Metro New Democratic Party
Encyclopedia
The Metro New Democratic Party was a political party in Metropolitan Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. It supported candidates for election to the municipal councils and school boards of the six municipalities that made up Metro Toronto. The party was organized by supporters of the social democratic
New Democratic Party
of Canada, and its provincial wing, the Ontario New Democratic Party
(NDP).
Elections in Toronto and its suburbs, as in other municipalities in the Province of Ontario, have traditionally not been the domain of formal political parties. Candidates for election to municipal councils and school boards typically run as individuals, and not as members of political parties.
In the 1970s and 1980s, New Democrats in Metro Toronto attempted to introduce party politics by using campaign materials featuring a "Metro NDP" logo, and by forming an official NDP caucus on Toronto city council. Not all New Democratic city councillors chose to use the NDP colours and logos, however.
Since there was no mechanism for parties to register or to operate officially on the municipal level, the NDP operation was largely informal. Local ward associations were set up to nominate candidates in a number of wards, particularly downtown wards, but no party name ever appeared on a ballot - and there was no mechanism for the Metro NDP to accept election donations.
The attempt to introduce party politics had limited success. Most officials elected came from downtown Toronto
: only a handful came from the suburb
s.
In 1991 the Toronto NDP held a convention and nominated Jack Layton
as its mayoral candidate - the first and last official NDP nominee for the position although CCFer
Jimmy Simpson
was Mayor of Toronto in 1935 and NDP member William Dennison was mayor from 1966 to 1972. Layton was unsuccessful in his mayoral run losing to June Rowlands
.
The growing unpopularity of the Bob Rae
government resulted in incumbent NDP councillors and trustees running without a party label in the 1994 municipal election. Thus ended the NDP's formal presence in Toronto municipal politics.
A stronger than expected performance by NDP-aligned councillors running as independents provided a strong argument against reviving party affiliations in the 1997 or subsequent elections.
While members of the NDP co-operate on city council and on the Toronto District School Board
, there is no longer an official NDP caucus.
At various times, the Liberals have also attempted to run candidates in Toronto municipal elections, most notably in 1969 when Professor Stephen Clarkson
was the nominee of the "Civic Liberals" for the mayor's office. Clarkson came third.
More recently, the name "Metro NDP" has been revived in order to refer to a regional organization of Ontario NDP provincial riding association
s in Toronto rather than to a municipal political party.
Metropolitan Toronto
The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was a senior level of municipal government in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area from 1954 to 1998. It was created out of York County and was a precursor to the later concept of a regional municipality, being formed of smaller municipalities but having more...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It supported candidates for election to the municipal councils and school boards of the six municipalities that made up Metro Toronto. The party was organized by supporters of the social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
of Canada, and its provincial wing, the Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
(NDP).
Elections in Toronto and its suburbs, as in other municipalities in the Province of Ontario, have traditionally not been the domain of formal political parties. Candidates for election to municipal councils and school boards typically run as individuals, and not as members of political parties.
In the 1970s and 1980s, New Democrats in Metro Toronto attempted to introduce party politics by using campaign materials featuring a "Metro NDP" logo, and by forming an official NDP caucus on Toronto city council. Not all New Democratic city councillors chose to use the NDP colours and logos, however.
Since there was no mechanism for parties to register or to operate officially on the municipal level, the NDP operation was largely informal. Local ward associations were set up to nominate candidates in a number of wards, particularly downtown wards, but no party name ever appeared on a ballot - and there was no mechanism for the Metro NDP to accept election donations.
The attempt to introduce party politics had limited success. Most officials elected came from downtown Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
: only a handful came from the suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s.
In 1991 the Toronto NDP held a convention and nominated Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
as its mayoral candidate - the first and last official NDP nominee for the position although CCFer
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
Jimmy Simpson
James Simpson (politician)
James "Jimmy" Simpson was a Canadian trade unionist, printer, journalist and left wing politician in Toronto, Ontario...
was Mayor of Toronto in 1935 and NDP member William Dennison was mayor from 1966 to 1972. Layton was unsuccessful in his mayoral run losing to June Rowlands
June Rowlands
June Rowlands was the 60th mayor of Toronto, Ontario, and the first woman to hold that office. She had previously been a long time city councillor, unsuccessful federal candidate, and chair of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission....
.
The growing unpopularity of the Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
government resulted in incumbent NDP councillors and trustees running without a party label in the 1994 municipal election. Thus ended the NDP's formal presence in Toronto municipal politics.
A stronger than expected performance by NDP-aligned councillors running as independents provided a strong argument against reviving party affiliations in the 1997 or subsequent elections.
While members of the NDP co-operate on city council and on the Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board, also known by the acronym TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
, there is no longer an official NDP caucus.
At various times, the Liberals have also attempted to run candidates in Toronto municipal elections, most notably in 1969 when Professor Stephen Clarkson
Stephen Clarkson
Stephen Clarkson, is one of Canada’s preeminent political scientists and a professor of political economy at the University of Toronto....
was the nominee of the "Civic Liberals" for the mayor's office. Clarkson came third.
More recently, the name "Metro NDP" has been revived in order to refer to a regional organization of Ontario NDP provincial riding association
Riding association
In Canadian politics a riding association , officially called an electoral district association is the basic unit of a political party, that is it is the party's organization at the level of the electoral district, or "riding"...
s in Toronto rather than to a municipal political party.
External links
- Metro NDP network of federal/provincial NDP riding associations in Toronto.