Labour Not Sold Yet
Andrea Horwath lives to fight another day as leader of the Ontario NDP. She promised delegates at a Toronto convention to do a better job by reaching out to unions and returning to the party’s socialist values.
IAM delegates to the Ontario NDP convention in November. Front row, left to right: Plutarco (Chico) Pacheco, Retiree Political Action Committee; Christina De Oliveria, IAM LL 1295; Robert Davis, IAM LL 103. Back row left to right: Kim Valliere, Business Representative, IAM DL78; Gord Falconer, IAM Grand Lodge Representative; Scott Jackson, IAM Grand Lodge Representative; Gary Hynes, IAM Grand Lodge Representative; Mona Burke, Secretary Treasurer, IAM DL78; Derek Ferguson, Directing Business Representative, IAM DL78; Louis Erlichman, IAM Research Director; Brian Wilson, Politcial Action Committee, IAM LL 2323.
Toronto, ON – Andrea Horwath is still the leader of the Ontario NDP after delegates to a weekend convention here endorsed her leadership in a vote by 76.9%.
“I am humbled by your vote of confidence and support,” said Horwath, who has led the party since 2009. The endorsement was just slightly stronger than the one she received two years ago.
Rather than dwell on the past, convention delegates chose to move forward and that was reflected in the overwhelming majority of support as the party now concentrates on winning the next election in 2018.
It is a wise leader who learns from past mistakes and in her speech to delegates she vowed to return to the issues that the party holds dear. She also promised to do a better job by reaching out to unions and returning to the party’s socialist values.
“We have four years to do a lot of really good work and I truly believe we can win the next election,” she said.
“Labour has spoken loud and clear,” said IAM Canadian General Vice President Dave Ritchie. “We want a return to the party’s core values, which means a workers’ agenda, not a corporate one.
“The ball is in her court.”