Robert Chisholm, the former leader of the Nova Scotia NDP and the MP for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour has ended his bid to become leader of the federal NDP, mostly, he says, because he won’t meet what he sees as a basic requirement for the next leader: the ability to speak both official languages. Here’s his press release:
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia – December 21, 2011 – NDP MP Robert Chisholm today announced he is officially withdrawing from the New Democratic Party’s leadership race.
“The time has come for me to step aside and end my campaign to become the next leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada”, said Chisholm. “It’s always been my desire to do what I think is best – for my constituents, for the NDP and for Canada. That has always guided my decisions and it’s under the same guiding principles that I decided to withdraw from the race.”
Chisholm said he was profoundly grateful for – and humbled by – the support he has received from New Democrats all across Canada. He offered his gratitude to his campaign staff as well as his supporters, including Nova Scotia Premier, Darrell Dexter, former Ontario NDP leader, Howard Hampton, as well as NDP MP Ryan Cleary.
“While many agreed with me that our next leader needs real leadership experience and a strong vision, many spoke out about the need for the next leader to be able to speak fluent French on day one”, the former Nova Scotia NDP leader added. “For the majority of party members, this is a non-negotiable qualification. Although I am working hard on my French, and will continue to do so, I will not meet this threshold by March 24th.”
“I wish all remaining candidates the best of luck. As I’ve learned more about each of them during the past weeks, I’ve become even more confident in our future,” he concluded.