Pledging to make politics matter again for ordinary Canadians, on January 25, 2003 Jack Layton became the sixth leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada.

In five short years since then, Jack has delivered a record of real accomplishments for ordinary Canadians and of growth for our party.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR CANADIANS

• Ensured that the Conservatives’ failed "Clean Air Act" was sent to an all-party committee for a complete re-write, helping to put Canada on track to tackle climate change.
• Rewrote the 2005 federal budget to put $4.5 billion onto the priorities of ordinary Canadians, including climate change, transit, housing and education.
• Secured all party support to pass the NDP’s Seniors Charter in the House of Commons.Secured passage of the NDP’s Veterans Charter in the House of Commons, despite opposition from the governing Conservatives.
• Negotiated with the other party leaders to pass in one day legislation to modernize veterans’ benefits.
• Made the NDP’s “Worker’s First Bill” into law so that employees’ wages would be protected in the event of employer bankruptcy.
• Showed leadership as the first party leader to ask the tough questions about Canada’s combat role in Afghanistan.
• Authoured a bestselling book and its second edition, Speaking out Louder outlining how Canadians can build a prosperous economy that protects the environment and closes the growing prosperity gap.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY

• Garnered 1.5 million more votes over the past two elections.
• Doubled the NDP caucus from 14 to 30 MPs.
• Made history by electing former Quebec environment minister Thomas Mulcair as the second NDP MP from Quebec in a September 2007 by-election.
• Campaigned to elect an NDP caucus in which 41% of the MPs are women – the highest percentage of any party in Canadian history.
• Led the largest election campaign in NDP history – and pledged to match the Conservatives dollar for dollar in the next election.
• Received an overwhelming endorsement of 92% delegates at the 2006 Convention.
• Convened the second largest convention in the party’s history in Quebec City in September 2006.
• Named the first female house leader, finance and defense critics in the party’s history.

WHAT THEY’VE BEEN SAYING

“At year's end, Layton is seen as more prime ministerial than his Liberal counterpart. The last time that happened, Ed Broadbent and John Turner were respectively NDP and Liberal leaders.”

– Chantal Hebert, Toronto Star, 12 December 2007

“It seems that with all the inaction of the Liberals, Jack Layton of the NDP is becoming the next in line, and at least I salute Mr. Layton for voting for what he believes in.”

– Marie-Claude Blais, Moncton Times & Transcript, 3 November 2007

“A week is more than enough for Jack Layton, who declared Tuesday that, in the absence of any discernible opposition from the Official Opposition, the NDP was nominating itself the only real force willing to resist the Tories.”

– Kelly McParland, National Post. 24 October 2007

“Mr. Layton was quite forceful in getting housing money in the last government, so he's quite capable of delivering some efforts for areas where we need some help,”

– Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik, www.cbc.ca, 30 August 2007

Jack Layton is a true believer -- in environmental sustainability, in modernized and much-needed social programs such as home care and pharmacare, and in equality. Unwavering conviction is rare in politics…

– Columnist Susan Riley, Ottawa Citizen, 22 December 2006

“All I know is that Jack Layton has a track record. He is not a ‘Johnny-green-come-lately’. He's been green for a long time.”

– ecologist and broadcaster David Suzuki, CBC “The Hour”, 2 November 2006

“The long-time commitment of Jack Layton and the New Democrats to tackling the climate crisis and other environmental issues is well known.”

– Stephen Hazell, Executive Director, Sierra Club of Canada,
Sierra Club Activist News, October 2006

“The New Democrat leader was hard-hitting, articulate and showed a simmering emotion that contrasted to the dead eyes of his rivals, giving good answers to those wondering about eroded credibility of politicians, MP turncoat tendencies and the government’s long list of broken promises.”

– Don Martin, National Post, 17 December 2005

“The only A’s in this Parliament go to New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton…”

– Hugh Windsor, Globe and Mail, 27 June 2005