[URBAN NOTE] "Cheri DiNovo goes for NDP leadership as party’s first "unofficial" candidate"

[rfmcdonald]

NOW Toronto/I>'s Michelle da Silva looks at Cheri DiNovo's candidacy.

The federal NDP leadership race has its first candidate – sort of. Cheri DiNovo, the long time NDP MPP for Parkdale-High Park, tossed her hat in the ring June 7, declaring herself as the “unofficial candidate” to replace Tom Mulcair.

At the NDP convention in Edmonton in April, delegates voted for new leadership after the party’s disappointing performance in the last federal election. Many believed Mulcair was to blame, but few within the party were willing to state as much publicly. DiNovo was the exception, emerging as outspoken critic, telling NOW bluntly in an interview earlier this year, “He’s got to go. I’m not a fan.”

At the time, DiNovo was certain she had no aspirations for the job herself, even going so far as to say, “I’m not qualified.” But now the former United Church minister is having second thoughts.

“Really, who is qualified for that job?” she asked at a press conference at her Roncesvalles constituency office this morning. “Certainly, I can imagine better candidates than myself, candidates that would get more votes and have more skills, and I say go for it. If a stronger candidate comes along that espouses the same principles, I’m happy to fold behind them, but I’m also not happy to just stand back and wait for that to happen.”