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Former CAF member and former veteran’s Ombudsman quits NDP leadership race

Only months after announcing his bid to run for the federal NDP leadership, former veterans ombudsman, Pat Stogran, quit the race on June 3 after blaming the NDP for being “fundamentally flawed.”

“It is with huge sadness that I resign from the leadership contest. The fight to take on politics incorporated while also trying to take on the insiders of a political party that has no desire to see me win has proven insurmountable,” stated Stogran in a video posted on YouTube to announce his decision.

From his close-up look at NDP, Stogran believes that the party is in need of reform and puts obstacles in place for candidates trying to grow the party from the grassroots.

“The NDP will never form a government until it is reformed entirely and I no longer saw that as a possibility,” commented Stogran.

Stogran, who not only served as Canada’s first veteran’s ombudsman from 2007 to 2010 but also served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 31 years, also cited family commitments as a reason for dropping out of the race.

“As I enter my golden years, I came to the conclusion that my love for family far outweighs my love for politics, especially selfish, incompetent politics,” noted Stogran.

In mid-April, Stogran announced his decision to run for NDP leadership, running on a platform aimed at appealing to the common Canadian and to put an end to “politics incorporated” perpetuated by other Canadian political parties.

“I decided to run for the forestry worker in BC, the energy worker in Alberta, the miner from Sudbury. I ran for the Veteran in Oromocto and the millennial from Waterloo,” said Stogran.

Stogran made it a point to thank all of his supporters and his campaign team that stood beside him in the fight against “politics incorporated.”

Watch Pat Stogran thank his supporters

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Mishall Rehman

Originally from Atlanta, GA, Mishall is a freelance journalist pursuing her passion for writing in her new homeland Canada. She currently lives in Trenton, ON with her husband.

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