In addition, he sought the NDP nomination in the 1978 federal byelection for Broadview, but lost out to Bob Rae.
[8] He campaigned to become national leader at the NDP's 1971 leadership convention, coming in third behind winner David Lewis and runner-up James Laxer.
[13][14] Late in the 1988 federal election campaign, he called a press conference to support using the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Constitution to protect Quebec's francophone culture and restrict the use of other languages.
[15] This press conference was not endorsed by the NDP leadership, and many believe that it cost the party support among Quebec's anglophones.
Although he favoured the Bloc Québécois position on Quebec sovereignty, he refused to consider becoming one of its candidates as long as it pursued independence from Canada.