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“Not everyone is aware,” he said.

“In my case with my family and community I’m choosing to keep that confidential and if at some point at time I want to make that official I’d want to do that first with my family and community and not announce things through (the media).”

Taft is a three-term mayor, who owns a gelato cafe and has a one-year-old son with his partner Nozomi. His candidacy was backed by outgoing MLA Macdonald.

Hawes said it doesn’t feel like the spirit of the NDP gender policy — to boost the number of under-represented females and minority candidates — was honoured by Taft’s victory.

“I’m disappointed because I think there are many people who have worked very hard and invested a lot of time and energy into advancing the party towards equity and inclusion,” she said.

“And if the person who receives that role is not willing to embrace it and honour it and treat it with respect — because there’s a spirit behind it and the spirit is we’re increasing representation — then I’m not sure how you can increase representation without disclosing what group you are representing. So that’s my concern.”

The NDP’s gender policy was passed by the party membership at previous annual conventions, but remains a divisive issue within the party where it has been both praised as progressive and described as an impediment to the party picking the candidate most likely to win in the election.

rshaw@postmedia.com

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