 Talks with the Conservatives failed because of differing views on the Kyoto Protocol.Although Mulcair has identified former Quebec Liberal Party leader Claude Ryan as his political mentor, his presence in the front row during a speech in Montreal by NDP Leader Jack Layton in March 2007 led to speculation about his political future.Over the course of several months, Layton persuaded Mulcair to run for the NDP in Quebec, where the party had no seats.