(Ottawa) Former leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) Ed Broadbent will be given a state funeral. These will take place in Ottawa on January 28, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a press release on Monday.
The man who left his mark on the New Democratic Party (NDP) died at age 87 last week. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1968 and subsequently led the NDP for 14 years. Several members of the political class praised his integrity.
Testimonies of Mr. Broadbent’s greatness of soul poured in after the announcement of his death on Thursday. In 1988, Ed Broadbent elected the largest New Democratic caucus in the House of Commons since the party’s founding in 1961. However, he failed to win any seats in Quebec. He was only surpassed 23 years later, during the orange wave of 2011, and then during the 2015 elections.
His support for the patriation of the Constitution in 1982 and the Meech Lake Accord a few years later earned him criticism from certain members of the New Democratic caucus at the time.
Mr Broadbent resigned in 1989 before returning to the political scene at the age of 68 in 2004, at the request of Jack Layton, who then led the political party. His last term ended in 2006.
The last state funeral dates back to 2020, when former Canadian Prime Minister John Turner died. Former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and former NDP leader Jack Layton were also treated to this type of national ceremony in 2014 and 2011, respectively.