Instead of the usual House of Commons theatrics, the NDP leader, a former criminal lawyer, took a more prosecutorial approach in his efforts to trip up his hostile witness: Prime Minister Stephen Harper himself.
鈥淥n what date and at what time was the prime minister informed that Nigel Wright had made a payment to Conservative Sen.聽Mike Duffy?鈥� he asked.
鈥淚f the leader of the NDP is suggesting that I had any information to the contrary from Mr. Wright prior to this, that is completely false,鈥� Harper retorted.
鈥淢r. Speaker, we are asking very simple, straightforward questions and the prime minister is not answering them,鈥� Mulcair shot back.
Mulcair, 60, is no stranger to political theatre.
He has been flexing his political muscle for nearly three decades, but has remained largely an unknown quantity outside of Quebec 鈥� something party brass have been keen to change during this campaign, particularly through advertising focused on his family life.
On the professional side, Mulcair worked as a lawyer, civil servant and eventually as a member of the national assembly of Quebec in 1994, later serving as minister of sustainable development and environment and parks under Liberal premier Jean Charest.
Monique Jerome-Forget, who served as Treasury Board president when Mulcair was environment minister, remembers him as a 鈥渧ery supportive, solid soldier in the team.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 certainly a strong person 鈥� it鈥檚 not negative for a prime minister,鈥� said Jerome-Forget. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want somebody who bends over backward to accommodate a thousand people all at once.鈥�
Former NDP leader Jack Layton eventually wooed Mulcair into the federal fold, where he became the sole NDP MP from Quebec in 2007, elected in the riding of Outremont.
In 2011, the New Democrats were able to achieve historic electoral success, forming the official Opposition for the first time, thanks to remarkable gains in Mulcair鈥檚 home province, where the party claimed 59 of 75 available seats.
Layton died just 113 days later, touching off a difficult leadership race, Mulcair writes in his recently released autobiography, Strength of Conviction.
鈥淯ndergoing such a contest at such a painful time 鈥� with the media and other parties posing as judge and jury 鈥� was an especially unwelcome burden.鈥�
During the course of the 2012 contest, former leader Ed Broadbent came out against Mulcair, warning he would take the party toward the centre of the political spectrum.
Broadbent, who backed former party president Brian Topp in his leadership bid, said his relationship with Mulcair has evolved a great deal since then.
鈥淭hree years ago is a long time ago in politics,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was a matter of getting to know him and watching him 鈥� I聽wouldn鈥檛 want to ignore the evidence of exceptional performance. 鈥�
The NDP, which is calling for the Senate to be abolished, has capitalized on other upper-chamber controversies that popped up in the wake of the Duffy affair.
Party insiders say Mulcair has worked diligently behind the scenes to ensure his team, made up many first-time MPs, doesn鈥檛 make rookie mistakes.
鈥淢any critics were suggesting that without Jack, that the caucus would not be cohesive, would not be as effective,鈥� said NDP senior campaign adviser Brad Lavigne, a longtime confidant to Layton.
鈥淚t was clearly under Tom Mulcair鈥檚 leadership that the caucus was governed with discipline and hard work.鈥�
Former NDP deputy leader Libby Davies said Mulcair鈥檚 leadership has been an anchor for the party.
鈥淗e is a very on-the-ground guy,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 very good at assessing what is going on out there and communicating that back to his caucus in a realistic way.鈥�
鈥淏oy, if there鈥檚 anyone to take on Stephen Harper, it is Thomas Mulcair.鈥�
Mulcair鈥檚 greatest challenge will be to translate his political strengths into more seats for the New Democrats.
Recent public opinion polls have suggested support for the party has slipped during the 11-week campaign.
But Mulcair insists he isn鈥檛 concerned.
鈥淲hatever the polls have shown, I鈥檝e said the same thing,鈥� Mulcair said in Halifax this week. 鈥淔or the first time in Canadian history, we have a three-way race.鈥�
