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It may say something that so many people see the Conservative leadership as a juicy prize, to be hotly contested, while NDP worthies stand around poking the top job with a stick, checking to see whether it has any life left in it. It’s not like there’s nothing for them to talk about: former leader Jack Layton led the party within sniffing distance of power by moving it more towards the centre, only to see Trudeau’s Liberals outflank Mulcair, Layton’s successor, when he pursued a similar strategy. Was it because Canadians had a soft spot for Layton but couldn’t warm to the more prickly Mulcair? Or because left-wingers wanted to vote for a real left-wing party, and not some version of Liberals Lite? Or just bad timing: voters wanted a change from Harper, and the Liberals offered the more cheerful alternative, complete with a chipper young leader from a famous family?

There’s little question that the soul of the NDP is up for grabs. Party elders say they’re not upset at the lack of candidates – surely someone will turn up before the first debate is due. And no doubt someone will; even in its reduced circumstances, the job comes with a nice office and decent pay. Which might make it an attractive proposition for a man like Ryan, who likes nothing more than a podium from which he can promote outrage among the various client groups that make up the socialist fringe. One of the skills of which he boasted when quitting the OFL was an ability to organize big protest marches. That’s not usually seen as a key requirement for running a country, but that’s just the point – the NDP has to decide whether it really wants a shot at being elected, or is happier marching around the streets with protest signs. Among Ryan’s other points of pride was his attempt to establish a foreign policy for Ontario union members, promoting a “free Palestine” initiative that may or may not have resonated deeply on the shop floors of the province.