Jack Layton

Politician

1950 – 2011

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Who was Jack Layton?

John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and Leader of the Official Opposition. He was leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, occasionally holding the title of "Acting Mayor" or "Deputy Mayor" of Toronto during his tenure as city councillor. He was the Member of Parliament for Toronto—Danforth from 2004 until his death.

Son of a Progressive Conservative cabinet minister, Layton was raised in Hudson, Quebec. He rose to prominence in Toronto municipal politics where he was one of the most prominent left-wing voices on city and Metropolitan Toronto councils, championing many progressive causes. In 1991, he ran for mayor, losing to June Rowlands. Returning to council he rose to become head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. In 2003, he was elected leader of the federal NDP on the first ballot of the convention.

Under his leadership, support for the NDP increased in each election. The party's popular vote almost doubled in the 2004 election, which gave the NDP the balance of power in Paul Martin's minority government. In May 2005 the NDP supported the Liberal budget in exchange for major amendments, in what was promoted as Canada's "First NDP budget". In November of that year, Layton voted with other opposition parties to defeat the Liberal government over the findings of the Gomery Commission. The NDP saw further gains in the 2006 and 2008 elections, in which the party elected 29 and 37 MPs, respectively.

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Born
Jul 18, 1950
Montreal
Also known as
  • John Gilbert Layton
  • John Gilbert "Jack" Layton
Parents
Spouses
Children
Religion
  • United Church of Canada
Nationality
  • Canada
Profession
Education
  • McGill University
  • York University
Employment
  • Ryerson University
Lived in
  • Montreal
  • Toronto
Died
Aug 22, 2011
Toronto
Resting place
St. James Cemetery

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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"Jack Layton." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/jack_layton>.

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