As the race for the leadership of the New Democratic Party (NDP) heats up, several candidates express a deliberate approach toward entering the House of Commons if elected. As of now, four of those five winners are still biding their time before officially jumping into Parliament. They are politically savvy — shaping the conversation through the realities of party politics and the media landscape while appealing to Us vs.
The Leap Manifesto, largely co-authored by Avi Lewis in 2015, is once again resurgent. Overall, it has led to energetic, sometimes contentious conversations about where the party should go. In the lead-up to the 2015 federal election campaign, the manifesto called for a moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure. It envisioned this economy being fully powered by clean energy by 2050. During Rachel Notley’s time as Alberta’s premier from 2015 to 2019, the War on the NDP became a contentious subject inside the party. A great number considered it a political poison pill back in those days.
As you may know, in recent weeks, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has used the progressive manifesto to launch barbs at provincial NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi. This has reignited debates within the party about its direction, with some critics arguing that the manifesto’s proposals have rendered New Democrats less competitive in provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Heather McPherson, who has secured her federal Edmonton riding in the last three elections, emphasizes the importance of not becoming a hindrance to provincial parties amid their electoral battles. Along that vein, she added, “Providing as few hassles as possible to the provincial parties has been a top priority. They are working very competitively to win and hold onto their government. And I have some worries.”
McPherson shared insights from her experiences in Edmonton, noting, “I mean, I was in Edmonton. I saw the impact that happens when the federal party is not being supportive of the provincial party.” Her takeaways are an important reminder of how linked-up the federal and provincial NDP strategies can be.
Avi Lewis, who emerged as one of the most serious candidates for party leadership, will be the first to help change the conversation from 2015. He promised, “It’s been astonishing to connect and work directly with communities…and [to] better understand people’s daily struggles, and adaptation.” This has helped shape our solutions to make life easier for Canadians. And I’m excited to continue that work. “Authenticity Lewis’s goal is to encourage grassroots engagement while tackling some of the most important issues affecting Canadians in 2023 and beyond.
Lewis’s campaign recently commissioned an interesting online survey. It proved that roughly 94 percent of New Democrats are under the impression that members can disagree on certain issues without personally attacking each other. In addition, 88 percent said they supported a moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure projects. The call to action attracted close to 4,700 submissions—signs of an engaged and motivated party base.
While Lewis focuses on grassroots preparation for potential elections, other candidates echo similar sentiments regarding their timelines for entering Parliament. Jagmeet Singh officially assumed the role of party leader in October 2017. He couldn’t get elected to the House of Commons until February 2019, when he finally won in a suburban Vancouver riding.
Tanille Johnston expressed her desire not to rush into parliamentary roles, stating, “I don’t want to sit down because maybe the Liberals are going to hold a majority for three years.”
McPherson voiced her concerns about delaying action within Parliament: “I find that, to be honest, a little bit odd. I mean, realistically, we are a political party, and the business of politics happens within the House of Commons.”
Even with varying opinions on the right timing to engage, principled candidates like Rob Ashton understand that real relationships with constituents are essential. He remarked, “Social media is good for getting your message out, but to regain the trust, I prefer meeting with as many people as I can and looking them dead in the eye and having those hard conversations.” Ashton’s focus on in-person engagement speaks to a larger plea from candidates to rebuild bridges with Canadian society.
Beyond simply rebuilding local electoral district associations, McPherson stressed the need to deepen connections with communities. She stated, “I think our real critical need at the moment is to be rebuilding and strengthening our local electoral district associations, our riding associations, and dramatically increasing their connection in their own communities.”
As candidates swim through these currents of strategy and engagement, they recognize that members are far from unanimous on policy proposals. Lewis noted this diversity of thought within the party: “Not everybody agrees on the policy proposals, and that’s OK.”
