Federal NDP Leadership Race - What do you want out of Canada's progressive party?
Since the last election I have been curious about the next steps for the NDP. I feel like they have lost their way over the last couple of decades and that they need a hard reset to get back on track. Their history is largely a socialist / progressive / populist party that is heavily aligned with the working class and average citizens (and goes all the way back to the CCF founding in Calgary!).
Quick recent history recap:
Under Mulcair's leadership, he tried to convert the NDP into a more neoliberal party to try and take over the Liberal’s political space, but they failed hard in the attempt as they (1) could not steal the Liberal supporters and (2) alienated their base in the process.
Under Singh, they made some good progress to get back on track and achieve some great outcomes from the minority government (childcare, dentalcare, pharmacare) but failed to get/take credit for any of their policies and then got dummied in the “Stop the Conservatives” election.
Now there is a leadership race. The NDP got hammered out of party status but it is a huge opportunity for them to hit that reset button and rebuild into a party that has a clear identity and a clear message to the people of Canada.
What I find exciting is that this is not just an opportunity for “them”, it is an opportunity for all of us. Even though the NDP have been around forever, it feels like most people have no idea what they represent. Especially here in Alberta, NDP is a dirty word (even though most people do not know why or how it is bad) and a lot of people stop listening the moment you mention the words “Federal NDP”.
In their purest form, the intention of the party is that they should be the party of the 99% of the population (against the 1% of the elite) and if you are not a billionaire, the NDP has a place for you (that is their sales pitch, not mine). In my opinion, there is a whole political culture right now that tells progressives that they need to think small and act centrist in order to not offend other people. Because of this, I think their new leader could be a huge agent of change in Canada and they need to go big, bold, and loud with ideas that break through the Left/Right spectrum because they are good for everyone (except maybe billionaires). Looking at the NYC mayoral race, it really sets a template that needs to be followed for true progressive populism (with a pretty big overlap in socialism).
It is interesting (and inviting) that the NDP has decided to have a 6-month leadership race to enable both the membership as well as the larger Canadian population a chance to meet the candidates and, if they want, join the party to participate in the vote (democracy!!!).
With that in mind, I would like to invite you all into discussion and consideration of the idea of potentially contributing to a building up a political party and influencing the real outcome for a better result for the nation. Who do you like? What policies do you want to see? How can the NDP break through the Liberal-Conservative blockade?
I like the idea of coming into this discussion by ignoring Left/Right politics for a moment and think about Up/Down politics instead (namely the battle between the 1% and the 99%), I expect all of us posting here are in the 99% and I hope we should be able to find common ground.
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My thoughts on the 5 of them:
Tony has some interesting ideas but in my small amount of research I feel he is hung up on two ideas that should be low priority: He is against AI and he wants to merge the NDP with the Greens. Personally, I think AI is unavoidable and not something to be scared of, but it is important to understand it and ensure that you have your own AI that is secure for you and your people. As for merging with the Greens, it isn’t a bad idea but I think it is a tough sale to say you want to be the leader of the party and that you want to merge it with another party.
Tanille sounds great but definitely not as polished as the front runners and aside from some vibes I did not really see any concrete ideas out of her yet. I also think she has a long way to go to be viable for leadership of a federal party.
Heather is the only current sitting MP. I like that she is from Alberta as I think she could be a strong advocate for helping Albertans find a different party to vote for instead of throwing away our votes for another decade on a party that doesn’t respect or care about Alberta. However, I also think she is a status quo selection that is unlikely to drive the party hard into the populist / progressive space that I believe is needed to win.
Rob is a labour warrior. That is the immediate vibe I get from him. He calls out the war between the Working Class and the Owning Class and frames himself as ready to lead the working class into the next battle. Honestly, I like his vibe a bunch but he does not have any platform ideas or positions yet.
Avi is an activist, journalist, and university professor. He hit the ground running with calling out the populist class war, identifies a lot of the problems everyone is feeling and has announced the most policy ideas thus far out of the 5 candidates. I also noted that he kicked off his answers by going to French. Perhaps not the strongest French, but he showed right away that French won’t be a blocker for him in a Federal party.
I think Avi is my favourite. He gives Zorhan vibes right off of the bat and I really like that his first talking point is about nationalizing grocery stores. I will leave a couple of videos here for any of you interested in hearing his introduction (and understanding the public grocery store potential).
Leadership race kickoff video:
More on the public grocery store idea:
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Only reason I even had Federal NDP membership was because I wanted Alberta NDP membership. With that federal membership requirement gone, I don't intend on re-upping with them.
With that said, I do believe I have already shared what my ideal vision for the Federal NDP's leadership going forward should be....
OpenAI and Jim Henson's Creature Shop, MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Only reason I even had Federal NDP membership was because I wanted Alberta NDP membership. With that federal membership requirement gone, I don't intend on re-upping with them.
To be honest, that is also how I "joined" the Federal NDP. I wasn't interested in the Federal NDP or how they were back then but now there is this opportunity for change....
I love the idea of trying to break the cycle of the two corporatist parties going back and forth. I doubly love the idea of a party that will actually deliver on some things that have been promised to us for decades (electoral reform being the top of the list).
I love seeing things like government grocery stores and other way left ideas from the NDP. It reminds me of their position they had years ago to abolish the stock market, and these kinds of things just remind why they’ll always be out in the political wilderness.
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The party conceded all the blue collar workers to the Cons because they chose pro-environment and a zero tolerance of different views around equality. That alienation of young men (this is a societal problem, not just an NDP one) has led to them finding a home in a party that actively undermines their own interests.
So if I am the NDP I abandon the environment and human rights focus and go pro labour.
As pointed out in the OP the NDP should be the party of the 80% of people.
I’d suspect many on CP are in the 1% in terms of family income. Many are for sure in the 5% so generally voting for the NDP will be voting for an aspirational vision of Canada rather than one than benefits their pocket book.
Last edited by GGG; 11-08-2025 at 10:13 PM.
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How about a party that is unabashedly pro-worker and pro-union, and that's literally it? Like, just be, "look, if you make less than a hundred grand a year, or are a union member, or a student, we are going to enact policies that favour you exclusively". A focused, consistent message and nothing extraneous or wacky that will never happen, like nationalizing grocery stores.
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I've voted NDP in the past, but not for a number of elections now. Wab Kinew could bring me back into the fold. That's about it, though admittedly I don't know a ton about the names listed in the OP (besides Avi Lewis).
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How about a party that is unabashedly pro-worker and pro-union, and that's literally it? Like, just be, "look, if you make less than a hundred grand a year, or are a union member, or a student, we are going to enact policies that favour you exclusively". A focused, consistent message and nothing extraneous or wacky that will never happen, like nationalizing grocery stores.
Having public grocery stores wouldn't be the same as nationalizing grocery stores. The concept would be to sell staples with a focus on local products. You wouldn't be buying KD, Cheez-Whiz, Campbell's Soup, or Delissio pizzas there unless those companies were willing to sell the products at cost +10% or less. Privately owned corporate grocery stores would still exist.
It's not a new concept as a lot of countries with food security issues already do it, but it is also picking up steam in the EU. Bulgaria recently implemented it and Poland is currently considering it.
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How about a party that is unabashedly pro-worker and pro-union, and that's literally it? Like, just be, "look, if you make less than a hundred grand a year, or are a union member, or a student, we are going to enact policies that favour you exclusively". A focused, consistent message and nothing extraneous or wacky that will never happen, like nationalizing grocery stores.
I think that is the difference between Rob Ashton and Avi Lewis.
Things are still early, but this is how I see them coming out of the gate:
Rob Ashton is pure Labour vs. Owner. He doesn't really have much to say outside of that.
Avi Lewis is more populist and he points to the battle being the People vs. the Elite. I feel that is a more comprehensive approach as it includes a lot more of the population in his scope and it forces him to look at the bigger picture than just worker's rights.
The two are very similar but I think the populist approach hits the bigger audience. What if someone doesn't work? Rob doesn't really appeal to them as much if they are a student, stay-at-home-parent, disabled, etc. as his message is really just pro-worker. I would also be worried that Rob may only appeal to union workers and the non-union workers may not feel as welcome.
Here is Rob's launch video (and you can drill down into his channel for future videos):
Avi Lewis who has run twice and lost both times by significant margins, and pushed the Leap Manifesto is suddenly going to turn the fortunes of the NDP around?
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I love seeing things like government grocery stores and other way left ideas from the NDP. It reminds me of their position they had years ago to abolish the stock market, and these kinds of things just remind why they’ll always be out in the political wilderness.
I'm aware there are food deserts in some communities, and do believe the govt should step in time to time to support the citizenry where it's beyond the scope of private society.
That said a conservative commentator once made a statement that stuck with me.
"I don't want the people running and working a the DMV to be running anything else."
I sort of feel like if Mandami's 5 public grocery stores start up and it's like going to to the DMV (or the Passport office, Unemployment office etc), that's probably going to put it into sharp relief for a lot of people.
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Best case scenario I’d echo what corsi and GGG said, pro Labour Party with no extra fluff.
A more likely scenario is they keep pushing some absolutely looney socialist policies which keeps pushing the liberal party further to the center and more in line with my beliefs.
Avi Lewis who has run twice and lost both times by significant margins, and pushed the Leap Manifesto is suddenly going to turn the fortunes of the NDP around?
His answer to that was pretty simple: He ran in ridings that the NDP has never won in but he did so because he believed in running where he lived.
My opinion: That is a hell of a lot better (and respectable) than watching PP flee to one of the most conservative ridings in the country to secure a seat after being kicked out of the riding he'd represented for a couple of decades.
Also, the NDP got thumped last election because of the swing to the liberals to stop the conservatives, so I wouldn't read too heavily into one NDPer not winning in a non-NDP riding in an election where voters felt they had to get strategic to save the country from Trump.
If he wins the leadership race, I imagine that he and the party would be a lot more strategic about where he runs next.
As for the leap manifesto.. if you think he was just "pushing" it then I doubt you know as much about it as you think.
Best case scenario I’d echo what corsi and GGG said, pro Labour Party with no extra fluff.
A more likely scenario is they keep pushing some absolutely looney socialist policies which keeps pushing the liberal party further to the center and more in line with my beliefs.
First off, blaming the NDP for the direction of the Liberals is ridiculous. If anything, it is the Conservatives who are drawing the Liberals to the right by having the Cons shift into the ultra-right-wing land of Reform. But really, the Liberals and Conservatives have both been very corporatist parties and I do not think either of them actually care about "left" or "right" as long as their corporate friends are making a lot of money off of us.
Moving on. I am super curious what you guys think "pure labour" or "pro Labour with no extra fluff" means for a party in the Federal Government. How do you have a party that is only about labour? The government does a lot more than just deal with labour.
Looking at Carney's cabinet, a lot of the ministries could fall under the labour: Industry, Public Works, Agriculture, Jobs & Families, etc.
But there are more ministries that are really not about labour at all: Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Immigrations, Housing & Infrastructure, International Trade, Environment and Climate Change, Justice, etc.
If you want to be taken seriously as a political party you cannot be a single-issue party. You need to show up with answers for all of these aspects of society.
First off, blaming the NDP for the direction of the Liberals is ridiculous. If anything, it is the Conservatives who are drawing the Liberals to the right by having the Cons shift into the ultra-right-wing land of Reform. But really, the Liberals and Conservatives have both been very corporatist parties and I do not think either of them actually care about "left" or "right" as long as their corporate friends are making a lot of money off of us.
Moving on. I am super curious what you guys think "pure labour" or "pro Labour with no extra fluff" means for a party in the Federal Government. How do you have a party that is only about labour? The government does a lot more than just deal with labour.
Looking at Carney's cabinet, a lot of the ministries could fall under the labour: Industry, Public Works, Agriculture, Jobs & Families, etc.
But there are more ministries that are really not about labour at all: Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Immigrations, Housing & Infrastructure, International Trade, Environment and Climate Change, Justice, etc.
If you want to be taken seriously as a political party you cannot be a single-issue party. You need to show up with answers for all of these aspects of society.
For me, and maybe it’s just me and doesn’t reflect what the others are referring to, “pure labour” is a party that is first, utmost, and always focused on the working class, and I would define “extra fluff” as anything that cannot be directly connected to supporting, protecting, or advancing the working class.
I believe immigration, climate change, housing, trade, etc can all be approached through this lens.
The Liberals and Cons pander to the working class but I don’t think either put them first outside of needing their votes. A truly labour-focused social party is what is missing.
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His answer to that was pretty simple: He ran in ridings that the NDP has never won in but he did so because he believed in running where he lived.
My opinion: That is a hell of a lot better (and respectable) than watching PP flee to one of the most conservative ridings in the country to secure a seat after being kicked out of the riding he'd represented for a couple of decades.
Also, the NDP got thumped last election because of the swing to the liberals to stop the conservatives, so I wouldn't read too heavily into one NDPer not winning in a non-NDP riding in an election where voters felt they had to get strategic to save the country from Trump.
If he wins the leadership race, I imagine that he and the party would be a lot more strategic about where he runs next.
As for the leap manifesto.. if you think he was just "pushing" it then I doubt you know as much about it as you think.
You’re hilarious. You make these comments without any idea of what I know and just assume that you know more than anyone else. I’m well aware that this was authored by Lewis and his wife Naomi Klein. Regardless of how I phrased this, it doesn’t change the fact that this is largely unpalatable across Canada.
And the decision to run in this ridings is all well and good, but it’s symptomatic of the major issue that progressives and liberals suffer from. They would rather be right and holier than thou, as opposed to winning elections.
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I'm aware there are food deserts in some communities, and do believe the govt should step in time to time to support the citizenry where it's beyond the scope of private society.
That said a conservative commentator once made a statement that stuck with me.
"I don't want the people running and working a the DMV to be running anything else."
I sort of feel like if Mandami's 5 public grocery stores start up and it's like going to to the DMV (or the Passport office, Unemployment office etc), that's probably going to put it into sharp relief for a lot of people.
I also think that this idea is pushed by a lot of people who think the margins in grocery are a lot higher than they actually are.
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His answer to that was pretty simple: He ran in ridings that the NDP has never won in but he did so because he believed in running where he lived.
My opinion: That is a hell of a lot better (and respectable) than watching PP flee to one of the most conservative ridings in the country to secure a seat after being kicked out of the riding he'd represented for a couple of decades.
If the goal is to get into office and speak for the people and hold the government accountable, then as principled as that may be, that's a pretty silly way to approach politics. If the NDP wants to accomplish anything, then they actually have to accomplish something instead of showing off values that while may be admirable, aren't going to get them what they want.
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Federal NDP Leadership Race - What do you want out of Canada's progressive party?
