'Mentor, friend, champion': Ed Broadbent remembered fondly by those who worked with him
Broadbent Institute announced the former leader's death on Thursday; he was 87
Ed Broadbent is being remembered fondly as a friend, mentor and champion for change by those who knew and worked with him.
The Broadbent Institute, which he founded, announced his death in a statement Thursday afternoon. He was 87.
Current NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Broadbent helped him "tremendously with his advice and encouragement" after he won the leadership in 2017.
"Whenever I asked anything of him — to talk through policy ideas, to help with a challenging political problem or to campaign with me — he always said 'yes,'" Singh wrote in a media statement.
"I have often said that Ed was who I wanted to be when I grew up. He taught me about leadership and how to turn political principle into actions that helped improve the lives of Canadians."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered his condolences to Broadbent's family and friends in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.
"Canada is better off because of Ed Broadbent's selfless service. An advocate for equality and champion for justice, his commitment to helping others never wavered," Trudeau wrote.
Former prime minister Brian Mulroney told CBC News Network's Power & Politics that Broadbent was a "giant in the Canadian political scene."
"He would have been prime minister if he had been leading any other party," he told host David Cochrane.
As one of his chief political opponents in the 1980s, Mulroney said Broadbent was "extremely pleasant" but also a "tough and strong debater."
"I consider him a great parliamentarian and a major contributor to Canadian progress during the decade and a half we were together," he said.
Former prime minister Jean Chrétien recalled working with Broadbent in the House of Commons when he was a minister in Pierre Trudeau's government. Chrétien told reporters that Broadbent was a "good MP."
"He was always very civilized, he was never nasty. We had tough differences but it's like playing hockey … you can bump a guy in the rink or be bumped but after the game you can have a beer together," he said Thursday evening.
Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, said Broadbent was an early mentor to him. He said Broadbent displayed a quality that is often undervalued in politics: kindness.
Rae was elected as an NDP MP in 1978 under Broadbent's leadership. He would later become an NDP premier of Ontario. Rae eventually returned to federal politics with the Liberals, but he said his relationship with Broadbent survived "the political divorce."
"The thing he believed in more than anything else was decency. He was a decent guy. He treated people fairly," Rae said in an interview on Power & Politics.
Former governor general Adrienne Clarkson said she remembered Broadbent from when they were both students at the University of Toronto.
"He was always the most decent and wonderful man. A great public servant," Clarkson told reporters Thursday evening.
Manitoba's NDP Premier Wab Kinew called Broadbent a "beacon of integrity and [a] champion of justice." He also echoed Singh's comments about Broadbent's mentorship.
"Ed was the first person to call and encourage me after I lost the 2019 election, and one of the first to call and congratulate [me] when we won in 2023," Kinew wrote in a post on X.
"He embodied perseverance in the hopes of making our country better."
B.C. NDP Premier David Eby said Broadbent was always "engaged and passionate," even in his final years.
"Always ready to fight the good fight. Ed was a giant. He will be deeply missed," Eby wrote on X.
I am saddened to learn of the passing of Ed Broadbent.<br><br>I first met Ed when I was 13. I remember he was very patient and kind. <br><br>He got along with everyone. Ed was as comfortable in a room of blue-collar factory workers as he was around a table of academics. <br><br>Little did I know… <a href="https://t.co/PaGREC6A6d">pic.twitter.com/PaGREC6A6d</a>
—@RachelNotleyFormer Alberta NDP premier Rachel Notley recalled first meeting Broadbent as a teenager.
"Little did I know during that first meeting that Ed would go on to create a multigenerational example of the perfect combination of ethics, intellect, empathy and authentic connection with — and concern for — regular Canadians," she posted on X.
NDP national director Anne McGrath told CBC News Network that she remembers Broadbent as a generous individual.
"He was just very, very giving of his advice and his time and he was just a huge supporter," McGrath told host Hannah Thibedeau.
"He was our leader, he was our friend, he was our mentor. It is a huge loss."
A number of NDP MPs took to social media to praise Broadbent as a champion of equality and social democracy.
"Ed Broadbent made such a profound impact on our country and our progressive movement. He spent his life being a fierce advocate for a more just, equal and democratic Canada," B.C. MP Laurel Collins posted on X.
Ontario MP Charlie Angus said he was " honoured" to call Broadbent a friend.
"Ed Broadbent believed in Canada. He believed in social democracy. He believed in the goodness of people. He believed that government could play a role to make life better," Angus posted on X.
"He never lost his passion and determination to build a better nation."
B.C. MP Don Davies called Broadbent a "pillar of the NDP."
"His legacy of fighting for justice, equality, and a better Canada will forever inspire us," Davies said on X.
Broadbent is also being remembered as a champion of workers by Canada's top unions.
"Ed's legacy is of building a true progressive movement in Canada — fighting for workers and a better world for everyone," UNIFOR president Lana Payne posted on X.
The Canadian Labour Congress called Broadbent "a great champion for social democracy and ally of working people."
"Canada's unions will keep fighting for the values that Ed cherished — a country that honours everyone's inherent worth and one that takes care of each other," the organization said in a statement on X.
In another post on X, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions said the former NDP leader "was a tireless fighter for a better & more compassionate Canada."
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