By Hamutal Dotan

Nash celebrating her victory in the 2011 election. Photo from Nash's Facebook page.

The New Democrats got their seventh entrant into the race for leader today, as Toronto MP Peggy Nash (Parkdale-High Park) threw her hat in the ring as well.

Several local politicians came to show their support at her launch event, held at the Gladstone Hotel, including all the ones representing her riding at other levels of government: councillors Sarah Doucette (Ward 13) and Gord Perks (Ward 14), as well as MPP Cheri DiNovo. After beginning by speaking to what she characterized as a global movement ranging from the Arab Spring to the Occupy protests, Nash turned to more pragmatic issues: “I’m entering the race because I believe the next Prime Minister of Canada must be able to do two key things. First she’s [breakout applause at the 'she']…she is going to have to make sure that our economy works to the benefit of all Canadians, not just the few at the top. But secondly in order to that she’s going to have to be able to keep the Canadian economy stable and make it stronger.”

More to come.