Tomorrow marks the last day you can join the NDP in order to be able to vote for their next leader in March. This race is a critical time given the NDP’s worst performance ever last April and – for full disclosure – was the first time I didn’t vote for that party. A sentiment many other lifelong NDP supporters shared. There are five official candidates in this race who are the following:
I will briefly go over these candidates and explain why I chose to support Avi Lewis.
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| A screen grab from the January 10 debate with Avi Lewis, Tony McQuail, Rob Ashton, Heather McPherson, and Tanille Johnston. Mike Layton and MPP Doly Begun (left) moderated the debate. |
Among the five contenders, Heather McPherson is the only one who’s currently an MP and one of only seven in the current caucus. I find she is very effective in the House of Commons, including championing Palestinian rights. She did a decent job during the January 10 debate hosted by ONDY (Ontario New Democratic Youth) and the NDP’s Toronto Area Council earlier this month and has called for good things such as declaring a housing emergency and rebuilding the party’s riding associations. However, she lacks the energy that’s needed to get voters’ attention and may be seen as too status quo to some folks out there.
Rob Ashton stands out when it comes to workers’ issues; being a longshore worker and a union official which led to some labour leaders backing him. He did have some initial traction, but I find he fell flat with his attacking Avi and having to issue an apology over the use of AI generated content. He was the only candidate who didn’t participate in a recent debate focused on Palestine, while he struggled on issues that were not labour related.
One thing that stood out for this campaign was the tag teaming of Tanille Johnston and Tony McQuail who helped each other accomplish their monthly fundraising deadlines; something which Avi and Rob also lent a hand with. While Tony has a down-to-earth persona, is focused on environmental issues (which is my top priority), and has supported co-operation between the Greens, NDP, and Bloc, his lack of fundraising limited his ability to tour the country and he lacked the confidence other candidates had.
If there’s one candidate I would like to see take another shot when the NDP needs to go through this leadership process again, it’s Tanille Johnston. I thought she delivered solid arguments during that ONDY debate and she brought the house down when she said eggplant was her most used emoji! 🤣 I also appreciated how she was able to bring her Indigenous upbringing and experiences during this race. While she was able to at least do some travel to the Maritimes and other parts of Canada, she lacks the resources Avi, Heather, and Rob have this time around.
Which then leads us to Avi Lewis.
The Lewis name is a legacy within NDP circles with Avi’s father Stephen Lewis being a former Ontario NDP leader (and philanthropist), while his grandfather David Lewis was a former leader of the federal NDP and was with the party since its founding in 1961. Even so, Avi has come into his own element by being one of the co-founders of the Leap Manifesto for climate action along with his wife Naomi Klein and is THE champion of climate action in the race including his experience as a UBC professor who teaches climate justice. His record on Palestine was also solid given he co-authored a report on tracking statements of Zionist organizations such as CIJA, while being a Jewish person against the Gaza genocide lends additional credibility to the cause.
Having attended a couple of events for Avi Lewis – including Saturday’s “town hall” rally at Lee’s Palace – I find he has been able to channel the energy of high-profile American progressives like Senator Bernie Sanders, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. If you want a Canadian example, it would be premature to call him a modern-day Jack Layton just yet, but he just might be able to pull this off. Not just for his energy and focus on climate action, but he has proposed bold solutions such as public options for groceries and telecom, head to toe healthcare (including mental health), and has recently called for a moratorium on AI. As far as endorsements go, I find Avi is leading this front by a wide margin, though Heather was able to get a fair number herself. Finally, his French is the best among the candidates which will be critical to rebuilding the party’s presence dans la belle province, but I would encourage him to keep practicing.
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| Inside Lee's Palace for Saturday's Avi Lewis event |
As we have seen since last April, the near collapse of the NDP has led to the Liberals under Mark Carney being considerably more conservative than under his predecessor Justin Trudeau. While I do appreciate Prime Minister Carney’s no-nonsense approach given the numerous threats from Donald Trump, Canada NEEDS a strong NDP in order to hold Carney and the Liberals accountable, as well as ensure progressives can maintain (and build on) their gains.
With the membership deadline tomorrow, I encourage you to please join the NDP – if you aren’t a member of another party – and support Avi Lewis. If you can get your friends and family to do the same, even better!
LET’S DO THIS! 😉
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