ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - NDP Leader Jack Layton is laughing off past remarks by a Newfoundland candidate who called his party "losers" and their supporters "aging granolas."
Layton, while campaigning in the province Friday, said Ryan Cleary's candidacy is proof the NDP has been successful in convincing people his party is best suited to lead Canada.
"I've been going back and forth across this country encouraging people to take another look at the New Democrats, and guess what? We've even convinced a journalist," he said, laughing.
"That to me is the definition of success."
Cleary is a former journalist who ran the Independent, a weekly newspaper in St. John's that folded earlier this summer.
"The New Democrats are losers . . . a mainstream party that wouldn't win an election if Jackie Layton was given a 100-seat head start," Cleary wrote in an editorial on Jan. 22, 2006.
"I'd have more respect for the NDP if they actually set out to win an election -- instead of settling for spoiler."
Cleary has said he doesn't apologize for his past remarks, but now fully supports Layton in his bid to run the country.
He is running in the riding of St. John's South-Mount Pearl, last held by Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn, who is retiring from politics.
Cleary has also expressed support for the province to separate from Canada, though Layton said that was not his understanding of Cleary's views.
"I don't want to seem ungrateful, but now that we're rolling in the cash it may be time to consider breaking away from the country of Canada," he wrote on May 3, 2008.
In an editorial he wrote March 23, 2007, he said, "Excuse me for a moment, but I have some business to attend to before unveiling my plan to save Newfoundland and Labrador from Confederation's death grip."
