New Democratic Party leadership election, 1971
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| Date | April 21−24, 1971 |
|---|---|
| Convention | Ottawa, Ontario |
| Resigning leader | Tommy Douglas |
| Won by | David Lewis |
| Ballots | 4 |
| Candidates | 5 |
| Spending limit | $10,500 |
New Democratic Party leadership elections
The 1971 New Democratic Party leadership election was a leadership convention held in Ottawa from April 21 to 24 to elect a leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. Tommy Douglas retired as federal leader, and David Lewis was elected as his successor. At this convention the Waffle faction was at the zenith of its popularity and power. Donald C. MacDonald, the former Ontario NDP leader, was elected as the party's president. The major non-leadership issue was what stance would the party take in terms of Quebec sovereignty and whether policy initiatives calling for the nationalization of the oil, gas and mining industries would pass.
The Waffle was a group of mostly young, university students and intellectuals. It was formed in 1969 and was led at the convention by University of Toronto economist Mel Watkins, an NDP vice-president, and James Laxer, a candidate to replace Tommy Douglas as federal leader. The Unity Group — also known as "NDP NOW", from the title of a pamphlet released earlier in the year that espoused its philosophy — was a committee of party establishment officials and organizers set up to oppose the Waffle at the convention by presenting more moderate views at the convention floor microphones. It was formed in 1970, after the well-organized Waffle had effectively taken over much of the floor debate at the Winnipeg Convention in October 1969. The group was headed by Desmond Morton, a University of Toronto professor who was involved with organizing the party in Ontario, and Marion Bryden, the director of research for the Ontario NDP.Lynn Williams, of the United Steelworkers, was the main link between the Unity Group and organized labour. He helped co-ordinate the Canadian Labour Congress' (CLC) actions during the convention. The big issues over which the groups fought were those of Quebec's right to self-determination, and large scale nationalization of the natural resources/energy sector. The Waffle was at the forefront for advocating these ideas, while the Unity Group put up the defence against these proposals The Unity Group won these debates, and the Waffle's motions on these issues were defeated or heavily modified.
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