Canadian embassies have till Sept. 15 to hang the Queen's portrait

The Harper government, a staunch proponent of the monarchy, has ordered all Canadian embassies and missions abroad to display a portrait of the Queen by mid-month.

It’s the latest effort by the Conservatives to demonstrate support for Canada’s sovereign and part of a steady Tory campaign to champion more traditional elements of this country’s national identity, including the military.

“Like virtually every other country in the world who display pictures of their head of state in their missions, we expect all Canadian missions abroad to display pictures of Canada's head of state, the Queen; along with the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and relevant ministers,” said Rick Roth, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.

The instruction to install royal portraits in all of Canada’s foreign missions – scattered throughout 150 countries – calls for the pictures to be in place by Sept. 15, a government official said.

The Tories acknowledged that most Canadian offices abroad already hang a portrait of the Queen but said the new order is “simply to ensure conformity” across the board. They declined to identify scofflaw missions.

Gar Pardy, a former Canadian diplomat, recalled one foreign mission where Canada didn’t hang the Queen. “I remember that most embassies use to carry a picture of the Queen somewhere in the public area. The only exception was Argentina and there for obvious reasons,” he said, referring to the Falklands War.

The Conservatives have repeatedly tried to build respect for the monarchy since taking office more than five years ago, putting an emphasis on hanging portraits of the Queen in places such as the Prime Minister’s Office. One of Stephen Harper’s veteran aides, Ray Novak, is a staunch monarchist.

Back in August, the Harper government restored the word “royal” in front of the names of Canada’s navy and air force, reviving designations that had been discarded decades earlier. Defence Minister Peter MacKay championed the change as “celebrat[ing] our heritage” in the face of complaints from anti-monarchists and some Quebeckers.

Earlier this summer, Mr. Baird ordered colourful modern artworks by Quebec painter Alfred Pellan removed from the lobby of the Department of Foreign Affairs and replaced with a portrait of Elizabeth II.

Colin Robertson, a former Canadian diplomat, said the moves at Foreign Affairs suggest that it’s Mr. Baird who has a particular affinity for the monarchy. He could not recall previous Conservative foreign affairs ministers driving similar initiatives.

“This is, I think, particular to the minister. I don’t think we saw anything like this under [Lawrence] Cannon or [Peter] MacKay or [Maxime] Bernier,” said Mr. Robertson, vice-president of the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute.

Officials said that while Ottawa could courier pictures of the Queen to foreign missions, diplomatic staff are also able to cobble things together themselves: downloading a high-resolution picture of Elizabeth II from a government website, printing it off on a photo printer and purchasing their own frame.

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Hydro bills feeling the heat

TORONTO - Toronto Hydro is warning customers not to be shocked when they open their latest bill, as a warmer-than-usual summer led to a significant increase in electricity use.

Customers with air-conditioned homes can expect to pay about $12 more on their July bill thanks to the hot and humid weather, a Toronto Hydro spokesman said Tuesday.

“This would of course depend on the frequency and extent of air conditioner use,” Alexandra Stadnyk said.

According to Environment Canada, July saw 272 hours above 25C, that’s up from 234 hours in July 2010 — a 21% year-over-year increase.

According to Toronto Hydro, air conditioning can account for up to half of a home’s power consumption during a heat wave.

Dehumidifiers and refrigeration appliances are also culprits for higher bills.

“If you don’t have an air conditioner and your bill still went up, there’s a number of questions to ask yourself,” Stadnyk said. “These include things like whether you had visitors stay with you over the summer, or if you recently added an extension to your home, was there a pool pump running or did you use more energy during peak time-of-use hours? Any of these factors could lead to a higher bill.”

With Environment Canada forecasting a warmer-than-average fall ahead, Stadnyk recommends surfing over to torontohydro.com for energy conservation tips.

“There’s a lot you can do,” she said. “Drawing blinds when it’s hot, or opening windows during cooler periods. You can plant trees for shade.

“Shifting your power usage to non-peak hours when possible is useful too.”

Customers also can track how much electricity they are using during peak time-of-use hours at torontohydro.com/tou.

“Once you see the information, you might decide to change what time you’re doing laundry or running the dishwasher,” Stadnyk said.

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Uni exchanges win top marks

Uni exchanges win top marks
Liz Porter
September 6, 2011
Ads by Google
Self Managed Super (SMSF)

Uni exchanges win top marks
Liz Porter
September 6, 2011
Ads by Google
Self Managed Super (SMSF)

www.esuperfund.com.au

Take Control of Your Super Special Offer Ends Soon. Apply Now!
More students are opting to study overseas, a learning experience in more ways than one.

More students are opting to study overseas, a learning experience in more ways than one. Photo: iStock

LAST semester, Rachael Thompson swapped her usual timetable of lectures at Deakin University's Geelong and Burwood campuses for an unusual learning experience: time behind the walls of a forensic psychiatric hospital in the Netherlands.

The law/commerce student spent the first half of this year as a law student at the University of Utrecht, where she studied gender and the law, introduction to European law and criminal law.

Her course work for a unit on forensic mental health took her into the high-security Pieter Baan Centre, where people accused of some of the Netherlands' most shocking crimes spend an intensive seven weeks undergoing observations, interviews and tests.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Rachael Thompson...student and traveller

Rachael Thompson...student and traveller.

This was the second exchange trip for the 22-year-old, now in the fifth year of her course. In 2009, she studied media law, international commercial law and intellectual property law at the University of Copenhagen — and took a free one-month intensive course in Danish, useful for social if not academic life as the courses were taught in English. Her chosen subjects, along with the units she studied in the Netherlands, counted towards her Deakin degree.

She is one of 300 Deakin students undertaking semester or year-long exchanges this year.


Jack McCardel studied in Canada. Photo: Eddie Jim

Thompson and McCardel are symbols of a trend. The "globetrotting degree" has become an increasingly popular option for today's undergraduates.

This year more than 9000 Australian undergraduate students have enrolled in courses at hundreds of universities in Asia, Europe, Africa, the US and Canada. More than 6000 of them were on exchange partnership arrangements, with their course costs covered by their HECS fees and the overseas "partner" university sending an equivalent number of students to Australia to do units that will count towards their degrees.

Students on exchange are also eligible for Australian government "OS-HELP" loans of $5611, which are added on to their HECS debt. Some receive scholarships, but most just save to raise the minimum $10,000 to $12,000 required for living expenses and travel overseas.

Uni exchanges win top marks
Liz Porter
September 6, 2011
Ads by Google
Self Managed Super (SMSF)

Uni exchanges win top marks
Liz Porter
September 6, 2011
Ads by Google
Self Managed Super (SMSF)


Uni exchanges win top marks
Liz Porter
September 6, 2011
Ads by Google
Self Managed Super (SMSF)

www.esuperfund.com.au

Take Control of Your Super Special Offer Ends Soon. Apply Now!
More students are opting to study overseas, a learning experience in more ways than one.

More students are opting to study overseas, a learning experience in more ways than one. Photo: iStock

LAST semester, Rachael Thompson swapped her usual timetable of lectures at Deakin University's Geelong and Burwood campuses for an unusual learning experience: time behind the walls of a forensic psychiatric hospital in the Netherlands.

The law/commerce student spent the first half of this year as a law student at the University of Utrecht, where she studied gender and the law, introduction to European law and criminal law.

Her course work for a unit on forensic mental health took her into the high-security Pieter Baan Centre, where people accused of some of the Netherlands' most shocking crimes spend an intensive seven weeks undergoing observations, interviews and tests.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Rachael Thompson...student and traveller

Rachael Thompson...student and traveller.

This was the second exchange trip for the 22-year-old, now in the fifth year of her course. In 2009, she studied media law, international commercial law and intellectual property law at the University of Copenhagen — and took a free one-month intensive course in Danish, useful for social if not academic life as the courses were taught in English. Her chosen subjects, along with the units she studied in the Netherlands, counted towards her Deakin degree.

She is one of 300 Deakin students undertaking semester or year-long exchanges this year.


Jack McCardel studied in Canada. Photo: Eddie Jim

Thompson and McCardel are symbols of a trend. The "globetrotting degree" has become an increasingly popular option for today's undergraduates.

This year more than 9000 Australian undergraduate students have enrolled in courses at hundreds of universities in Asia, Europe, Africa, the US and Canada. More than 6000 of them were on exchange partnership arrangements, with their course costs covered by their HECS fees and the overseas "partner" university sending an equivalent number of students to Australia to do units that will count towards their degrees.

Students on exchange are also eligible for Australian government "OS-HELP" loans of $5611, which are added on to their HECS debt. Some receive scholarships, but most just save to raise the minimum $10,000 to $12,000 required for living expenses and travel overseas.

Every Victorian university has exchange arrangements. Monash University's "Passport" program offers students semesters at Monash campuses in South Africa, Malaysia, at the Monash centre in Prato, Italy, and at 115 partner universities in 25 countries, while La Trobe's exchange program offers students a choice of more than 100 universities in 30 countries.

Rachael Thompson says her exchange experiences have made her far more confident and independent.

"I also find myself being able to deal with change and stress a lot better than before I went. It has broadened my horizons, now that I have been to so many places in the world. You gain so much knowledge without even realising."

She still has the slides from her field trip to the Pieter Baan Centre: another experience she would never have had in Melbourne. There were no The Silence of the Lambs encounters with any of the centre's inmates, the most notorious of whom must be the man who made world headlines after he skinned his mother, donned the skin as a cloak and then, brandishing his Bible, was found directing traffic.

But she left with a deep understanding of the philosophy of the centre, where specialists decide whether inmates can be held wholly responsible for their crimes.

Her exchange experiences also exposed Thompson to different styles of teaching. In Denmark, for example, attendance at lectures was compulsory, university was free and students received an automatic Centrelink-style payment enabling them to live away from home without having a job. As a result, perhaps, her fellow students were very dedicated.

"There was no 'Ps (scraped pass marks) get degrees' there. Marks matter, it's all you've got," she says.


It's barely September but Stuart Hibberd, Melbourne University's Manager of Education Abroad Student Programs, is taking applications for students wishing to study at overseas universities in July 2012.
Take Control of Your Super Special Offer Ends Soon. Apply Now!
More students are opting to study overseas, a learning experience in more ways than one.

More students are opting to study overseas, a learning experience in more ways than one. Photo: iStock

LAST semester, Rachael Thompson swapped her usual timetable of lectures at Deakin University's Geelong and Burwood campuses for an unusual learning experience: time behind the walls of a forensic psychiatric hospital in the Netherlands.

The law/commerce student spent the first half of this year as a law student at the University of Utrecht, where she studied gender and the law, introduction to European law and criminal law.

Her course work for a unit on forensic mental health took her into the high-security Pieter Baan Centre, where people accused of some of the Netherlands' most shocking crimes spend an intensive seven weeks undergoing observations, interviews and tests.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Rachael Thompson...student and traveller

Rachael Thompson...student and traveller.

Uni exchanges win top marks
Liz Porter
September 6, 2011
Ads by Google
Self Managed Super (SMSF)

www.esuperfund.com.au

Take Control of Your Super Special Offer Ends Soon. Apply Now!
More students are opting to study overseas, a learning experience in more ways than one.

More students are opting to study overseas, a learning experience in more ways than one. Photo: iStock

LAST semester, Rachael Thompson swapped her usual timetable of lectures at Deakin University's Geelong and Burwood campuses for an unusual learning experience: time behind the walls of a forensic psychiatric hospital in the Netherlands.

The law/commerce student spent the first half of this year as a law student at the University of Utrecht, where she studied gender and the law, introduction to European law and criminal law.

Her course work for a unit on forensic mental health took her into the high-security Pieter Baan Centre, where people accused of some of the Netherlands' most shocking crimes spend an intensive seven weeks undergoing observations, interviews and tests.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Rachael Thompson...student and traveller

Rachael Thompson...student and traveller.

This was the second exchange trip for the 22-year-old, now in the fifth year of her course. In 2009, she studied media law, international commercial law and intellectual property law at the University of Copenhagen — and took a free one-month intensive course in Danish, useful for social if not academic life as the courses were taught in English. Her chosen subjects, along with the units she studied in the Netherlands, counted towards her Deakin degree.

She is one of 300 Deakin students undertaking semester or year-long exchanges this year.


Jack McCardel studied in Canada. Photo: Eddie Jim

Thompson and McCardel are symbols of a trend. The "globetrotting degree" has become an increasingly popular option for today's undergraduates.

This year more than 9000 Australian undergraduate students have enrolled in courses at hundreds of universities in Asia, Europe, Africa, the US and Canada. More than 6000 of them were on exchange partnership arrangements, with their course costs covered by their HECS fees and the overseas "partner" university sending an equivalent number of students to Australia to do units that will count towards their degrees.

Students on exchange are also eligible for Australian government "OS-HELP" loans of $5611, which are added on to their HECS debt. Some receive scholarships, but most just save to raise the minimum $10,000 to $12,000 required for living expenses and travel overseas.

Every Victorian university has exchange arrangements. Monash University's "Passport" program offers students semesters at Monash campuses in South Africa, Malaysia, at the Monash centre in Prato, Italy, and at 115 partner universities in 25 countries, while La Trobe's exchange program offers students a choice of more than 100 universities in 30 countries.

Rachael Thompson says her exchange experiences have made her far more confident and independent.

"I also find myself being able to deal with change and stress a lot better than before I went. It has broadened my horizons, now that I have been to so many places in the world. You gain so much knowledge without even realising."

She still has the slides from her field trip to the Pieter Baan Centre: another experience she would never have had in Melbourne. There were no The Silence of the Lambs encounters with any of the centre's inmates, the most notorious of whom must be the man who made world headlines after he skinned his mother, donned the skin as a cloak and then, brandishing his Bible, was found directing traffic.

But she left with a deep understanding of the philosophy of the centre, where specialists decide whether inmates can be held wholly responsible for their crimes.

Her exchange experiences also exposed Thompson to different styles of teaching. In Denmark, for example, attendance at lectures was compulsory, university was free and students received an automatic Centrelink-style payment enabling them to live away from home without having a job. As a result, perhaps, her fellow students were very dedicated.

"There was no 'Ps (scraped pass marks) get degrees' there. Marks matter, it's all you've got," she says.


It's barely September but Stuart Hibberd, Melbourne University's Manager of Education Abroad Student Programs, is taking applications for students wishing to study at overseas universities in July 2012.
Take Control of Your Super Special Offer Ends Soon. Apply Now!
More students are opting to study overseas, a learning experience in more ways than one.

More students are opting to study overseas, a learning experience in more ways than one. Photo: iStock

LAST semester, Rachael Thompson swapped her usual timetable of lectures at Deakin University's Geelong and Burwood campuses for an unusual learning experience: time behind the walls of a forensic psychiatric hospital in the Netherlands.

The law/commerce student spent the first half of this year as a law student at the University of Utrecht, where she studied gender and the law, introduction to European law and criminal law.

Her course work for a unit on forensic mental health took her into the high-security Pieter Baan Centre, where people accused of some of the Netherlands' most shocking crimes spend an intensive seven weeks undergoing observations, interviews and tests.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Rachael Thompson...student and traveller

Rachael Thompson...student and traveller.

Every Victorian university has exchange arrangements. Monash University's "Passport" program offers students semesters at Monash campuses in South Africa, Malaysia, at the Monash centre in Prato, Italy, and at 115 partner universities in 25 countries, while La Trobe's exchange program offers students a choice of more than 100 universities in 30 countries.

Rachael Thompson says her exchange experiences have made her far more confident and independent.

"I also find myself being able to deal with change and stress a lot better than before I went. It has broadened my horizons, now that I have been to so many places in the world. You gain so much knowledge without even realising."

She still has the slides from her field trip to the Pieter Baan Centre: another experience she would never have had in Melbourne. There were no The Silence of the Lambs encounters with any of the centre's inmates, the most notorious of whom must be the man who made world headlines after he skinned his mother, donned the skin as a cloak and then, brandishing his Bible, was found directing traffic.

But she left with a deep understanding of the philosophy of the centre, where specialists decide whether inmates can be held wholly responsible for their crimes.

Her exchange experiences also exposed Thompson to different styles of teaching. In Denmark, for example, attendance at lectures was compulsory, university was free and students received an automatic Centrelink-style payment enabling them to live away from home without having a job. As a result, perhaps, her fellow students were very dedicated.

"There was no 'Ps (scraped pass marks) get degrees' there. Marks matter, it's all you've got," she says.


It's barely September but Stuart Hibberd, Melbourne University's Manager of Education Abroad Student Programs, is taking applications for students wishing to study at overseas universities in July 2012.
Take Control of Your Super Special Offer Ends Soon. Apply Now!
More students are opting to study overseas, a learning experience in more ways than one.

More students are opting to study overseas, a learning experience in more ways than one. Photo: iStock

LAST semester, Rachael Thompson swapped her usual timetable of lectures at Deakin University's Geelong and Burwood campuses for an unusual learning experience: time behind the walls of a forensic psychiatric hospital in the Netherlands.

The law/commerce student spent the first half of this year as a law student at the University of Utrecht, where she studied gender and the law, introduction to European law and criminal law.

Her course work for a unit on forensic mental health took her into the high-security Pieter Baan Centre, where people accused of some of the Netherlands' most shocking crimes spend an intensive seven weeks undergoing observations, interviews and tests.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Rachael Thompson...student and traveller

Rachael Thompson...student and traveller.

MORE

Read More

Olivia Chow rules out NDP leadership bid

                    Olivia Chow rules out NDP leadership bid

           

Jack Layton as head of the New Democratic Party, saying the role of Official Leader of the Opposition is "not for me."
Olivia Chow rules out NDP leadership bid
Olivia Chow rules out NDP leadership bid


           Jack Layton as head of the New Democratic Party, saying the role of Official Leader of the Opposition is "not for me."

In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with the CBC's chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge that will air Monday night on The National.

    "We have a lot of capable people that can be leader. That’s not my role," she said in her first interview since her husband's death, conducted at the site of the couple's marriage on Toronto Island.
CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and NDP MP Olivia Chow talk about her life with Jack Layton and the couple's last few days together.CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and NDP MP Olivia Chow talk about her life with Jack Layton and the couple's last few days together. (CBC)

"I will continue the work that needs to be done in the House of Commons and pushing a public transit bill, a national one. And I will continue doing that kind of work. But leader, not for me."

When asked by Mansbridge whether she would resist any attempt to convince her to run, Chow shook her head and replied: "Drafting? No."

In the interview, Chow talks about her life with Layton, their last few days together and takes questions about his final struggle with cancer.

Layton, who died Aug. 22 at the age of 61, led the New Democrats to a historic second-place finish in May's federal election to replace the Liberals as the Official Opposition to Prime Minister's Stephen Harper's Conservative majority government.

Since Layton's death, his wife's name had been thrown in with several other NDP figures as a possible candidate to replace him at the helm of the party.

NDP deputy leaders Thomas Mulcair and Libby Davies have said they are considering running but insist they haven't made a decision yet. A number of other MPs — including Megan Leslie, Francoise Boivin, Robert Chisholm, Romeo Saganash and Peter Julian — have also said they are thinking about it, while the NDP's president, Brian Topp, said he is weighing his options.

The party's federal council is meeting next week to set up the rules that will govern the leadership race. A date and location for a leadership convention must also be decided upon.Jack Layton as head of the New Democratic Party, saying the role of Official Leader of the Opposition is "not for me."

In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with the CBC's chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge that will air Monday night on The National, Chow said she wouldn't join the leadership race to continue Layton's legacy as Opposition leader.

"We have a lot of capable people that can be leader. That’s not my role," she said in her first interview since her husband's death, conducted at the site of the couple's marriage on Toronto Island.
CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and NDP MP Olivia Chow talk about her life with Jack Layton and the couple's last few days together.CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and NDP MP Olivia Chow talk about her life with Jack Layton and the couple's last few days together. (CBC)

"I will continue the work that needs to be done in the House of Commons and pushing a public transit bill, a national one. And I will continue doing that kind of work. But leader, not for me."

When asked by Mansbridge whether she would resist any attempt to convince her to run, Chow shook her head and replied: "Drafting? No."

In the interview, Chow talks about her life with Layton, their last few days together and takes questions about his final struggle with cancer.

Layton, who died Aug. 22 at the age of 61, led the New Democrats to a historic second-place finish in May's federal election to replace the Liberals as the Official Opposition to Prime Minister's Stephen Harper's Conservative majority government.

                         NDP deputy leaders Thomas Mulcair and Libby Davies have said they are considering running but insist they haven't made a decision yet. A number of other MPs — including Megan Leslie, Francoise Boivin, Robert Chisholm, Romeo Saganash and Peter Julian — have also said they are thinking about it, while the NDP's president, Brian Topp, said he is weighing his options.

The party's federal council is meeting next week to set up the rules that will govern the leadership race. A date and location for a leadership convention must also be decided upon.

           Jack Layton as head of the New Democratic Party, saying the role of Official Leader of the Opposition is "not for me."

In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with the CBC's chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge that will air Monday night on The National.
    "We have a lot of capable people that can be leader. That’s not my role," she said in her first interview since her husband's death, conducted at the site of the couple's marriage on Toronto Island.
CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and NDP MP Olivia Chow talk about her life with Jack Layton and the couple's last few days together.CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and NDP MP Olivia Chow talk about her life with Jack Layton and the couple's last few days together. (CBC)

"I will continue the work that needs to be done in the House of Commons and pushing a public transit bill, a national one. And I will continue doing that kind of work. But leader, not for me."

When asked by Mansbridge whether she would resist any attempt to convince her to run, Chow shook her head and replied: "Drafting? No."

In the interview, Chow talks about her life with Layton, their last few days together and takes questions about his final struggle with cancer.

Layton, who died Aug. 22 at the age of 61, led the New Democrats to a historic second-place finish in May's federal election to replace the Liberals as the Official Opposition to Prime Minister's Stephen Harper's Conservative majority government.

Since Layton's death, his wife's name had been thrown in with several other NDP figures as a possible candidate to replace him at the helm of the party.

NDP deputy leaders Thomas Mulcair and Libby Davies have said they are considering running but insist they haven't made a decision yet. A number of other MPs — including Megan Leslie, Francoise Boivin, Robert Chisholm, Romeo Saganash and Peter Julian — have also said they are thinking about it, while the NDP's president, Brian Topp, said he is weighing his options.

The party's federal council is meeting next week to set up the rules that will govern the leadership race. A date and location for a leadership convention must also be decided upon.Jack Layton as head of the New Democratic Party, saying the role of Official Leader of the Opposition is "not for me."

In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with the CBC's chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge that will air Monday night on The National, Chow said she wouldn't join the leadership race to continue Layton's legacy as Opposition leader.

"We have a lot of capable people that can be leader. That’s not my role," she said in her first interview since her husband's death, conducted at the site of the couple's marriage on Toronto Island.
CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and NDP MP Olivia Chow talk about her life with Jack Layton and the couple's last few days together.CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and NDP MP Olivia Chow talk about her life with Jack Layton and the couple's last few days together. (CBC)

"I will continue the work that needs to be done in the House of Commons and pushing a public transit bill, a national one. And I will continue doing that kind of work. But leader, not for me."

When asked by Mansbridge whether she would resist any attempt to convince her to run, Chow shook her head and replied: "Drafting? No."

In the interview, Chow talks about her life with Layton, their last few days together and takes questions about his final struggle with cancer.

Layton, who died Aug. 22 at the age of 61, led the New Democrats to a historic second-place finish in May's federal election to replace the Liberals as the Official Opposition to Prime Minister's Stephen Harper's Conservative majority government.

                         NDP deputy leaders Thomas Mulcair and Libby Davies have said they are considering running but insist they haven't made a decision yet. A number of other MPs — including Megan Leslie, Francoise Boivin, Robert Chisholm, Romeo Saganash and Peter Julian — have also said they are thinking about it, while the NDP's president, Brian Topp, said he is weighing his options.

The party's federal council is meeting next week to set up the rules that will govern the leadership race. A date and location for a leadership convention must also be decided upon.
In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with the CBC's chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge that will air Monday night on The National.
    "We have a lot of capable people that can be leader. That’s not my role," she said in her first interview since her husband's death, conducted at the site of the couple's marriage on Toronto Island.
CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and NDP MP Olivia Chow talk about her life with Jack Layton and the couple's last few days together.CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and NDP MP Olivia Chow talk about her life with Jack Layton and the couple's last few days together. (CBC)

"I will continue the work that needs to be done in the House of Commons and pushing a public transit bill, a national one. And I will continue doing that kind of work. But leader, not for me."

When asked by Mansbridge whether she would resist any attempt to convince her to run, Chow shook her head and replied: "Drafting? No."

In the interview, Chow talks about her life with Layton, their last few days together and takes questions about his final struggle with cancer.

Layton, who died Aug. 22 at the age of 61, led the New Democrats to a historic second-place finish in May's federal election to replace the Liberals as the Official Opposition to Prime Minister's Stephen Harper's Conservative majority government.

Since Layton's death, his wife's name had been thrown in with several other NDP figures as a possible candidate to replace him at the helm of the party.

NDP deputy leaders Thomas Mulcair and Libby Davies have said they are considering running but insist they haven't made a decision yet. A number of other MPs — including Megan Leslie, Francoise Boivin, Robert Chisholm, Romeo Saganash and Peter Julian — have also said they are thinking about it, while the NDP's president, Brian Topp, said he is weighing his options.

The party's federal council is meeting next week to set up the rules that will govern the leadership race. A date and location for a leadership convention must also be decided upon.Jack Layton as head of the New Democratic Party, saying the role of Official Leader of the Opposition is "not for me."

In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with the CBC's chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge that will air Monday night on The National, Chow said she wouldn't join the leadership race to continue Layton's legacy as Opposition leader.

"We have a lot of capable people that can be leader. That’s not my role," she said in her first interview since her husband's death, conducted at the site of the couple's marriage on Toronto Island.
CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and NDP MP Olivia Chow talk about her life with Jack Layton and the couple's last few days together.CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and NDP MP Olivia Chow talk about her life with Jack Layton and the couple's last few days together. (CBC)

"I will continue the work that needs to be done in the House of Commons and pushing a public transit bill, a national one. And I will continue doing that kind of Business. But leader, not for me."

When asked by Mansbridge whether she would resist any attempt to convince her to run, Chow shook her head and replied: "Drafting? No."

In the interview, Chow talks about her life with Layton, their last few days together and takes questions about his final struggle with cancer.

Layton, who died Aug. 22 at the age of 61, led the New Democrats to a historic second-place finish in May's federal election to replace the Liberals as the Official Opposition to Prime Minister's Stephen Harper's Conservative majority government.

                         NDP deputy leaders Thomas Mulcair and Libby Davies have said they are considering running but insist they haven't made a decision yet. A number of other MPs — including Megan Leslie, Francoise Boivin, Robert Chisholm, Romeo Saganash and Peter Julian — have also said they are thinking about it, while the NDP's president, Brian Topp, said he is weighing his options.

The party's federal council is meeting next week to set up the rules that will govern the leadership race. A date and location for a leadership convention must also be decided upon.


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