The Story

Mel Watkins has a vision for the New Democratic Party, but it's not one that all members agree on. Along with James Laxer, Watkins is the chief architect of the Manifesto for an Independent Socialist Canada and the movement that has become known as the Waffle. At the party's 1969 convention, Watkins and party deputy leader David Lewis are both seen speaking. The CBC's Ron Collister sums up the split in opinion about the direction of the party and describes it as "a party trying to cure its political schizophrenia."