He sits on the board of a Venture Capital fund and fights for higher corporate tax rates. As a quintessential backroom strategist, he was invisible to the public but friends with the publicly visible. You may not know Brian Topp but his family has taken to YouTube to sing his praises. The man credited for the strategy that took Jack Layton's NDP to victory last year now wants to lead the party. Brian Topp kicks off the first of our conversations with the NDP leadership contenders.

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Part Two of The Current

NDP Leadership Contender: Brian Topp

We started this segment with a clip from Brian Topp last September throwing his hat into the ring to become the new leader of the New Democratic Party, the official opposition. Sitting next to him was former NDP leader Ed Broadbent who has a good track record of supporting winners

Brian Topp's lack of elected parliamentary experience may be his Achilles heel. But he's been an important figure within the party for decades. As party president he had to explain why Jack Layton stepped down.

Many thought that the race to replace Layton was Brian Topp's to lose. But internal polls of the candidates indicate that it's a tight race. And the debates have been heated between Mr. Topp and fellow leadership candidate Paul Dewar.

NDP leadership candidate Brian Topp was in our Toronto studio this morning.

We'll be speaking with other candidates in the lead up to the leadership convention, which takes place in Toronto March 23 and 24.

To listen to other running NDP leader candidates we have interviewed, click here.

This segment was produced by The Current's Kristin Nelson and Josh Bloch.

Related Links:

• NDP leadership race heats up with conflicting polls - The Canadian Press
• Andrew Coyne: NDP needs to remain true to its principles - The Gazette
• Leadership contest engaging Canadians as 128,351 members set to vote - NDP Press Release
• New Democratic tide ebbing quickly in Quebec By: Chantal Hebert - The Chronicle Herald
  

Other segments from today's show:

• European Union on Oil Sands
• Doubting Personal Debt