James Laxer

James "Jim" Laxer (22 December 1941 – 23 February 2018) was a Canadian socialist, professor, and author.

Life and career

Laxer was born in Montreal, Quebec, and is the son of Edna May (née Quentin) and Robert Laxer, a psychologist, professor, author, and political activist. His father was Jewish and his mother was from a Protestant family. His paternal grandfather was a rabbi and his maternal grandfather was a minister. In 1969, Laxer, along with his father Robert Laxer and Mel Watkins, founded the Waffle, a left-wing group influenced by the New Left, the anti-Vietnam War movement and Canadian economic nationalism, that tried to win control of the New Democratic Party (NDP).

In 1971, Laxer ran for the leadership of the federal NDP, and shocked the convention by winning one-third of the vote against party stalwart David Lewis. The Waffle was ultimately forced out of the NDP and briefly became an independent political party under the name "Movement for an Independent Socialist Canada". Laxer and other Wafflers unsuccessfully ran for Parliament in 1974. This electoral failure led to the Waffle's dissolution, and Laxer concentrated on his work as an academic at York University and in broadcasting.

In 1981, he was hired as director of research for the federal NDP, but left in controversy in 1983 when he published a report critiquing the party's economic policies as being "out of date".

Laxer remained prominent as an author, columnist and commentator to the end of his life. He was a professor of political science at York University.

Laxer had four children: Michael, Kate, Emily and Jonathan.

Laxer died in Paris of natural causes on 23 February 2018 while in Europe researching a book on Canada's role in the Second World War.

External links

• James Laxer's Blog at rabble.ca
• James Laxer's profile at York University