Today at 4:45am the New Democratic Party lost their leader, Jack Layton, to cancer. Jack Layton became the leader of the NDP in 2003 and brought immediate improvement to the NDP's political performance and became a strong voice of the working class in Canada. He had a long history of fighting for social justice issues and making sure the average Canadian was represented in the government. When he was working in Toronto in the 1980s, he stood up for the homeless residing there as well as for the environment. This past political election he successfully lead the NDP to become the official opposition in federal Canadian politics for the first time in Canadian history. Prior to this, it was always the Liberals or the Conservatives who would form the government and the other form the opposition. This past election saw the Liberals, and the Bloc Quebecois (BQ), be severely reduced in seats and lose their place as the opposition to the NDP. Now, the NDP must prepare for when parliament resumes in the fall, as they now need to choose a new leader.
I first started getting interested in politics when Paul Martin was prime minister and he called the election that would see the liberal government win a minority. This election would prove to be the start of a series of unfortunate events for the liberals as they lost their place as the majority government and then they lost their place as the ruling party in Canada to the Conservatives in 2006. It also paved the way for the Conservatives to get the majority on May 5, 2011. Throughout this time, the NDP started gaining recognition and respect as a force to be reckoned with in parliament. Between 2004 and 2011, Jack Layton always stood out to me as a more positive and optimistic leader. I enjoyed listening to what he had to say and I really admired him for standing up for the average Canadian worker. Furthermore, he was a fighter and was not afraid to stand up for his values. As I grew into young woman, my political views drifted a way from Layton's, and I chose to not vote for the NDP in 2008 and 2011; nevertheless, he always stood out to me as a strong leader who really stood up for the Canadian people.
It seems that he had that effect on every Canadian. Reading the Twitter and Facebook posts about him reveal that he was admired by people who did and did not cast their ballot in his favour. He was also respected in municipal politics when he served as a city councillor in Toronto, and federal politics. I remember how the NDP kept gaining seats on Parliament Hill, and really stirred the political landscape in Canada; it is no longer the Liberals vs. the Conservatives but the Liberals vs. the Conservatives vs. the NDP vs. the BQ. Finally, in 2011 he successfully succeeded in leading his party to forming the official opposition.Now, the BQ is not even an official, party as you need 10 seats to be considered an official party in the House of Commons and the BQ only won 4. He also practically gift wrapped the majority victory and gave it to Stephen Harper. The 4 party battle was reduced on the May 2, 2011 to two parties, the Conservatives vs. the NDP. Will that continue beyond the next election, which will be in 2015? That all depends on what the NDP, as well as the Conservatives, Liberals, and the BQ do next. The Liberals and the BQ have to choose new leaders too, and the provinces, except for Nova Scotia, are going into their provincial elections. The choices the people make in their respective provinces; and the choices the NDP, Liberals, BQ, and Conservatives make as they choose their new leaders and the Conservatives run the country will determine what the outcome of the 2015 election. Makes me glad that God has already decided and already knows what's going to happen over the next 4 years.
Death is a mysterious thing. Some days it is expected, while other days it is completely uncalled for. There are people on earth that everyone wishes would die, while there are other people who's friends and colleagues wish that day would never come. Everyone in Canada knew Layton took a leave of absence to battle cancer on July 25 so that he could come when Parliament resumes in the fall. No one would've guessed that cancer had other plans. For me, I am thankful at these times that God is the one who is ultimately in control and "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9, TNIV).
Clearly, God is shaking up the political landscape in Canada. I don't know why God allowed Jack Layton to see Canada's political Promised Land from a distance and not let him enter, like He did with Moses, but I know God already has a "Joshua" in mind who will catch the torch and take the NDP the rest of the way. God works in mysterious and unthinkable ways, but those ways do have a pattern time and time again. He rose up Joshua in place of Moses, Solomon in place of David, and Elisha in place of Elijah; and in the NT John the Baptist was succeeded by Jesus, and Stephen was succeeded by Paul and then finally Paul was succeeded by Timothy. God will reveal the leaders who will carry the NDP, BQ, and the Liberals forward. As we look to the future that God has in store, we also look back and thank Him for raising up an optimistic leader who stood up and fought for social justice and the working class in Canada.
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