Jack Layton Died

[Ratatapa]

Kinda sad tbh

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/a...ead-at-61?bn=1

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stor...st-letter.html

August 20, 2011

Toronto, Ontario

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.

I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.

I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.

A few additional thoughts:

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.

To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.

To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

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.

All my very best,

Jack Layton

[Mytiwar]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooessssssssssssssssssssssssss ss

My all time favorite politician. A sad day for Canadian politics indeed...

[Snick]

I guess we can't say it was shocking though.

Was really looking forward to how the next few years of government would be, with Jack gone it almost feels like the NDP is just gonna disappear next election. Really thought he could be PM someday too.

[Ratatapa]

The shock is not necessarly that he died cuz we all knew he would soon but.

It's how fast that was. I though we was able to come back in September a bit but still

[Firedemon]

Wow that was crazy fast. I don't think anyone was expecting him to die so quick. RIP dawg.

[Skjie]

Harper is breathing a sigh of relief today. His opposition is effectively completely gone.

[Takedown3]

ya cuz people who voted for the NDP only voted for layton and not the principles of the party

[Metah]

Without Jack Layton, NDP is fucked. It sucks, because I like NDP most. But that's the hard truth of the matter.

[Ratatapa]

ya cuz people who voted for the NDP only voted for layton and not the principles of the party

Not trying to be a bitch but most people that i heard voted for NDP votes because they like Layton charisma and all.

And that is not only in Quebec

[Takedown3]

i wouldn't know as i voted for the libs who got absolutely decimated. RIP to the dude and everything but i think this was EXTREMELY irresponsible on behalf of the NDP for letting him run in the first place, they all knew he was sick. what would/could have happened if he won. he would be dead less then 6 months in and now some rtard that nobody knows would be canada's leader.

he shouldn't have been allowed to run IMO.

[Mytiwar]

Takedown taking home the super troll badge again.

Also I foresee Thomas Mulcair as their next leader and I do believe he can do an extraordinary job if given the chance. The guy has the right values for the party anyhow. Only time will tell but I really doubt anyone at this point would be able to do as good as Jack.

I doubt the party is "decimated" per say since they've just been elected and still have alot of time for their leader election. They also get the time to prove what they're capable of as an official opposition. Although they can also slip in a lot of mistakes but we'll see.

[Ratatapa]

He shouldn't have run agai nthat is agreed. People says he contracted the same cancer due to the elections stress.

But guess we might never know

[Mytiwar]

Pretty sure Takedown isn't referring to his personal health.

[Takedown3]

no i'm not trolling, you can't deny the party didn't know he was sick (at least the top leaders and campaigners of the NDP obviously not everyone) it was irresponsible for him to run.

[tonyg]

no i'm not trolling, you can't deny the party didn't know he was sick (at least the top leaders and campaigners of the NDP obviously not everyone) it was irresponsible for him to run.

Why would it be irresponsible? It isn't a single man running the entire party/country, but merely the face of that party/country. The executive power doesn't have any kind of veto so his vote on an issue is worth as much as any other deputee. Sure people voted for him and not necessarily the party, but if you took your head out of your ass and looked at the big picture for once you'd see why. The man was breathing honesty, good will and good values in a time where Liberals were too busy arguing with each other to unite in a real campaign and when Conservatives had a fuckload of corruption allegations/reports coming out every few days. Citizens that aren't severely retarded won't vote for parties that A. don't give a shit about them or B. fuck them in the ass. Which is why all the prairie and backwater redneck Quebec areas voted for conservatives, and a few people in Ontario went Liberal just because.

[Colenzo]

Who the fuck is Jack Layton?! Who cares?

[Olo401]

Why would it be irresponsible? It isn't a single man running the entire party/country, but merely the face of that party/country. The executive power doesn't have any kind of veto so his vote on an issue is worth as much as any other deputee. Sure people voted for him and not necessarily the party, but if you took your head out of your ass and looked at the big picture for once you'd see why. The man was breathing honesty, good will and good values in a time where Liberals were too busy arguing with each other to unite in a real campaign and when Conservatives had a fuckload of corruption allegations/reports coming out every few days. Citizens that aren't severely retarded won't vote for parties that A. don't give a shit about them or B. fuck them in the ass. Which is why all the prairie and backwater redneck Quebec areas voted for conservatives, and a few people in Ontario went Liberal just because.

A FUCKING MEN!

http://criticoncritics.com/wp-conten...e-clapping.gif

Read this aloud in my head as an Irishman, and it was amazing.

RIP Jack, we'll miss ye. We can't replace you brother, we can only let someone else try to stand in your shoes.

[Olo401]

Who the fuck is Jack Layton?! Who cares?

silly troll is silly.

[Ratatapa]

Why would it be irresponsible? It isn't a single man running the entire party/country, but merely the face of that party/country. The executive power doesn't have any kind of veto so his vote on an issue is worth as much as any other deputee. Sure people voted for him and not necessarily the party, but if you took your head out of your ass and looked at the big picture for once you'd see why. The man was breathing honesty, good will and good values in a time where Liberals were too busy arguing with each other to unite in a real campaign and when Conservatives had a fuckload of corruption allegations/reports coming out every few days. Citizens that aren't severely retarded won't vote for parties that A. don't give a shit about them or B. fuck them in the ass. Which is why all the prairie and backwater redneck Quebec areas voted for conservatives, and a few people in Ontario went Liberal just because.

WOW on 109 seats Quebec gave 59 to NPD

[Colenzo]

silly troll is silly.

no, I seriously didn't know