Greenpeace head to seek NDP nomination in Toronto - Globe and Mail

[Screaming Lord Byron]

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040109/NATS09-7/TPNational/Canada

Toronto -- A former Toronto city councillor and executive director of Greenpeace Canada is seeking the NDP federal nomination for Beaches-East York in Toronto.

Peter Taubuns has stepped down from his post at Greenpeace to seek the nomination to run in the spring election. Liberal Marina Minna currently represents the riding

I've always thought it would be critical for the NDP to co-opt the Green Party, or its support base. This is a good step in that direction.

[Minstrel Boy]

1. happy to see this news today

Taubuns is a longtime NDPer, and was a great councillor.

The Beaches is a great riding for him. It's an NDP bastion provincially and municipally, and was held federally until the Liberal sweep in 1993. It has a high "green" factor. (Greenpeace co-founder Bob Hunter ran strong for the Greens in a provincial bi-election a few years ago, but lost to NDPer Michael Prue.)

The Liberal incumbant is ineffectual Maria Minna, and a strong candidate and even a modestly successful national campaign will put this in the win column.

[SidDithers]

2. Have to hand it to Layton,

he certainly seems to be recruiting high-profile candidates. Broadbent, Stephen Lewis (tho I think he declined?), and now Taubuns. He's doing a great job of raising the profile of the party.

Sid

[Minstrel Boy]

3. Today's Toronto Star "Layton yaps at PM's heels"

by Chantal Hebert.

Not altogether positive, but I think so long as the press is talking about the NDP, it's a good thing. Invisiblity is our enemy.

...

Yes, the NDP has been edging up in the polls, rattling urban Liberal MPs in the process. And yes, many of the hot potatoes Martin is handling could end up feeding a New Democrat recovery in the next election.

But those are par-for-the-course features of political life. They are not really at the root of the ongoing Martin/Layton feud.

By now, it is almost an understatement to say that Layton has been working hard to get under Martin's skin, calling him "a practising coal baron," staging an Internet contest to decry his past practices as a shipowner and, just this week, highlighting his possible ties to the targets of a British Columbia police investigation.

Not since the Liberal party let its so-called Rat Pack loose on Brian Mulroney in the mid-'80s has an opposition party led as close and as personal an attack on an incoming prime minister. Layton's front-line role is also unique by usual federal and NDP standards.

http://tinyurl.com/2nown


And oh yeah, I thought there was something funny about the Globe piece. They mispelt his name. It's "Tabuns," not "Taubuns." (And he lost his council seat when the conservatives ran a "Larry Tabens" to confuse voters!)