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Hamilton NDP MPP mulls over leadership bid

By Kevin Werner

News
Jun 20, 2008

Hamilton Centre NDP MPP Andrea Horwath is "very, very serious" about running to become her party's next leader.

"I'm in the process of talking to people," said Mrs. Horwath. "This is an important decision that can't be taken lightly."

The former Hamilton councillor for Ward 2 said she will take her time "over the next little while" mulling over her future. There is no time constraints, she said to make up her mind.

And since the Ontario Legislature is expected to rise for its summer break, it will provide the veteran politician with more time to talk to supporters about a potential leadership bid, she said.

Ms. Horwath, 44, won the former Hamilton East riding in 2004 garnering 63 per cent of the vote in a by-election to replace former Liberal MPP Dominic Agostino who died. After the ridings were changed, Ms. Horwath easily won Hamilton Centre in last fall's election.

Ms. Horwath greets the idea of a leadership race as an opportunity to "re-invigorate" the party, after its disappointing showing in last fall's provincial election.

"The last campaign was somewhat disappointing," she said. "A leadership race reflects where it needs to go."

Speculation about the next NDP leader was sparked after Howard Hampton announced last weekend he will retire in March 2009 after 13 years as the party's standard bearer.

Mr. Hampton will remain an MPP for his Rainy River riding, and expects to run again in the 2011 election.

Besides Ms. Horwath, other potential candidates include Michael Prue, Beaches-East York, Cheri DeNovo, Parkdale-High Park, Toronto-Danforth MPP Peter Tabuns.

Niagara West-Glanbrook Progressive Conservative MPP Tim Hudak said both Ms. Horwath and Welland NDP MPP Peter Kormos are contenders.

"Ms. Horwath is very impressive and should be considered a front-runner," he said.

Hamilton East-Stoney Creek NDP MPP Paul Miller refused to comment if he would support a Horwath campaign.

"I am going to sit back and wait," he said. "I am non-committal."

During last fall's election campaign Mr. Hampton lashed out at the media for ignoring the issues he was championing, including poverty, downloading provincial services to municipalities and health care. He ripped the media for focusing on multi-faith school financing that Progressive Conservative leader John Tory pushed.

The result was the NDP earned only10 seats, while increasing its popular vote to 15 per cent.

Ms. Howath said Mr. Hampton "earned our respect" by focusing on such issues as the loss of manufacturing jobs, and poverty.

It has made the party, she argued, more relevant in Ontario's political process than ever before.

"There is no doubt about who the real opposition is (in the legislature)," she said.

Both Ms. Horwath and Mr. Miller praised Mr. Hampton for his job of taking over a dispirited party after the Bob Rae years.

"He brought us back from the dark ages," said Mr. Miller. "We are better positioned."

But Mr. Miller argued the NDP must expand its traditional labour supporters to include more middle-class residents.

"We need to expand our base," he said.