Robert Layton and Jack Layton

When I was first elected to parliament in 1988, the Chair of the Progressive Conservative caucus was the Honourable Robert Layton. Mr. Layton was a Progressive Conservative MP from Quebec and trained as an engineer at McGill University. As a new MP, I often turned to him for advice and guidance. He was always approachable and willing to help, no matter the issue. Mr. Layton was a very quiet man and never got too excited, no matter what the issue. We became good friends.

In 2004, his son Jack Layton was elected as the MP for Toronto/Danforth. Unlike his father, Jack wasn’t a Progressive Conservative; he was a New Democrat, and he also happened to be the leader of the New Democratic Party. At the time, the NDP held just 14 seats.

Jack had studied at both McGill and York University, eventually earning a PhD in Political Science. After university, he was elected to Toronto City Council, where he gained recognition for his work on homelessness, sustainability, and LGBTQ rights at the municipal level.

Although his father Robert remained a loyal member of the PC Party, Robert was totally supportive of his son Jack’s leadership of the NDP. A core value shared by both Laytons was their unwavering dedication to our democratic process, especially the Canadian democratic process. Neither one operated in a partisan manner. They both were comfortable working with MPs from all parties.

Under Jack’s leadership, the NDP grew from 14 seats to 29 in the 2006 federal election. Then, in 2011, the “Orange Wave” swept the country, and the NDP surged to 103 seats, becoming the Official Opposition for the first time ever. Jack Layton was now the Leader of the OfficialOpposition. Many were of the opinion that he might become Canada’s first New Democratic Prime Minister.

In 2007, when I was expelled from the Conservative Party of Canada for voting against Prime Minister Harper’s changes to the Atlantic Accord, I believe the person most affected by that moment was Jack Layton. Immediately after the vote, the Conservative Whip was at my desk to tell me, "You are expelled from the Conservative Caucus."

The next person at my desk was Jack Layton. Jack had run across the floor of the House of Commons to shake my hand. A lot was happening quickly at the time, but Jack then asked me to come to his office.

When we met after the House adjourned, he was visibly emotional, literally in tears, as he spoke about the significance of my vote. To him, it was a profound moment for our democracy. I hadn’t seen it that way at the time. For me, it was about opposing a budget that invalidated a signed agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of Nova Scotia. I felt that I had no choice but to vote against it. And I did.

We talked for quite a while in his office. He told me how much the parliamentary process meant to him. Before I left his office, Jack gave me a copy of his book Speaking Out Louder and he inscribed the inside cover with this note:

Dear Bill,

With great admiration and with thanks for much including your friendship with my Dad.

Be well in your soul. You are an exemplary M.P.

—Jack Layton

Jack died of cancer in 2011. He never had the chance to take the New Democratic Party to the next level, but he sure tried, right to the very end. As Jack would, he left a handwritten note for Canadians:

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.

Jack Layton was a special person.

Thanks for reading.

Bill