Canada’s New Democrats Elect Thomas Mulcair as New Leader

Canada’s main opposition New Democratic Party elected Thomas Mulcair, a lawmaker from the French-speaking province of Quebec, as their new leader at a convention in Toronto.

Mulcair, 57, who joined the NDP in 2007 following more than a decade as a Quebec provincial legislator, replaces interim leader Nycole Turmel.

The NDP leadership race was forced by the death in August of NDP leader Jack Layton, who led Canada’s pro-labor party to their best election result in its 50-year history in elections last year.

The May 2 election, which vaulted the NDP past the Liberal Party to become the country’s biggest opposition party, was won by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s governing Conservative Party.

To contact the reporter on this story: Theophilos Argitis in Ottawa at targitis@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Tighe at ptighe@bloomberg.net