Canada's New Democrats may nix 'new'

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Officials with Canada's New Democratic Party said members will soon make a decision about whether to drop "new" from the 48-year-old political party's name.

The officials said the approximately 1,000 delegates to the party's national biennial convention in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Aug. 14-16 will debate whether to change their moniker to the Democratic Party or to undergo a consultation process and return to the issue in two years, when the party will reach the 50-year mark, Canwest News Service reported Monday.

"It's simply that we're no longer new," said Brian Masse, a party member in favor of the name change and a member of Parliament representing the Windsor West district in Ontario. "We're an established Canadian party that has shaped many public policies in Canada, that has been instrumental in healthcare, pension reform and progressive environmental and economic issues. I think this is a natural evolution. Drop the new from the name and run with the 'Democratic Party.'"

Proponents rejected accusations that the name change is an attempt by leaders of the party, which holds only 36 of 308 seats in the House of Commons, to associate themselves with the more popular U.S. Democratic Party.

"I don't think anybody's going to confuse Barack Obama and Jack Layton," said New Democratic Party activist Ian Capstick, who served as a media consultant for NDP leader Layton.