Howard Hampton resigned as Ontario NDP leader this morning at the ONDP Provincial Council.

http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/443358

I'll leave commentary to later

   

In other provincial NDP news, the Alberta NDP recently voted against any coalition with the Greens and Liberals. I'm saddened that they didn't vote for merger. There's just no room for more than two parties in Alberta.

I'll bet the right learned that loud and clear on March 3, with the shutout of the WA, and I doubt we'll see them next election. The left, though, persist in being divided and conquered. 2 MLAs simply cannot fight against 72, especially when 2 doesn't even get you official party status. And you don't have to sacrifice principles to merge. The Liberals need the NDP as much as the NDP need the Liberals in order to have any shot at cracking the fortress walls, so the possibility of splitting again will keep everyone motivated to listen to each other.

The Liberals have some good ideas. I've voted for both parties in the past. It kills me to see 10 ridings fall to the PCs where Liberal+NDP would have beaten them, and 12 fall where Liberal+NDP+Green would have beaten them. We could have had an opposition of 21-23, instead of 11, or maybe even more.

   

Big loss for that party. I met Howard a number of times and he seemed like a real genuine guy.