Politics

'Great Canadian' Ed Broadbent mourned at state funeral – CTV News

Published

9 months ago

January 28, 2024

Generations of progressives paid their respects to former NDP leader Ed Broadbent and celebrated his legacy and accomplishments during a state funeral held in the nation’s capital on Sunday afternoon.

Remembered as a passionate man who lived meaningful life full of books, classical music and quality time with loved ones, Broadbent was honoured for the profound impact he left on Canada, and his ability to remain civil and congenial with his political opponents while pushing for a more fair and inclusive country.

“Ed was not just a mentor, but also a friend. His seemingly endless capacity for compassion made him a guiding light in our country, and for so many personally,” said Broadbent Institute Executive Director and master of ceremonies Jen Hassum. “We hope that his memory will help guide us to a more equitable society.”

Eminent Canadians, as well as former colleagues, close friends and family members — some donning punches of the party’s signature orange — filed into the historic Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre on Sunday afternoon to bid their final farewell to a giant of Canada’s New Democratic Party.

The ceremony — taking place in a riding Broadbent represented between 2004 and 2006 at the tail end of his political career — commemorated Broadbent for his decades of advocacy for justice and democracy in Canada and abroad, his work to address income inequality, and his efforts to advance equal rights for women.

The former NDP leader and founder of the Broadbent Institute died on Jan. 11. He was 87. Born in Oshawa, Ont. in 1936 into a working-class family, Broadbent’s political career spanned more than two decades.

He was first elected to Parliament in 1968 and went on to serve as an MP for 21 years — 14 of which were spent as the leader of the NDP between 1975 and 1989. He led the party through four federal elections, faced off against four different prime ministers, and helped grow the party’s footprint across the country.

He was also a respected academic, the first president of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, and honoured as a companion of the Order of Canada.

The state funeral included addresses from NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Manitoba NDP Premier Wab Kinew, close friend and Broadbent Institute chair Brian Topp, and Luke Savage and Jonathan Sas the co-authors of Broadbent’s 2023 book “Seeking Social Democracy: Seven Decades in the Fight for Equality.

Broadbent’s late-in-life partner Frances Abele also spoke, mentioning his experience losing two wives to cancer, Lucille in 2006 and Ellen in 2016.

Speaking to CTV News upon his arrival, Singh said that amid the grief, it was “a day to honour and remember Ed.”

“We owe him so much. He’s a legend,” Singh said. “He’s helped out so many young New Democrats… people to this day, think of him as ‘Honest Ed.’ He created this really powerful idea that politicians could be a force for good in your life, and he was someone that people trusted, believed in, and he showed that New Democrats fight for working people.”

During his address, Singh became emotional when sharing that he found it hard to believe he’ll never again have the opportunity to speak with him, or take his advance, while vowing his party won’t let Broadbent down.

In the remarks made by others, Broadbent was eulogized as a pragmatic, idealistic and intellectual politician, with a sharp sense of humour, who preferred phone calls to text messages.

Reflecting on Broadbent’s contributions to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and his push for policymakers to fight child poverty, Topp said: “Canada is better thanks to Ed Broadbent.”

“And Ed did all this while practicing the art of disagreeing without being disagreeable,” he continued.

“To Mr. Broadbent’s friends and family, we are with you,” said Kinew. “I join the others across our great country to mourn this great Canadian.”

Kinew said that he hopes Broadbent’s “joyful legacy” can be a lesson for all, and that going forward “more of our leaders speak to us Canadians, the way Mr. Broadbent did, by appealing to our better angels.”

The event was punctuated by musical performances by Canadian talents, including members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Music by German composer and musician Johann Sebastian Bach was played at both the beginning and the end of the sombre ceremony.

In the middle was a moving video montage that Canadian Heritage helped develop, showcasing a highlight reel of consequential moments in Broadbent’s public life. It included reflections from fellow political heavyweights Brian Mulroney and Jean Chretien, as well as excerpts from some of Broadbent’s most iconic speeches.

Prominent Canadians in attendance included more than one dozen current NDP MPs, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former prime minister Joe Clark, House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus, Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May, UN Ambassador Bob Rae, Sen. Hassan Yussuff, B.C. Premier David Eby, Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.

“He was a tireless campaigner for social justice, and Canada is significantly better for his years of service, both in politics and out of it,” Trudeau said as he arrived, adding that he was honoured to be there to pay homage to Broadbent, and the millions of Canadians he inspired.

Traditionally, while state funerals are held for former prime ministers, sitting cabinet ministers, and governors general, the prime minister is able to offer the special commemoration to any Canadian of stature.

In an interview with CTV News’ Chief Political Correspondent Vassy Kapelos ahead of the funeral, Clark said that while leaders of different parties, the two had “quite common views on a lot of matters.”

“That is not to say we always agreed, he brought my government down for example, and that’s a hard thing for me to forget,” Clark said. “I don’t know that you could call us friends when we were in the House of Commons together. I think we became closer to friends later on.”

Clark called him an effective parliamentarian who was broadly respected, and “immensely practical.”

In 2011, the former NDP leader founded the Broadbent Institute, an Ottawa-based political think-tank. Last week, the organization announced it was creating an “Ed Broadbent Democracy Fund” that will be dedicated to strengthening Canadian democracy.

The non-partisan legacy initiative is meant to continue Broadbent’s work of promoting ordinary Canadians’ democratic participation through educational programs, civic engagement, and leadership development.

To mark the occasion, flags on all federal buildings in Canada, including the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, flew at half-mast on Sunday, and were to remain lowered until sunset.

With files from CTV News’ Noushin Ziafati

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Politics

Beyoncé, whose ‘Freedom’ is Harris’ campaign anthem, is expected at Democrat’s Texas rally on Friday

Published

11 hours ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Beyoncé is expected to appear Friday in her hometown of Houston at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Harris’ presidential campaign has taken on Beyonce’s 2016 track “Freedom” as its anthem, and the singer’s planned appearance brings a high-level of star power to what has become a key theme of the Democratic nominee’s bid: freedom.

Harris will head to the reliably Republican state just 10 days before Election Day in an effort to refocus her campaign against former President Donald Trump on reproductive care, which Democrats see as a make-or-break issue this year.

The three people were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. The Harris campaign did not immediately comment.

Beyoncé‘s appearance was expected to draw even more attention to the event — and to Harris’ closing message.

Harris’ Houston trip is set to feature women who have been affected by Texas’ restrictive abortion laws, which took effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. She has campaigned in other states with restrictive abortion laws, including Georgia, among the seven most closely contested states.

Harris has centered her campaign around the idea that Trump is a threat to American freedoms, from reproductive and LGBTQ rights to the freedom to be safe from gun violence.

Beyonce gave Harris permission early in her campaign to use “Freedom,” a soulful track from her 2016 landmark album “Lemonade,” in her debut ad. Harris has used its thumping chorus as a walk-out song at rallies ever since.

Beyoncé’s alignment with Harris isn’t the first time that the Grammy winner has aligned with a Democratic politician. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, danced as Beyoncé performed at a presidential inaugural ball in 2009.

In 2013, she sang the national anthem at Obama’s second inauguration. Three years later, she and her husband Jay-Z performed at a pre-election concert for Democrat Hillary Clinton in Cleveland.

“Look how far we’ve come from having no voice to being on the brink of history — again,” Beyoncé said at the time. “But we have to vote.”

A January poll by Ipsos for the anti-polarization nonprofit With Honor found that 64% of Democrats had a favorable view of Beyonce compared with just 32% of Republicans. Overall, Americans were more likely to have a favorable opinion than an unfavorable one, 48% to 33%.

Speculation over whether the superstar would appear at this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago reached a fever pitch on the gathering’s final night, with online rumors swirling after celebrity news site TMZ posted a story that said: “Beyoncé is in Chicago, and getting ready to pop out for Kamala Harris on the final night of the Democratic convention.” The site attributed it to “multiple sources in the know,” none of them named.

About an hour after Harris ended her speech, TMZ updated its story to say, “To quote the great Beyoncé: We gotta lay our cards down, down, down … we got this one wrong.” In the end, Harris took the stage to star’s song, but that was its only appearance.

Last year, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, attended Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour in Maryland after getting tickets from Beyonce herself. “Thanks for a fun date night, @Beyonce,” Harris wrote on Instagram.

___

Long and Kinnard reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. Kinnard can be reached at

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Politics

Saskatchewan NDP promises to work with Ottawa on homeless supports if elected

Published

11 hours ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck says her party would collaborate with the federal government to work out the best deal for solving homelessness if elected on Monday.

Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser has said he sent a letter last month to provinces and territories asking them to work with Ottawa to find shelter for those experiencing homelessness.

The minister has said the government plans to directly hand out funding to Regina and Saskatoon since the province hadn’t responded to the offer before entering an election period.

Beck says it’s important to have a provincial leader who would sit down with federal officials to work out proper deals for Saskatchewan residents.

She says Saskatchewan should be working with municipalities and the federal government to ensure they can provide services for homeless populations.

Beck has said an NDP government would introduce rent caps, make vacant provincial housing units available to families and increase the supply of rental units.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.

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Politics

NDP plan motion to push back against anti-abortion ‘creep’ from Conservatives

Published

11 hours ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – The NDP is taking aim at the Conservatives on abortion by putting forward a motion to push back against what it calls a “creep” of legislation, petitions and threats aimed at reducing access to abortion.

Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will use its next opposition day to force the House of Commons to debate and vote on a motion calling for urgent action to improve abortion access.

Singh claimed that anti-choice Conservative MPs are “often calling the shots” in the Official Opposition, and that leader Pierre Poilievre has “let his MPs bring in anti-choice laws, anti-choice motions.”

“There is a real threat from the Conservatives,” he said, speaking to the media at a news conference in Montreal.

A spokesperson for Poilievre did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The NDP in its press release cited several examples of what it called “anti-choice” moves from the Tories, including a petition presented earlier this year by a Conservative MP that claimed more than 98 per cent of abortions “are for reasons of social or personal convenience.”

Poilievre said at the time he disagreed with the petition.

He has previously called himself “pro-choice” and said he would not pass laws that restrict reproductive choices if he is elected.

“When I am prime minister, no laws or rules will be passed that restrict women’s reproductive choices. Period,” Poilievre said in a statement in June addressing the petition.

Conservative MP Cathy Wagantall introduced a private member’s bill last year to encourage judges to consider a victim’s pregnancy as an aggravating factor in sentencing.

The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada urged MPs to vote against the bill on the grounds that it promoted fetal rights, even though the bill’s text didn’t mention fetal rights.

Liberal ministers called the bill an effort to reopen the abortion debate in Canada.

Wagantall, who has been clear that she opposes abortion, said Bill C-311 had nothing to do with abortion.

At the time, a spokesperson for Poilievre said he planned to vote in favour of the bill.

Speaking in Montreal on Thursday, Singh also called out the governing Liberals, saying they haven’t done enough to improve abortion access in Canada.

“This vote is very important, but it’s also important that the vote on this motion is about not just the Conservative threat, but the lack of action of the Liberals,” said Singh, adding that access to abortion in Canada is “getting worse, not better.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.

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