By James Phieffer - also published in the Intelligencer (Tuesday August 23, 2011)
"I'm going to fight cancer now so I can be back to fight for families when Parliament resumes."
That line says it all: Jack Layton was a fighter. He was also a good and caring man.
Known as someone with a pragmatic side, he was willing to work toward compromise if that would help his constituents.
It was this pragmatism that has allowed him to enjoy the success he has had as the leader of the New Democratic Party.
Mr. Layton came from a political family, from his father, Robert Layton, who served in the government of Brian Mulroney, all the way back to his Great-Grand Uncle, William Steeves, a Father of Confederation from New Brunswick, and later a Liberal Senator.
He was very active in political affairs as a youth in Quebec, and later involved himself in local politics after he moved to Toronto.
More about his biography will be printed over the coming days; what I wish to consider is the impact he had on Parliament Hill.
Jack Layton was an optimist, according to those who knew him, and that optimism was evident in how he approached his work.
This was part of how he impacted the NDP, as the party became a voice for optimism and possibilities.
He saw possibilities in a province that had only elected one NDP MP in its history, leading the party to a Quebec landslide in the 2011 general election when the NDP took 59 of 75 seats.
It was as much a victory for Jack Layton as it was the NDP. Across the province, unknown 'placeholder' candidates were elected, with the majority of votes being cast for Jack Layton. They didn't know who their candidate was, but they liked Jack.
His "Orange Crush" victory also swept aside the separatist Bloc Quebecois, something for which all Canadians should thank him.
Jack Layton was both a man of principle but also a pragmatist. There are stories about his time on Toronto City Council, where he brought together disparate points of view to form a workable, but principled, compromise.
He demonstrated his hold to his principles in matters such as his opposition to Toronto's bid for the 1996 Olympics as part of the "Bread, Not Circuses" coalition. This may have helped defeat him when he later ran for mayor of Toronto.
I was not a supporter of Jack Layton. He and I stood on different sides of a multitude of issues. But there is no question I respected him then, as I do his legacy now.
He helped build the NDP into a vital party in Ottawa, ensuring Canada has that which is essential to any democracy — a strong opposition.
He believed in standing up for those who could not stand up for themselves. He was a proud Canadian.
Maybe the best way to summarize Jack Layton is to use the words of popular Quebec television host Guy A. LePage. After having him on his show, Tout le monde en parle, he called him "un bon Jack" - good Jack.
He will be missed.
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