When MPs represent the wishes of their constituents, it should be understood and respected, an NDP leadership candidate said during a local visit Friday.
Paul Dewar (NDP, Ottawa Centre) was in Thunder Bay on a national campaign tour he’s been on since October. When asked by local media whether he would have punished local MPs John Rafferty and Bruce Hyer for voting with the Conservative government to scrap the long-gun registry, Dewar said he would have handled the situation differently.
“A leader needs to talk to MPs to find a balance between the wishes of constituents and the party,” he said.
“I don’t think there was enough time to do that frankly. I understand the government wanted to bring this in and to wedge people.”
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Politicians need to do a better job of bringing people together, Dewar added.
“We’ve got to figure out a way in this country where we can unite people on issues that are tough. This is a tough issue,” he said. “My God, in 2012 if we can’t figure out how to bring people together on an issues as important as this then it really says a lot about the leadership in this country.”
But the NDP’s Foreign Affairs critic wasn’t in Thunder Bay to talk exclusively about the gun registry and the party’s handling of Thunder Bay’s MPs. Dewar said from coast to coast he’s been hearing the same things from people during his tour – more jobs are needed.
“It’s the theme I’ve heard across the country in terms of job training, that there needs to be more job training for young people in particular,” Dewar said before speaking to students at the Lakehead University Study.
“There’s issues around affordability either for businesses in terms of affordable power or for everyday families and what I’ve noticed across the country is that there’s a shrinking middle class and you’re seeing that here as well from what I’m hearing from people.”
Thunder Bay, like many other cities in Canada, needs to be trained for new jobs that will be coming in the future, he said.
“Why is it that we have very large companies being given billions of dollar and many of them foreign companies without any strings attached. (They’re) not creating jobs and leaving us behind,” Dewar said.
Thunder Bay’s two ridings are important for any federal party leadership hopeful, not just the NDP Dewar said because the region shows the diversity of Canada from cities to rural areas.
No member of the NDP wanted to be in a leadership race, but Dewar said with the death of Jack Layton in August the party had to deal with the loss.
Dewar, one of eight NDP members in the race for leader of the opposition, said he has a good balance of grassroots politics and international issues to get the job.
“We need a leader who has all of those things. Connect with people on the ground, has experience in parliament and on the national and international stage and I guess that’s what sets me apart from the rest,” he said.
The NDP will vote for a new leader in Toronto starting March 23.
