With just a week from the NDP leadership debate, questions loom about the party’s future
The New Democratic Party (NDP) leadership race is underway, with five candidates vying to lead the left-wing party through a new era of politics in Canada. After a major defeat in the 2025 federal election, leader Jagmeet Singh of Burnaby, B.C. stepped down after nearly eight years as party leader. With only seven MPs in the House of Commons, the NDP looks to build a stronger coalition throughout the current government.
The five-person race includes several prominent figures within the NDP as well as other community leaders, and longtime candidates. It includes Albertan MP Heather McPherson, Journalist Avi Lewis, Municipal Councillor Tanille Johnston, union leader Rob Ashton, and perennial candidate Tony McQuail. An all-candidates forum took place on Oct. 22, where leaders were asked about their vision for the party’s future and values.
McPherson emphasized a need to begin working with key supporters of the NDP. “We need to start talking to our friends in labour, […] our provincial counterparts, our candidates across this country,” said McPherson. “We need to start having those conversations about rebuilding because we have got a road in front of us.”
The forum also asked candidates what they feel is the most important trait in the next leader. Lewis touched on this by saying, “authenticity is actually working in politics, but where we see the authenticity is on a far other side.” He continued, saying, “we are going to get back the voters we lost with our ideas, it is not just some magic messaging formula.”
Across Canada, the NDP has made significant gains in provincial politics in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan. Most recently, Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial House of Assembly gained one seat in this October’s election. St. John’s Sheilagh O’Leary was elected in her riding, capturing 49 per cent of the vote. In an interview with The Argosy, O’Leary said she is following the federal leadership race and highlighted the need for the next leader to “inspire.” “If we do not inspire the public, excite them, […] and want to get them on deck, then we are going to be treading water again.” O’Leary also described how volunteer support in her October campaign may translate into leadership qualities. “We had incredible amounts of volunteers and a renewed interest in the NDP,” said O’Leary. “Certainly we want to grow that throughout our province, and we want to grow it on a federal level, and that is who I am looking to for a leader.”
O’Leary emphasized youth leadership plays a “pivotal role” in inspiring and exciting all ages of Canada’s NDP base. “I want to emphasize how important it is to continue to grow youth caucuses in the school system, to build district associations,” said O’Leary. “These are the building blocks, […] so that people know the NDP is a viable option.”
Mario Levesque, a political science professor at Mt.A, spoke to The Argosy: After Hours podcast about the NDP’s “internal battle” of political positioning and messaging. For Levesque, a question throughout this leadership asks, “should they position themselves on the left, […] very much a social democrat, or more towards the centre, to where they are closer to what the Liberals look like overall.”
Leadership qualities, party stances, and political messaging will be at the forefront of the upcoming NDP leadership debate taking place on Nov. 27 in Montreal. With four months remaining until the leadership election, all five candidates look to make their mark and renew the popularity of Canada’s NDP.