A year after Sara Jama’s expulsion, Ontario NDP executive to study bringing back the Independent MPP

The Ontario New Democratic Party is looking into possibly bringing Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama back into its fold, a year after the party kicked her out. 

The party’s executive has passed a motion to study “electoral scenarios” in the Hamilton Centre riding that will include nominating Jama as its candidate. 

The party expelled Jama from caucus in October 2023 over her statements about the Israel-Hamas war. At the time, leader Marit Stiles said Jama had “undertaken a number of unilateral actions that have undermined our collective work and broken the trust of her colleagues.” 

The MPP, who represents downtown Hamilton, has since served as an Independent. Earlier this month, she announced her intention to run independently in the next election.

Other scenarios the Ontario NDP executive will study include endorsing Jama as an Independent candidate, not running any NDP candidate in Hamilton Centre or running a candidate against her.

CBC Hamilton has viewed the text of the motion and Kevin Beaulieu, the party’s provincial director, will produce the report in the next month. 

“It is not unusual for the executive to request a report from staff on any number of matters, including the electoral impact of an incumbent MPP running for a different level of government or running independently,” Beaulieu said in a statement.

Beaulieu added the NDP is “committed” to nominating candidates in every riding for the next election.

CBC Hamilton also reached out to Jama’s office for comment, but did not receive a response prior to publication.

In November 2023, Jama told reporters she felt she was removed from caucus because she called for a ceasefire in Gaza “too early” — before that was a popular position to take — and because she called Israel an “apartheid state.”

Some public figures, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, accused Jama of antisemitism. 

After Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7 — killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage, according to Israeli tallies — Jama posted a statement calling for a ceasefire and an “end to all occupation of Palestinian land.” She did not directly mention the Hamas attacks and later apologized.

Over the course of the nearly year-old war, Israel has killed over 41,400 Palestinians and injured over 95,800, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and fighters in its death toll.

NDP riding association in Hamilton Centre wants Jama back

Tom Baker and David Mivasair, president and vice-president, respectively, of the Ontario NDP Hamilton Centre riding association executive, told CBC Hamilton they “strongly endorse” the making of the report.

The motion “shows us for the first time that there may be some openness” for another option than running someone against Jama, Mivasair said.

“It’s really eroding support for the NDP to not have Sarah active in the party,” he added.

“The most enthusiastic members and activists … in our riding virtually all left when Sarah Jama was pushed out of caucus. Sarah represents the kind of politics and the kinds of policies that people in the riding know we need.”

Baker said he worries that if Jama runs as an Independent, it could split the “progressive vote” in the riding.

It would be hard to find someone to run against Jama for the NDP, Mivasair said, adding, “I don’t see how we could mobilize the resources to have an effective campaign.”

Figuring out what to do with Hamilton Centre is “a real problem” for the NDP, said Peter Graefe, a McMaster University associate professor of political science. “I’m not surprised they’re addressing that.”

Hamilton-Mountain NDP MPP Monique Taylor recently announced she’ll run federally, leaving the NDP with one fewer incumbent in Hamilton. Hamilton-West-Ancaster-Dundas MPP Sandy Shaw is also a member of the NDP.  

Graefe said that makes the situation in Hamilton “more complicated” for the party, since incumbents tend to have an advantage, but noted the NDP still has strong historical support here.

That said, he added, there is some polling pointing to more working-class voters leaning conservative as of late.

If the NDP does decide to bring back Jama, Graefe said, they may “pay a price” with her detractors, but she has a lot of local support, he said, as evidenced by a large group of people who marched with her in the Hamilton Labour Day parade.

Beaulieu will consider several factors when working on the report, including polling, fundraising, media interest, trade unions, community organizations and activists, party members, possible opposition candidates and feedback from Hamilton-Centre.

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