and the Philosophy of Freedom, Layton came to understand himself as part of the intellectual tradition of Canadian Idealists.
In 1970, the family moved to Toronto where Layton graduated the following year from York University with an MA in political science.^[8] In 1974, he completed his PhD in political science at York. In 1974, Layton became a professor at Ryerson University.^[10]
Over the next decade, he taught at Ryerson, York, and the University of
Toronto. He also became a prominent activist for a variety of causes.
He wrote several books, including Homelessness: The Making and Unmaking of a Crisis and a book on general public policy, Speaking Out.^[8]

Family and personal life

Jack Layton and Olivia Chow on their way to vote, May 2, 2011

Layton’s great-granduncle, William Steeves, was a Father of Confederation. His great-grandfather Philip E. Layton was a blind activist who founded the Montreal Association for the Blind^[11] in 1908^[12] and led a campaign for disability pensions
in the 1930s. Philip was the senior partner in the family business,
Layton Bros. Pianos. Layton Pianos had been made in London, England
since 1837, and Philip had emigrated to Montreal at the age of 19.^[13]
Philip was a blind organist, composer (“Dominion March”, played on
carillon at Jack’s lying-in-state), piano tuner, and piano retailer. The
family business survives as Layton Audio in Montreal.^[14]
Jack Layton’s grandfather, Gilbert Layton, was a cabinet minister in the Union Nationale government of Maurice Duplessis in Quebec, and resigned due to the provincial government’s lack of support for Canadian participation in World War II. His father, Robert Layton, was a Liberal Party activist in the 1960s and 1970s, and served as a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) and Cabinet minister in the 1980s under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.^[15]

Jack Layton wearing a custom made uniform at a Star Trek convention in 1991.

Layton was raised as a member of the United Church of Canada, and was a member of the Bloor Street United Church parish in Toronto.^[16] However, he also sometimes attended services at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, whose pastor, Brent Hawkes, was a longtime New Democratic Party activist and a personal friend of Layton’s.^[16]
In 1969, at age 19, Jack married his high school sweetheart Sally Halford, with whom he had two children, Mike, currently a Toronto City Councillor, and Sarah, currently a senior staffer for the Stephen Lewis Foundation.^[17] Layton and Halford’s marriage ended in divorce 1983 after 14 years.
Layton first met Olivia Chow in 1985, during an auction at Village by the Grange, in which Jack was the auctioneer and Olivia was the interpreter for the Cantonese language
observers. They had been previously acquainted, however, they realized
that they were both candidates in the upcoming election and decided to
have lunch together to talk about the campaign. Three weeks after the auction, they went on their first date. Chow went on a pre-arranged canoeing trip, with three other men, and spent a weekend at a cottage then moved in together. Olivia’s mother did not approve of Jack, at first, because of his race as well as him not being a lawyer or doctor. Jack was invited to dinner at the home of Olivia’s mother, where they also played mahjong. After the dinner, Jack attempted to thank Olivia’s mother, in Cantonese, however, Jack’s incorrect tone
had him inadvertently saying, “Thank you for the good sex.” Layton
stated “My faux pas broke the ice completely. We’ve been good buddies
ever since.”^[18]
Layton was known for playing music and singing songs at party gatherings. Alberta NDP Leader Brian Mason remembered during the three-day board meetings when Layton was running for the president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities: “He would gather people together in his hotel room and play the guitar and get everybody singing old folk songs from the ’60s. He just got people involved, just with his personality, not politics.”^[19]
At the 2005 Parliamentary Press Gallery
Dinner (typically a satirical event), Layton sent up himself and his
party, playing guitar and singing three songs; “Party for Sale or Rent”
(to the tune of “King of the Road“), a re-worked version of “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” with different humorous lyrics, and “If I Had Another $4.6 Billion”.^[20][21]
Layton was a keen Trekkie, having a custom Starfleet uniform made by a tailor. Layton was famously photographed wearing his uniform at a Star Trek convention in 1991.^[22]

Toronto City Council

At York and Ryerson, Layton developed close links with a number of Toronto figures including John Sewell and David Crombie. He was first elected to Toronto City Council in 1982, in a surprise upset against incumbent Gordon Chong. He quickly became one of the most outspoken members of council, and a leader of the left wing.^[23] He was one of the most vocal opponents of the massive SkyDome project,^[24] and an early advocate for rights for AIDS patients.^[25] In 1984, he was fined for trespassing when he handed out leaflets at the Toronto Eaton Centre during a strike by Eaton’s staff, but the charge was later thrown out on freedom of speech grounds.^[26] Layton was also one of the few opponents to Toronto’s bid for the 1996 Summer Olympics.^[27] In 1985, he moved to the Metropolitan Toronto council, in the first direct elections for members of that body.^[28][29] In the 1988 municipal elections, Layton traded places with City Council ally Dale Martin,
with Martin going to Metro and Layton returning to Toronto City
Council. Layton was easily elected in a contest with former high school
teacher Lois MacMillan-Walker. The election was a major victory for
Layton as the reformist coalition of which he was the de facto
head gained control of City Council, the first time in city history a
coalition of New Democrats and independents controlled council.^[30]
On July 9, 1988, he married Hong Kong-born Toronto District School Board trustee Olivia Chow in a ceremony on Algonquin Island.^[31][32]
Their whitewater rafting honeymoon plans had to be abandoned, however,
when days before the wedding Layton collided with a newspaper box while
bicycling.^[33]
Chow later joined Layton on the Toronto City Council. She has been a
candidate for the federal New Democrats five times, first winning her
seat the third time in a close race against Tony Ianno in the 2006 Canadian election, and re-elected in 2008 and 2011.
Layton and Chow were also the subject of some dispute when a June 14, 1990, Toronto Star article by Tom Kerr accused them of unfairly living in a housing cooperative subsidized by the federal government, despite their high income.^[34]
Layton and Chow had both lived in the Hazelburn co-op since 1985, and
lived together in an $800 per month three-bedroom apartment after their
marriage in 1988. By 1990, their combined annual income was $120,000,
and in March of that year they began voluntarily paying an additional
$325 per month to offset their share of the co-op’s Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
subsidy, the only members of the co-op to do so. In response to the
article, the co-op’s board argued that having mixed-income tenants was
crucial to the success of co-ops, and that the laws deliberately set
aside apartments for those willing to pay market rates, such as Layton
and Chow.^[35]
During the late 1980s and early 1990s they maintained approximately 30%
of their units as low income units and provided the rest at what they
considered market rent. In June 1990, the city’s solicitor cleared the
couple of any wrong-doing,^[36] and later that month, Layton and Chow left the co-op and bought a house in Toronto’s Chinatown together with Chow’s mother, a move they said had been planned for some time.^[37] Former Toronto mayor John Sewell later wrote in NOW that rival Toronto city councillor Tom Jakobek had given the story to Tom Kerr.^[38]
Originally known for coming to council meetings in blue jeans with
unkempt hair, Layton worked to change his image to run for mayor in the 1991 civic election. He also started wearing contact lenses, abandoning his glasses, and traded in his blue jeans for suits.^[39] In February 1991, Layton became the first official NDP candidate for the mayoralty, pitting him against centrist incumbent Art Eggleton.^[40] In a move that surprised many, Eggleton elected not to run again.^[41]
Layton was opposed by three right-of-centre candidates: Susan Fish, June Rowlands, and Betty Disero.
Right-wing support soon coalesced around former city councillor
Rowlands, preventing the internal divisions Layton needed to win office.^[42] Layton was also hurt by the growing unpopularity of the provincial NDP government of Bob Rae,^[43] and by his earlier opposition to Toronto’s Olympic bid. Bid organizer Paul Henderson accused Layton and his allies of costing Toronto the event.^[44] Despite this, October polls showed Layton only four points behind Rowlands, with 36% support.^[45]
However on October 17, Fish, a former provincial Tory cabinet minister
who had only 19% support, pulled out of the race, and many of her
supporters moved to Rowlands. Layton lost the November 12 election by a
considerable margin.^[46] However, in the same election Olivia Chow easily won a seat on City Council.
Layton returned to academia and founded the Green Catalyst Group Inc., an environmental consulting business.^[47] In 1993, he ran for the Canadian House of Commons in the riding of Rosedale
for the NDP, but finished fourth in the generally Liberal riding. In
1994, he returned to Metropolitan Toronto Council, succeeding Roger Hollander in the Don River ward, and he resumed his high profile role in local politics; following the “megacity” merger of Metropolitan Toronto into the current city of Toronto, he was again re-elected to Toronto City Council, serving alongside Pam McConnell
in a two-member ward. He remained on Toronto City Council until
pursuing the leadership of the federal New Democrats. He also came to
national attention as the leader of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.^[48] Federally, he ran again in the 1997 election, but lost to incumbent Dennis Mills
by a wide margin. In June 1999, as chair of Toronto’s environmental
task force, the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, he was instrumental in the
preliminary phases of the WindShare wind power cooperative in Toronto through the Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative.^[49]

Leader of the NDP

Jack Layton addresses the 2003 NDP convention in Toronto, where he was elected leader

Layton was elected leader of the NDP at the party’s leadership convention in Toronto, on January 25, 2003. Layton won on the first ballot with 53.5% of the vote, defeating Bill Blaikie, Lorne Nystrom, Joe Comartin and Pierre Ducasse.^[50] His campaign was focused on the need to reinvigorate the party, and was prominently endorsed by former NDP leader Ed Broadbent.^[51]
Layton did not seek election to the House of Commons by running in a
by-election, as is the tradition among new party leaders without a seat.
Instead, he waited until the 2004 federal election to contest the riding of Toronto—Danforth
against Liberal Dennis Mills. With no seat in the House of Commons, he
appointed the runner-up, longtime Winnipeg-area MP Bill Blaikie, as
parliamentary leader.^[52] Although he had no parliamentary seat, Layton was noted for drawing considerable attention from the Canadian mass media.^[53][54] Much of his rhetoric involved attacking the policies of then Canadian Prime Minister
Paul Martin as conservative, and arguing the ideology of the Liberal
Party of Canada had shifted in a more right wing direction. Another
focus of Layton’s leadership was to focus the party’s efforts on Quebec,
one of the party’s weaker provinces.^[55] One of his opponents in the leadership race, Pierre Ducasse, was the first Québécois to run for leader of the NDP. After the race, Layton appointed Ducasse as his Quebec lieutenant and party spokesperson.^[56]
The result of Layton’s efforts was a strong increase in the party’s
support. By the end of 2003, the party was polling higher than both the Canadian Alliance or the Progressive Conservatives^[57] and it was even suggested that the next election could see the NDP in place as official opposition.^[58]

2004 election

During the 2004 Canadian federal election,
controversy erupted over Layton’s accusation that Liberal Prime
Minister Paul Martin was responsible for the deaths of homeless people
because he failed to provide funding for affordable housing.^[59]
While rates of homelessness and homeless deaths increased during the
eleven years of Liberal government, the link to Martin’s decisions was
indirect as affordable housing is a mainly provincial jurisdiction.^[60] Layton’s charge was defended by some, including the Ottawa Citizen,^[61] but most attacked it as inaccurate and negative campaigning. Moreover the controversy consumed the campaign, overshadowing policy announcements over the next week.^[62]
Further controversy followed as Layton suggested the removal of the Clarity Act,
considered by some to be vital to keeping Quebec in Canada and by
others as undemocratic, and promised to recognize any declaration of
independence by Quebec after a referendum.^[63] This position was not part of the NDP’s official party policy, leading some high-profile party members, such as NDP House Leader Bill Blaikie and former NDP leader Alexa McDonough,
to publicly indicate that they did not share Layton’s views. His
position on the Clarity Act was reversed in the 2006 election to one of
support.^[64]
Layton also continued his effort to improve his party’s standing in
Quebec. The NDP ran French-language ads in the province and Layton, who
spoke colloquial Québécois French, appeared in them. He advocated
replacing the first-past-the-post system with proportional representation.
He threatened to use the NDP’s clout in the event of a minority
government. However, it was dismissed out of hand by the Liberal and Bloc Québécois
leaders, as they tend to be favored by the first-past-the-post system,
normally being allocated a greater proportion of seats than the
proportion of votes cast for them. Historically, the NDP’s popular vote
does not translate into a proportional number of seats because of
scattered support. This was most opposed by the Bloc Québécois, who
usually had the lowest popular vote but nonetheless won many seats
because their support was concentrated in Quebec. Despite these
problems, Layton led the NDP to a 15% popular vote, its highest in 16
years. However, it only won 19 seats in the House of Commons, two less
than the 21 won under Alexa McDonough in 1997, and far short of the 40
that Layton predicted on the eve of the election. However, some
potential NDP voters may have voted Liberal to prevent a possible
Conservative win. Olivia Chow and several other prominent Toronto NDP
candidates lost tight races and Layton won his own seat against
incumbent Liberal Dennis Mills by a much narrower margin than early
polls indicated.^{[citation needed]}

Liberal minority government

Jack Layton speaks at an NDP Rally in Courtenay, British Columbia the night of January 12, 2005

With the ruling Liberal Party being reduced to a minority government, revelations of the sponsorship scandal damaging its popularity to the point where both the Conservative Party and the Bloc Québécois were pressing their advantage for a snap election, the Prime Minister approached the NDP for its support. Layton demanded the cancellation of proposed corporate tax
cuts and called for an increase in social spending. The ensuing
compromise in the NDP’s favour was protested by the other opposition
parties who used it as a pretext to force a non-confidence vote.
On May 19, two such votes were defeated and Layton’s amendments went on
to be passed on its final reading vote on June 23. As a result of this
political coup and his apparent civil behaviour in a spitefully raucous
parliament, many political analysts noted that Layton gained increased
credibility as an effective leader of an important party, becoming the
major second choice leader in many political polls – for example,
polling second in Quebec after Gilles Duceppe, despite the low polls for his party as a whole in the province.^{[citation needed]}
In mid-November 2005, when Liberal support dropped after the Gomery Commission delivered its first report, Layton offered the Prime Minister several conditions in return for the NDP’s continued support.^{[citation needed]} When the Liberals turned him down,^{[citation needed]}
Layton announced he would introduce a motion requesting a February
election. However, the Martin government refused to allow the election
date to be decided by the opposition. A motion of non-confidence
followed, moved by Stephen Harper and seconded by Layton, triggering the
2006 federal election.

Coalition attempt with the BQ and the Conservatives

On March 26, 2011, in response to Harper’s allegations that a
coalition is not a legitimate or principled way to form government,
Duceppe stated that Harper had once tried to form a coalition government with the Bloc and NDP.^[65] In 2004 Stephen Harper privately met with Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe and New Democratic Party
leader Jack Layton in a Montreal hotel. The meeting that took place
between the three party leaders happened 2 months before the federal
election.^[66] On September 9, 2004, the three signed a letter addressed to then-Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, stating,

We respectfully point out that the opposition
parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in
close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution
arise, this should give you cause, as constitutional practice has
determined, to consult the opposition leaders and consider all of your
options before exercising your constitutional authority.^[66]

On the same day the letter was written, the three party leaders held a
joint press conference at which they expressed their intent to
co-operate on changing parliamentary rules, and to request that the
Governor General consult with them before deciding to call an election.^[67]
At the news conference, Harper said “It is the Parliament that’s
supposed to run the country, not just the largest party and the single
leader of that party. That’s a criticism I’ve had and that we’ve had and
that most Canadians have had for a long, long time now so this is an
opportunity to start to change that.” However, at the time, Harper and
the two other opposition leaders denied trying to form a coalition government.^[66] Harper said, “This is not a coalition, but this is a co-operative effort.”^[67]
One month later, on October 4, Mike Duffy,
now a Conservative senator (appointed by Harper), said “It is possible
that you could change prime minister without having an election,” and
that some Conservatives wanted Harper as prime minister. The next day
Layton walked out on talks with Harper and Duceppe, accusing them of
trying to replace Paul Martin with Harper as prime minister. Both Bloc and Conservative officials denied Layton’s accusations.^[66]

2006 campaign

In a media scrum during the 2006 winter election campaign.

With a vote scheduled for January 23, 2006,
many New Democrats expected Layton to deliver substantially more seats
than he did in 2004. They hoped the NDP would hold the balance of power
in a new minority parliament, so that they could carry additional
leverage in negotiating with the governing party. Mike Klander, the
executive vice-president of the federal Liberals’ Ontario wing, resigned
after making posts on his blog comparing Chow to a Chow Chow dog and calling her husband an “asshole“.^[68]
Through the course of the campaign, Layton attempted to cast himself as the sole remaining champion of universal health care.
Some opinion polls showed that Canadians found Layton the most
appealing and charismatic of the leaders. Layton repeatedly insisted
that “Canadians have a third choice”, and urged Liberals to “lend us
your vote”. Some commentators and pundits mocked Layton for over-using
these catchphrases instead of explaining the NDP platform.^{[citation needed]}
The NDP’s strategy had changed in that they were focusing their
attacks on the Liberals rather than in 2004 where they criticized both
the Liberals and Conservatives in equal measure prompting some criticism
from Paul Martin.^[69] Andrew Coyne
suggested that the NDP not only wanted to disassociate themselves from
the scandal-ridden Liberals, but also because the Liberals were likely
to receive credit for legislation achieved under the Liberal-NDP
partnership. The NDP had also lost close races in the 2004 election due
to the Liberals’ strategic voting. Early in the campaign, NDP MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis had asked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to launch a criminal investigation into the leaking of the income trust announcement.^[70]
The criminal probe seriously damaged the Liberal campaign and
preventing them from making their key policy announcements, as well as
bringing alleged Liberal corruption back into the spotlight.
Layton’s campaign direction also caused a break between him and Canadian Auto Workers union head Buzz Hargrove over the issue of strategic voting.
Hargrove preferred a Liberal minority government supported by the NDP
and he had earlier criticized Layton for participating in the motion of
non-confidence that brought down the Liberal government. Hargrove allied
with the Liberals and publicly stated that he “did not like the
campaign that Jack Layton was running”, criticizing Layton for “spending
too much time attacking the Liberals”. During the final week of the
campaign, knowing that last-minute strategic voting had cost the NDP
seats in several close ridings during the 2004 election,^[71] Hargrove and Martin urged all progressive voters to unite behind the Liberal banner to stop a Conservative government.^[72]
Layton intensified his attacks on the Liberal scandals, pledging to use
his minority clout to keep the Conservatives in check. Shortly after
the election, the Ontario provincial branch of the NDP revoked
Hargrove’s party membership because he had violated the party’s
constitution by campaigning for other parties during an election
campaign, though Layton disagreed with this. Hargrove retaliated by
severing ties with the NDP at the annual CAW convention. The election
increased the NDP’s total seats to 29 seats, up from 18 MP before
dissolution.^[73]
Among the new NDP candidates elected was Olivia Chow, making the two
only the second husband-and-wife team in Canadian Parliament history (Gurmant Grewal and Nina Grewal
were the first husband-and-wife team in Canadian Parliament after the
2004 federal election). In the end, the NDP succeeded in increasing
their parliamentary representation to 29 MPs, though they had
significantly fewer seats than the Bloc Québécois (51) or the Opposition
Liberals (103).^[73]

Conservative minority government

Jack Layton giving a speech on the 5th anniversary of his leadership of the NDP.

At the NDP’s 22nd Convention, held on September 10, 2006, in Quebec City, Layton received a 92% approval rating in a leadership vote, tying former Reform Party leader Preston Manning‘s record for this kind of voting.^[74] At the same convention, the NDP passed a motion calling for the return of Canadian Forces from Afghanistan. On September 24, 2006, he met with Afghan president Hamid Karzai to discuss the NDP position. After the meeting Layton stated that Canada’s role should be focused on traditional peacekeeping and reconstruction rather than in a front line combat role currently taking place.^[75]
Layton and his caucus voted to support the new proposed rules for income trusts introduced by the Conservatives October 31, 2006.^[76]
The short-term result of the tax policy announcement was a loss to
Canadian investors of $20 billion, the largest ever loss attributed to a
change in government policy.^[77] According to the Canadian Association of Income Trust Investors^[78] some 2.5 million Canadian investors were affected by the change in income trust policy.^[79]
Layton threatened to move a motion of non-confidence against the government over the “Clean Air Act” unless action was taken to improve the bill and its approach to environmental policy.^[80]
Prime Minister Harper agreed to put an end to the Parliamentary logjam
by sending the bill to a special legislative committee before second
reading. He released his proposed changes to the “Clean Air Act” on
November 19, 2006.^[81]
On June 3, 2008, Layton voted to implement a program which would “allow conscientious objectors…to a war not sanctioned by the United Nations…to…remain in Canada…”^[82][83][84] Layton led the NDP to be instrumental in taking action on the peace issue of Canada and Iraq War resisters.
On June 11, 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper made it known that he had received private counsel from Layton on the matter of Indian residential schools and the apology to former students of the schools. Before delivering the apology, Harper thanked Layton.^[85]

2008 campaign

Broadbent and Jack Layton at a 2008 election rally in Toronto

Layton started off the 2008 federal election campaign with a speech similar to that of US presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Layton denied he was trying to draw comparisons with Obama, saying “I
mean, I am a lot shorter than he is. He is a brilliant orator. I’m never
going to claim to be that. But what I have noticed is that the key
issues faced by the American middle class, the working people
of the U.S. and their concerns about their families’ futures, are
awfully similar to the issues that I hear in Canada.” Layton said that
he has also written to Obama and Hillary Clinton saying that the North American Free Trade Agreement had hurt working people in both countries “and those stories have to be told.”
Layton, along with Prime Minister Harper and Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe, initially opposed the inclusion of Green Party leader Elizabeth May in the leaders’ televised debates.^[86][87] Layton initially said that he was following the rules of the broadcast consortium, while NDP spokesman Brad Lavigne confirmed that Layton had refused to attend if May was present, noting that May had endorsed Liberal leader Stéphane Dion
for prime minister, and arguing that her inclusion would in effect give
the Liberals two representatives at the debate. Rod Love, former chief
of staff to Ralph Klein, suggested that the Greens could potentially cut into the NDP’s support.^[88] Layton’s stance drew criticism from the YWCA,^[89] Judy Rebick, and members of his own party.^[90]
Layton dropped his opposition to May’s inclusion on September 10, 2008.
“This whole issue of debating about the debate has become a distraction
to the real debate that needs to happen”, Layton said. “I have only one
condition for this debate and that is that the prime minister is
there.”^[91]
In October 2008, Layton posted an online video message speaking out in favour of net neutrality, torrent sites, video-sharing sites, and social-networking sites.^[92]
In a separate interview he said that increasing corporate control “is
very, very dangerous and we have put the whole issue of net neutrality
right into the heart of our campaign platform,” and that the Internet is
“a public tool for exchanging ideas and I particularly want to say that
if we don’t fight to preserve it, we could lose it.” In the end, the
NDP gained 8 new seats, taking its tally to 37. This result still left
the NDP as Canada’s fourth party, behind the Bloc Québécois with 50. The
NDP managed to retain Outremont, held by Thomas Mulcair, its only seat in the province.^[93]

Continued Conservative minority government

Layton during the 2008 election campaign

The 40th session of parliament
began on November 27, 2008, with a fiscal update by the Conservatives
that outlined their agenda for the upcoming term. This included a
temporary suspension of Federal employees’ right to strike and a removal
of monetary subsidies for political parties.^[94]
All three opposition parties including the NDP stated that they could
not support this position. Layton along with Liberal leader Stéphane
Dion and Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe began negotiations to form
a coalition that would replace the Conservatives as the government. The
three opposition parties planned to table a motion of non-confidence in
the House of Commons, and counted on the likelihood that the Governor General, Michaëlle Jean, would invite the coalition to govern instead of dissolving parliament and calling an election so soon after the last election.^{[citation needed]}
On December 1, 2008, the three opposition leaders signed an accord
that laid down the basis for an agreement on a coalition government. The
proposed structure would be a coalition between the Liberals and the
NDP, with the New Democrats getting six Cabinet positions. Both parties
agreed to continue the coalition until June 30, 2011. The Bloc Québécois
would not be formally part of the government but would provide support
on confidence motions for 18 months.^[95]
Opposition to the proposed coalition developed in all provinces except Quebec.^[96] On December 4, 2008, the Governor General granted Prime Minister Harper’s request to prorogue
parliament until January 26, 2009, at which time Harper had planned to
introduce the budget. Dion had since been ousted from the leadership of
the Liberals and his successor, Michael Ignatieff, had distanced himself from the coalition.
Layton remained committed to ousting the Harper government,^[97][98] pledging that the NDP would vote against the Conservative budget regardless of what it contained.^[99]
Layton urged Ignatieff’s Liberal Party to topple the Conservatives
before the shelf life of the coalition expired; constitutional experts
said that four months after the last election, if the government fell,
the Governor General would likely grant the Prime Minister’s request to
dissolve parliament instead of inviting the coalition.^[100]

Jack Layton making an appearance in Toronto’s Pride Parade in 2009

On January 28, 2009, the Liberals agreed to support the Conservative
budget with an amendment, ending the possibility of the coalition, so
Layton said “Today we have learned that you can’t trust Mr. Ignatieff to
oppose Mr. Harper. If you oppose Mr. Harper and you want a new
government, I urge you to support the NDP.”^[101]
In March 2009, the NDP, under Layton’s leadership, re-introduced a motion (first passed June 3, 2008) which, if implemented, would allow conscientious objectors to the Iraq War to remain in Canada. The motion again passed March 30, 2009, by 129–125, but it was non-binding.^[102][103] In a leadership review vote held at the NDP’s August 2009 federal policy convention, 89.25% of delegates voted against holding a leadership convention to replace Layton.^[104] In October 2009, Layton paired up with the Stephen Lewis Foundation to raise money for HIV/AIDS affected families in Africa. As part of the foundation’s A Dare to Remember campaign, Layton busked on a busy street corner.^[105]
Layton’s son, Mike was elected to Toronto City Council in the 2010 city council election.^[106]
The Conservative government was defeated in a no-confidence vote
on March 25, 2011, with the motion gaining full support of all
opposition parties including the New Democrats, after the government was
found in contempt of parliament.^[107] This was the first occurrence in Commonwealth history of a government in the Westminster parliamentary tradition losing the confidence of the House of Commons
on the grounds of contempt of parliament. The no-confidence motion was
carried with a vote of 156 in favour of the motion, and 145 against,^[108] thus resulting in the Prime Minister advising a dissolution of parliament and a federal election.

2011 campaign

Layton with his chief of staff, Anne McGrath, campaigning in Quebec City

The day after the successful passing of the motion, Layton started the NDP election campaign, first with a speech in Ottawa followed later in the day by an event in Edmonton, Alberta.^[109]
Questions about Layton’s health due to a recent hip surgery were often
directed to him during the campaign, with Layton insisting that he is
healthy enough to lead.^[110][111]
On March 29, 2011, the New Democrats presented their first real
campaign promise, a proposal to cap credit card rates in order to reduce
credit card debt.^[112]
Unlike the previous election, Layton stated he was in favour of Green Party leader Elizabeth May speaking at the leaders debates, despite the fact that she was once again being discouraged by the Canadian media networks.^[113] The NDP also embarked upon the largest advertising campaign in its history, focusing on the Government’s health care record.^[114] He also dedicated the federal election campaign to former Saskatchewan Premier Allan Blakeney, who died about halfway through the campaign.^[115]
Despite entering the campaign with relatively low poll numbers,^[116][117] the NDP recovered and increased their support significantly after Layton’s performance in the leaders debates.^[118][119] In the English-language debate, Layton criticized Michael Ignatieff‘s
poor attendance record in the House of Commons, saying “You know, most
Canadians, if they don’t show up for work, they don’t get a promotion!”,
Ignatieff was unable to respond effectively.^{[120][121][122]}
On February 4, 2011 Layton attended a rally against Usage Based Billing in Toronto with MPs Dan McTeague, Olivia Chow, Peggy Nash and others.^{[123][124][125]} His attendance at this rally was accompanied by several press releases by the NDP denouncing metered internet usage in Canada.^[126][127]

Layton in Quebec during the federal electoral campaign.

The NDP surge began in Quebec, with the NDP surprising many observers by surpassing the previously front-running Bloc in Quebec.^[128]
In Canada overall, the NDP surged past the Liberals to take the second
place behind the Conservatives; in Quebec, the NDP took first place.^[129][130]
The NDP surge became the dominant narrative of the last week of the
campaign, as other parties turned their attacks on the party and Layton.^[131]
On April 29, 2011, a retired police officer told the Sun News Network and the Toronto Sun newspaper that in 1996, Layton had been found naked in a massage parlour
when police, looking for underage Asian hookers, raided the
establishment. The police informed Layton of the potentially
questionable use of the business and recommended that he avoid it in the
future. No charges were filed.^{[132][133][134]} The Sun later ran a follow-up piece, in which Toronto city councillor Giorgio Mammoliti criticized Layton.^[135]
Layton has said there was no wrongdoing in the matter, saying that he
simply “went for a massage at a community clinic” and did not return
after the police advised him not to.^[136] He also referred to the release of the police report as a smear campaign against him.^{[137][138][139][140]} Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe has also dismissed the claim.^[141] A columnist for the National Post
suggested that it was a Liberal insider that leaked the story, although
a Liberal Party spokesman denied that they had anything to do with it.^[142]
A subsequent Toronto Star column stated that most contributors to online discussions agreed there was a smear campaign against Layton.^[143] As for political damage from this story, that same day’s update of the Nanos Leadership Index,
which assesses public opinion on the Canadian federal leaders’
trustworthiness, competence and vision for Canada, Layton rose from 80%
to 97%, surpassing Harper at 88% and Ignatieff at 39%. The polling
company speculated this improvement is due to strong sympathy by the
public for a political candidate they judged as being unfairly maligned.^[144] The Toronto police launched an investigation into how official police notes were leaked to Sun Media. Police notebooks are closely guarded and may contain unfounded and unproven allegations.^[140] On May 5, 2011, it was announced that no charges would be laid with regards to the leaked information.^[145]
Layton appeared on the Radio-Canada talk show Tout le monde en parle
on April 3, an appearance that was credited for improving his party’s
standing among Francophone voters due to his informal Québécois French.^[146] The show is the most popular program in Quebec.^[147] He was also perceived to have performed well in the televised French-language party leaders’ debate on April 13.
In the May 2, 2011, election, Layton led the NDP to 103 seats, more
than double its previous high. This was also enough to make the NDP the
Official Opposition in the Commons for the first time ever. The NDP
gains were partly due to a major surge in Quebec as the party won 59 of
the province’s 75 seats, dominating Montreal and sweeping Quebec City and the Outaouais,
although the NDP also won more seats than any other opposition party in
the rest of Canada. The NDP had gone into the election with only one
seat in Quebec, that of Mulcair, and had won but a single seat in the
province historically (Phil Edmonston
in a 1990 by-election). Many of these gains came at the expense of the
Bloc, which was reduced to a four-seat rump without official party
status in Parliament.

Illness and death

An impromptu memorial emerged on Parliament Hill after news of Jack Layton’s death

On February 5, 2010, Layton announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He noted that his father Robert Layton had suffered from the same type of cancer 17 years before and recovered from it. His wife, Olivia Chow, had battled thyroid cancer
a few years before. He vowed to beat the cancer and said it would not
interrupt his duties as member of Parliament or as leader of the NDP.^[148][149]

Jack Layton’s casket is carried into the Centre Block for his lying-in-state.

Following the 2011 federal election, Layton led the party into the
first month of the new session of Parliament, as well as attending the
NDP Federal Convention in Vancouver.
After Parliament rose for the summer, Layton announced on July 25, 2011
that he would be taking a temporary leave from his post to fight an
unspecified, newly diagnosed cancer. He was hoping to return as leader
of the NDP upon the resumption of the House of Commons on September 19,
2011. Layton recommended that NDP caucus chair Nycole Turmel serve as interim leader during his leave of absence.^[150]
Layton died at 4:45 am ET on August 22, 2011, at his home in Toronto.^{[151][152][153]} He was 61 years old.
Upon hearing the news, there was a “nationwide outpouring of grief,”^[154] and the Governor General, David Johnston,^[155] Prime Minister Stephen Harper, NDP deputy leader Libby Davies,^[156] and United States Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson issued statements praising Layton and mourning his loss.^[157]
Layton’s family released an open letter, written by Layton two days
before his death. In it, he expressed his wishes regarding the NDP’s
leadership in the event of his death, and addressed various segments of
the Canadian population, concluding, “My friends, love is better than
anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let
us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”^[158]
Layton was accorded a state funeral by the Governor-General-in-Council, which took place between August 25 and 27, 2011, with the final memorial service at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto.^[159] Only two opposition leaders have died while in office; the first, Sir Wilfrid Laurier,
had been a former prime minister, and so a state funeral was consistent
with protocol. Layton is only the first opposition leader to die for
whom a state funeral would not otherwise have been afforded, but Prime
Minister Harper made the offer to Layton’s widow who accepted. Layton
was cremated following the funeral,^[160] with one portion of his ashes scattered on the Toronto Islands, a second portion buried at St. James Cemetery in Toronto under a memorial marker and a third portion planted with a memorial tree at the Wyman United Church cemetery in Hudson, Quebec, where his father and maternal grandparents are buried.^[161][162]

To see more of who died in 2011 click here