Layton counts on over-educated cabbie

NDP Leader Jack Layton says a taxi is a good place to have a heart attack because the driver could well be a new Canadian and out-of-work doctor.

Layton was making the point at a rally in Courtenay, B.C. that too many talented immigrants can't get jobs in their profession.

"If I ever have a heart attack I want to have it in a taxi," Layton said, adding he will lift restrictions holding professionals back.

-Richard Brennan

Are we there yet?

"I hope I can count on your support Monday," NDP Leader Jack Layton kept repeating to commuters at Vancouver's Burrard Street skytrain station this morning. The fact is the election is next Tuesday. Another sign that Layton is either tired, or really eager to get this thing over with. Anyway, Layton got a good reception at this west coast city as he handed out pamphlets for Michael Byers, the NDP's candidate for Vancouver Centre.

- Richard Brennan

Help wanted: NDP finance minister, must be living

NDP Leader Jack Layton says there may be no one in his caucus who has experience in balancing government books but the New Democrats always have Tommy Douglas and former NDP Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow and Manitoba Premier Gary Doer.

Huh?

None of these guys are in the Layton caucus the last time anyone checked.

How the late Douglas, whose name Layton evokes at every opportunity, is going to help in these tumultuous economic time escaped many at a Vancouver press conference today.

"Tommy Douglas had only been a young member of Parliament for one term and then he became the premier of Saskatchewan for 17 years, brought in Medicare, balanced the budget every single year even though they started out with a horrific deficit."

"I can think of Roy Romanow who took over a a Conservative basket case of an economy in Saskatchewan and made the decisions to turn it around."

"I could go on. I could mention Gary Doer who's regarded by many as one of the most successful managers of budgets and policies in Canada."

That is a long way around of saying the NDP has no a natural choice for finance minister if the party was to ever form the government.

- Richard Brennan

In need of a second wind

NDP Leader Jack Layton doesn't like bankers. He's always blaming them for ripping off people at ATMs while holding their hands out for tax cuts. Why, today in Vancouver he even said they were gouging motorists at the pumps. Of course, he meant to say big oil companies. Layton is looking and sounding tired these days and he still has eight days left.

- Richard Brennan

In Bob Rae's shadow

Jack Layton says he not feeling the pressure of trying to outdo former NDP leader Ed Broadbent, who came close in 1988 to forming the official opposition with a party record of 43 seats.
"None," said Layton standing on a deck overlooking the seventh hole of Pippy Park Golf Club in St. John's.

"We are actually asking for Prime Minister and government, which axiomatically would mean that we had exceeded that particular achievement."

Layton also played down the shadow that Bob Rae's NDP government in Ontario casts on the federal New Democrats.

"I think you are going to have to ask that question of Mr. Dion. He's on Mr. Dion's team," he said, referring to the fact Rae, a longtime New Democrat, is now an a Liberal MP in Leader Stephane Dion's caucus.

Others NDP movers and shakers confide privately that Rae's  government, which racked up a huge deficit from 1990-95, still leaves huge doubts in the public mind about how the party would do if it ever formed the government in Ottawa.

Layton said he wouldn't run a deficit and drew attention to the other provincial NDP governments that always balanced the books, including Saskatchewan's Tommy Douglas' 17 balanced budgets in a row.

Smile!

"Look cheerful," an NDP supporter told a rather subdued crowd in Sydney when NDP Leader Jack Layton made a quick visit to Cape Breton today. Even the supporters acknowledged to reporters that the New Democrats didn't stand a chance here. Even so the more than 50 supporters put on a brave face and cheered Layton's stump speech. Next stop on his tarmac tour, Charlottetown, PEI.

Richard Brennan

A lobster in every pot

CBC's Rick Mercer joined NDP Leader Jack Layton's campaign today to bring his particular insight to political coverage. Like many, Rick was shocked at at how much the campaigns are charging the media to follow their leaders. "Two thousand dollars a day!!! As it turned out, he arrived in time to have lobster on the plane. This should supply more than a little fodder for his next show.

Richard Brennan

Hey, I worked with Mel -

NDP Leader Jack Layton says if he could work with the unpredictable former Toronto mayor Mel Lastman he can work with anybody.

Asked if he could work with a minority government led by Conservative Leader Stephen Harper without plunging Canadians into another election, the former Toronto councillor said: “I have worked with all kind of different players over the years from Mel Lastman right on through.”

Richard Brennan

Layton changes message

"We will defeat Harper," screams the new NDP signs. This is the latest election message from the buoyed New Democratic campaign. It used to be "strong leadership." Layton is taking this "I'm running to be prime minister" a little too seriously.

Richard Brennan

No sunshine, no view on NDP road trip

Jack Layton's head is blocking out the sun. The Star's work station on the NDP campaign is blocked on either side by a giant photo of Jack's head. "Look at the Halifax Habour," said a colleague. "What harbour? Are we in Halifax?"

Richard Brennan