John Rafferty doesn’t expect much drama at this weekend’s NDP leadership race in Toronto.
While the Thunder Bay – Rainy River MP does expect the seven-candidate vote to go for several rounds, he doesn’t believe the days of candidates shifting across the convention floor with their supporters are over.
That’s because most of the membership will vote before-hand much like 80 per cent of the NDP’s membership did in British Columbia during that province’s leadership convention.
Rafferty is supporting Montreal’s Thomas Mulcair in the upcoming vote.
Even though he believes Mulcair is the front-runner coming into the weekend in Toronto, Rafferty admitted that he doesn’t know what the outcome will be.
“It’s anyone’s guess really I mean there are seven great candidates,” Rafferty said. “It’s by no means a foregone conclusion that Thomas Mulcair going to win but I’m hopeful.”
Mulcair has already promised that he would drop the party sanctions against Rafferty and Bruce Hyer, which were put on the area MPs after voting against the NDP on the controversial long-gun registry. And he knows northern issues Rafferty said. Rafferty’s second choice is British Columbia’s Nathan Cullen, who is also supported by Hyer.
“Cullen’s got a great sort of outgoing personality and not unlike Jack Layton in that respect,” he said.
Although former party president Brian Topp has raised the most money during his campaign, Rafferty thinks Topp’s support has stalled in the past month or so.
“I don’t think he’s gained the momentum that he certainly hoped he would,” Rafferty said.
The seven-month campaign hasn’t received too much attention until recently mainly because of the lack of controversy Rafferty said.
“It has been sort of a love fest. I think in the last week or two though there’s been some conflict.”
MPP Sarah Campbell (NDP, Kenora – Rainy River)is endorsing Churchill’s Niki Ashton, the youngest candidate in the race at 29.
