There are arguably more thankless tasks in Canadian politics than leading the provincial NDP in Ontario. But not many more.

How about NDP leader in Alberta or a provincial Tory leader in Quebec (if only they had such a thing), or for that matter, NDP chief in Prince Edward Island?

But the fact is, taking over from where outgoing leader Howard Hampton left off isn't exactly the first step on the way to the premier's office. Yet - and this is always an amazing thing about politics - the lineup from the left to succeed Hampton seems to be growing apace. Who knows why?

It's not that the NDP doesn't attract some good and able people. Of course they do, regardless of how misguided they may be politically.

But they only have 10 MPPs at Queen's Park and Ontarians still haven't forgotten the disaster of Hampton's immediate successor - then NDP premier and now Liberal MP Bob Rae - in that party's stunningly stupid run at governing between 1990 and 1995.

It was the first - and, for the foreseeable future at least - the only time Ontarians have lost their senses enmasse to elect the NDP to run the shop. And given the infamous "Rae Days" and their horrific handling of the economy, it's going to be a long time before that ever happens again. If it ever does. Then again, given Tory leader John Tory's anemic leadership of that party - he doesn't even have a seat in the Legislature - it will be a while before they'll be in a position to mount a serious charge too.

Still, politicians being what they are - which is, alas, politicians - even a sniff at something deemed to possess more power than an ordinary, nondescript opposition MPP has enough cache to attract a crowd. The official campaign doesn't actually begin until July 15, but 56-year-old Toronto-Danforth MPP Peter Tabuns is generally considered the man to beat. A former Greenpeace executive and city councilor - and a true believer in the concept that everything is better if government does it, especially a left-wing government (a belief he shares with his federal NDP teammate Jack Layton)- Tabuns seems to have the money and the organization to fend off the other contenders, although one weekend report suggested that Timmins-James Bay Gilles Bisson, a popular figure in the North, may have the easiest time reaching the $500,000 spending limit and could give Tabuns a run.

Then there is Beaches-East York MPP Michael Prue, 59, who I must confess in the interest of full disclosure is my local Queen's Park representative. Mind you, to take the concept of full disclosure one step further, I have to say I'd never vote for him, but it seems a lot of people will.

Another Torontonian, Parkdale-High Park MPP Cheri DiNovo is being touted by many as a major contender, but word is she's already decided to back Tabuns, Then there's Hamilton Centre MPP Andrea Horwath and Trinity-Spadina MPP Rosario Maarchese, a former Rae cabinet minister, also seen as likely contenders although not likely winners.

Several federal NDP members are routinely buzzed about as possible contenders - most notably Windsor West MP Brian Masse, Parkdale-High Park MP Peggy Nash and Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus, the man who wants to strip Conrad Black of his Order of Canada - but one has to wonder why they' d take a pay cut to leave Ottawa, where they're not going anywhere either, to come to Queen's Park, where the prospects of improvement are, if anything, even more bleak. Common sense tells you they won't be running, but since it's politics, common sense often has little to do with it.

There are also rumors about two high profile union leaders - CUPE Ontario president Sid Ryan and former OPSEU president Leah Casselman - but that seems remote too. Had Ryan, who has tried several times to get elected, actually won a seat you can take it to the bank he'd be a candidate. But without a legislative base, it's not likely.

But union leaders always are mentioned in NDP battles for the obvious reason. In Ontario, for example, the affiliated unions get 25 per cent of the leadership ballots, a huge block, particularly in a onemember, one-vote system like this one.

The reality is, however, that whoever takes over from Hampton, it's not likely to make much difference in the scheme of things. On top of the party' s historic inertia, it's even being threatened on what remains of the political left by the more energized Green Party, which makes you wonder even more why people are prepared to spend half a million bucks for the job.

Some things simply can't be explained.