By Ian Holmes

Nanaimo MP ‘ecstatic’ Jagmeet Singh wins NDP leadership race

Oct 2, 2017 | 5:28 PM

NANAIMO — A local NDP MP sees Jagmeet Singh as a progressive new voice who can bring the party and Canadians together.

Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Sheila Malcolmson, who endorsed Ontario MPP Singh, told NanaimoNewsNOW him winning the party’s leadership race in Toronto on Sunday is a historic development.

“To have for the first time in Canada’s history the leader of a major political party be a person of colour, is inspiring, is a breakthrough. It’s about time,” she said.

Malcolmson said the 53 per cent of party members who picked Singh over three other contenders in the first ballot showed the NDP stand united. She said Singh’s stance against Kinder Morgan and pledge to implement a national strategy to end violence against women solidified her support.

“I was really glad to see Jagmeet take a strong position against the Kinder Morgan pipeline and its oil tanker traffic, it’s very important to British Columbians.”

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Malcolmson said she was “moved and inspired” while watching Singh speak in Nanaimo during the NDP’s leadership race.

Retired Vancouver Island University professor Allan Warnke said Singh is a promising young politicians with intriguing skills.

“He’s a formidable campaigner, very articulate. Very articulate in both English and French,” Warnke said.

However, Warnke said Singh faces many steep challenges, including not being a sitting Member of Parliament. He said a huge question mark will be what inroads the NDP will be able to make in Quebec since former leader Tom Mulcair had a strong following in the province.

“Whether he resonates in Quebec or not that really remains to be seen.”

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes