Former student activist Brad Lavigne becomes NDP's national director

The federal New Democratic Party has appointed a well-known former B.C. student activist as its national director.

Brad Lavigne moves into the party’s top administrative position after working as NDP Leader Jack Layton’s director of strategic communications. He was previously the federal NDP's director of communications.

Former NDP MP and ex-journalist Dick Proctor had been serving as the party's nartional director (also known as the federal secretary). Proctor , 68, filled the position on a temporary basis  after Eric Hebert-Daly resigned following the 2008 election.

Lavigne's  appointment comes after a  March 10  Ipsos Reid/Canwest  poll showed the federal NDP only has the support of 12 percent of the electorate. The Conservatives under Stephen Harper were at 37 percent and the Liberals under Michael Ignatieff were at 33 percent.

Prior to working for the NDP, Lavigne was chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. In the early 1990s, he was chair of the Pacific Region of the Canadian Federation of Students.

Lavigne also spent some time working in the the youth office within the premier’s office in the late 1990s under  then-NDP premier Glen Clark.

Clark froze tuition for several years, which delighted student activists but which also displeased senior university administrators who were seeking additional sources of revenue.

Comments

4 Comments

Jack anderson

Sep 8, 2009 at 5:47pm

YOU WERE COOL ON CBC TONITE AND GOT THAT VERY VALUABLE LAST WORD IN
CARRY ON

16 7Rating: +9

db

Sep 17, 2010 at 9:30am

What a moron is Brad Lavigne! He has no legitimate argument why Canadians need the Gun Registry but the NDP & Liberals MUST appose anything positive the Conservatives put forth. When will those two negative parties learn to put Canada first! Instead of their own hidden agenda to get votes.
They want to continue wasting taxpayer money on a costly registry that the Police agree is useless. Shameful to call themselves Canadians.

9 13Rating: -4

Gordon Scott

Sep 23, 2010 at 4:38pm

I am not innterested in joining "facebook" or any other zippy means of communication. Why are simple e-mails not used as a means of communication? Even this kind is not very satisfactory because I have no Idea to it will reach. I hope that it will be Brad Lavigne. You sent me a message at my e-mail address to watch Jack Layton. I am not interested in Jack Layton "perform". I want to get a message to him. He sent me a message yesterday via my e-mail asking about the gunregistry, I think it was. The fuss over that stinking herring is just a way of hiding behind a tempest in a teapot to keep the public's attention away from a really important issue and that is Bill C36. No one seems to want to dicuss its merits or lack thereof.
That is the bill that should be getting publicity and it is all hush-hush. Have you any idea yourself what the penalty aspect of the bill and the scope of the implementation possibilities are? It tears the guts right out of the law regarding trespass. As far as code for a citizen's right to appear before a justice with the basic right for the assumption of innocence which the the responsibility of the law to prove guilt. As the result of this Bill C36 it will be the responsibility of the person brought before the court to prove their innocence in the face of the whole weight of the legal system against them. This is the kind of legislation that last year thhis government PASSED without a shred of objection. It was only stopped when a senator question and had the wherewithall to generate some ammendments. In spite of the lesson of the Senate's example this present House has already passed the reintroduction of the very same bill under the title of BillC36 without a peep of objection. Where in the name of all that is sensible can anyone not see what the senate was able to see less than a year ago? If it was in drastic need of modification last year is it suddenly and magically quite justified now? Our government is betraying the citizens of Canada. As it happens, I have attempted to reach all of the major parties on the Federal scene in Canada and Not one single one is available to receive uninvited opinion. In our country do we have representative government as we are assumed to have? this is a wonderful example of the old saying that if you assume "something you break that word and make an"ass of U and Me".

8 9Rating: -1

Richard Auger

Feb 18, 2011 at 4:23pm

Good morning Brad after my last correspondence with the NDP party you just don't seem to get it after Jack Layton convinced his MPs to keep the GUN REGISTRY i lost all respect for the NDP Party its to bad for guys like Claude Gravel because i voted for him as the person he was and his beliefs i know he was working hard for his riding and for the people of the north. Jack Layton is only playing politics he has his personal agenda.Dos he know the stats between knifes versus LONG GUNS ??all that wasted MONEY this must be a slush fund what a joke PS I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING JACK LAYTON NOW NOR IN THE FUTURE unless he starts doing the right thing for the right reasons

have a great day
Richard Auger

11 9Rating: +2