Description: As the New Democratic Party prepares to choose a successor to the late Jack Layton, senior party members disagree over whether to maintain the party’s historical affiliation with organized labour.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Date: 09/04/2011

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ndp-does-some-soul-searching-on-the-role-of-labour-in-the-party/article2153445/

Related links:

• A second Globe and Mail story on the debate
• Conservatives complain to Elections Canada about union support for NDP
• The federal NDP

Questions for discussion:

• What benefits do you think organized labour gets from its affiliation with the NDP?
• What benefits does the NDP get from the arrangement?
• What are the disadvantages for labour?
• For the NDP?
• Would an end to the affiliation make you more or less likely to vote for the NDP? Why?