When Jack Layton died last year, I decided that it was time to come off the fence and join the New Democratic Party of Canada. In the UK I joined the British Labour Party when I was 18 years old and remained a member for the next 20 years – through thick and thin.

I am a joiner – I do not wait until the perfect political party comes along before I join. I believe in being part of something and trying to change it to be more like the organisation I want it to be. Sometimes that happens but often it doesn’t. It is a lot easier to stand at the sidelines and be a “commentator” rather than a joiner – complain about everything but be part of nothing.

So I joined the NDP and will be voting in the leadership race. I weighed up all the candidates. I read their emails, I read their websites and I watched their videos.

I was struck pretty quickly by Peggy Nash and the more I found out about her the more I liked what I read and heard. I like that she is a fighter. I like that she is a builder and a campaigner. I like the fact that she stands up for the lesbian and gay community without a second thought. I like the fact she has a background in trade unionism. When the vote comes around for the new leader of the NDP I will be voting for Peggy Nash.

Update – 18th March 2012

Please take a moment to watch the video below where Peggy calls for respect for our democracy. This is an excellent example of how politicians should behave. I respect politicians who respect us and our democratic institutions.