The New Democratic Party (NDP) leadership candidates gathered for their first face-to-face meeting at a forum held during the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation gala in Ottawa. Creative Commons photo by —The Council of Canadians Rob Ashton, Avi Lewis, and Heather McPherson participating in the workshop. Unfortunately, Tanille Johnston and Tony McQuail were not able to join us. Their focus on the major issues confronting the party as they head towards a potential leadership race was encouraging.
Avi Lewis, who has previously run unsuccessfully for NDP seats in Vancouver, criticized current party leader Jagmeet Singh for sending “mixed messages on pipelines.” He argued that this uncertainty has damaged the party’s overall credibility on energy-related issues.
“Thomas Mulcair supported the pipeline. Jagmeet (Singh) sent a lot of mixed messages on pipelines, and I think that hurt us.” – Avi Lewis
Lewis highly encouraged the party to adopt a clear position against any further fossil fuel production. He announced that Canada could no longer afford to increase its fossil fuel pipeline. He contended that the NDP has been disingenuous in how it has presented its energy policy to Albertans.
Rob Ashton was a passionate advocate for transitioning to a green economy. He equally understood that the fossil fuel industry is a lifeblood for hundreds of thousands of Canadian families.
“Our campaign follows what the New Democratic Party convention says. Period.” – Rob Ashton
Equally important was Ashton’s recognition that our call for environmental priorities must account the economic reality. He asked for a measured approach as the nation looks ahead.
Lewis’s energy policy perspective Heather McPherson reaffirmed this direction, saying it reflects party policy already established. She called for new strategies to create jobs focused on reaching young people. She notably brought attention to the urgent issue of youth unemployment, especially in provinces such as Alberta.
“When we see a crisis across this country, where young people particularly in Alberta can’t find work … making sure we have a program that has more investment in mentorship, more investment and apprenticeships that makes post-secondary education more affordable for young people, I think is important.” – Heather McPherson
McPherson called for an expansion of the Canada Summer Jobs Program. He envisions it running year-round so it can continue to contribute to youth employment and development opportunities.
11 days until the candidates’ first official debate on November 27 in Montreal. They’re up against a critical fundraising deadline. The second of four fundraising milestones, this one $25,000, is due on November 13. This deadline adds pressure on the candidates as they strive to secure their positions within the NDP leadership race.
The public conversations at the Ottawa forum expose deep schisms on energy policy and economic development strategy between the leadership hopefuls. As they prepare for future debates, it remains to be seen how these discussions will shape the NDP’s platform leading into the next election cycle.
