Editing Jack Layton (section)

===2004 election===
{{see also|Homelessness in Canada}}
During the [[2004 Canadian federal election]], controversy erupted over Layton's accusation that Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin was responsible for the deaths of homeless people because he failed to provide funding for affordable housing.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Aubry |first1=Jack |title=Layton's line starts a storm |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-colonist/156911079/ |access-date=October 11, 2024 |work=[[Times Colonist]] |date=May 28, 2004 |page=4}}</ref> While rates of homelessness and homeless deaths increased during the eleven years of Liberal government, the link to Martin's decisions was indirect as affordable housing is a mainly provincial jurisdiction.<ref>Murphy, Barbara. ''On the street: how we created the homeless.'' Winnipeg: J. Gordon Shillingford, c2000.</ref> Layton's charge was defended by some, including the ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last1=Coyne |first1=Andrew |title=Layton's charge is out of order |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/330330016 |access-date=October 11, 2024 |work=[[National Post]] |date=May 29, 2004 |page=A22|id={{ProQuest|330330016}} }}</ref> but most attacked it as inaccurate and [[negative campaigning]]. Moreover, the controversy consumed the campaign, overshadowing policy announcements over the next week.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Curry |first1=Bill |title=Layton drops from radar during Week 2 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-phoenix/156911289/ |access-date=October 11, 2024 |work=[[The StarPhoenix]] |agency=[[Canwest]] |date=June 5, 2004 |page=A13}}</ref>

Further controversy followed as Layton suggested the removal of the ''[[Clarity Act]]'', considered by some to be vital to keeping Quebec in Canada and by others as undemocratic, and promised to recognize any declaration of independence by Quebec after a referendum.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chase |first1=Steven |title=Layton would axe Clarity Act |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/layton-would-axe-clarity-act/article999528/ |access-date=October 11, 2024 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=May 29, 2004}}</ref> This position was not part of the NDP's official party policy, leading some high-profile party members, such as NDP [[House Leader]] Bill Blaikie and former NDP leader [[Alexa McDonough]], to publicly indicate that they did not share Layton's views. His position on the ''Clarity Act'' was reversed in the 2006 election to one of support.<ref>{{cite news |title=Layton reverses course on Clarity Act |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-transcript/156911825/ |access-date=October 11, 2024 |work=[[Times & Transcript]] |agency=[[The Canadian Press]] |date=December 8, 2005 |page=5}}</ref>

Layton also continued his effort to improve his party's standing in Quebec. The NDP ran French-language ads in the province and Layton, who spoke colloquial [[Quebec French|Québécois French]], appeared in them.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} As early as his leadership campaign,<ref>{{cite news |title=Layton would push for proportional representation |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/356308406 |access-date=October 15, 2024 |work=[[The Record (Sherbrooke)|The Record]] |date=January 6, 2003 |page=2|id={{ProQuest|356308406}} }}</ref> Layton advocated for [[electoral reform]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Layton renews call for electoral reform |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/layton-renews-call-for-electoral-reform-1.466253 |access-date=October 15, 2024 |work=[[CBC News]] |date=June 29, 2004}}</ref> calling for a referendum to replace the [[First-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]] system with [[proportional representation]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Champion-Smith |first1=Bruce |title=Making it count; The June 28 vote has amplified calls for reforming Canada's electoral system Some say proportional representation's the answer |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/438727580 |access-date=October 15, 2024 |work=[[Toronto Star]] |date=July 10, 2004 |page=H01|id={{ProQuest|438727580}} }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Opponents of first-past-the-post system growing in numbers |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/358500073 |access-date=October 15, 2024 |work=[[Kamloops Daily News]] |agency=[[The Canadian Press]] |date=June 30, 2004 |page=C9| id={{ProQuest|358500073}} }}</ref> He threatened to use the NDP's clout in the event of a minority government. However, it was dismissed out of hand by the Liberal and [[Bloc Québécois]] leaders, as they tend to be favoured by the first-past-the-post system, normally being allocated a greater proportion of seats than the proportion of votes cast for them. Historically, the NDP's popular vote does not translate into a proportional number of seats because of scattered support. This was most opposed by the Bloc Québécois, who usually had the lowest popular vote but nonetheless won many seats because their support was concentrated in Quebec. Despite these problems, Layton led the NDP to a 15% popular vote, its highest in 16 years. However, it only won 19 seats in the House of Commons, two less than the 21 won under Alexa McDonough in 1997, and far short of the 40 that Layton predicted on the eve of the election. However, some potential NDP voters may have voted Liberal to prevent a possible Conservative win. Olivia Chow and several other prominent Toronto NDP candidates lost tight races and Layton won his own seat against incumbent Liberal Dennis Mills by a much narrower margin than early polls indicated.{{citation needed|date=August 2011}}