NDP byelection results and Avi Lewis
Higgins: Welcome back. In the wake of this week’s three federal byelections, we’ve discussed the road forward for the Carney government now that it has a majority, and what lies ahead for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre after losing MPs to floor crossings. But what about Avi Lewis and the NDP?
Canadians did not elect a majority government, and if they end up with one largely through floor crossings, it feels wrong and I think Canadians are disturbed by this.
While no new NDP MPs were elected Monday, the party’s vote share was up in both Ontario ridings. The New Democrats also had their parliamentary funding reinstated this week after losing official party status in the federal election nearly a year ago.
Najib, what’s to be made of how the NDP fared in Monday’s byelections, even in comparison to the Conservatives?
Jud: I think it’s too early to make this a referendum on Avi Lewis. He just became leader. But I do think we saw some positive signs for the NDP in these byelections. They did double their vote in Rosedale. I think a good showing overall. The NDP has to fight its way out of the wilderness, which it was left in by the last leader — becoming a party of consultants and corporates rather than a worker party. And the more they describe Avi Lewis as a radical, I think the more attractive it is for people who are looking for that radical left party that the NDP is supposed to be. It’s supposed to be our worker party. It’s supposed to be the Labour Party of Canada, and it’s long lost its way. I think we need strong opposition. I’m a big believer in that and the NDP is part of that opposition.
I don’t agree with Mr. Lewis that the floor crossings are not what Albertans or Canadians voted for. At the end of the day, the Liberals are doing what they have to do to attract people to their party. That’s not an accusation against the Liberals — it’s against the Conservatives, who can’t seem to hold on to their MPs because they have an unattractive leader who should have resigned and appointed a new leader who would have instilled confidence in the Conservative party.
Higgins: John, on that point of leadership — it was late last month that the New Democrats picked their new leader. Anything to read into the results where Avi Lewis is concerned?
Santos: Probably not. He was the front runner. I think it was always a tough road for Heather McPherson to climb to beat him. But I think if the party members were smart, they would have voted for McPherson. The irony is that Avi Lewis is perceived to be this far-left radical that may as well have been a Marxist university professor, whereas the NDP leader who was most successful federally was Jack Layton, who actually had a PhD but was seen as a man of the people.
And I think this is the difficulty that Avi Lewis has ahead of him. He is from the far-left wing of the party — and Najib says that folks on the left are looking for that, perhaps — but part of the success of the federal Liberals has been because Mark Carney has been very pragmatic. The fact that he’s been able to pull floor crossers from both the Conservatives and the New Democrats shows a very pragmatic approach to politics. And I think Canadians want to see politicians work together. They want to see politicians looking for practical solutions and not spouting off whatever stereotypical ideological message that leaders like Pierre Poilievre like to spout off. So I think if Avi Lewis thinks that he’s going to grow the NDP by being the Pierre Poilievre of the left, he’s sadly mistaken, and the NDP will continue to be irrelevant on the federal scene.
Higgins: Najib, no byelection wins this week — but how big of a win is it for the NDP caucus to have its parliamentary funding reinstated, one year after losing official party status?
Jud: I’m kind of torn on that. They only have six seats. They did lose official party status — they need 12 seats for that. And I think that should be reflected in funding. But on the other hand, I think we need a strong opposition. We need more than one opposition party. We need a strong opposition party, and it’s good for democracy. It’s good for Canadians to have those options and choices. So if that helps them in terms of funding, I think that’s a good thing.
And I will disagree with John. As politics keeps moving to the centre and everybody’s catering to this mythical centrist voter — you have centre-right and centre-left parties in these duopolies that exist in different countries, including Canada — I do think you need an anchor on the left. And I think the NDP members chose rightly, and I think it’s reflective of what they see missing in representation: those true leftist values, those true progressive values that parties like the Liberals and Democrats around the world have left behind, orphaning that base. People who truly want working-class representation. I think that’s why they chose Avi Lewis. And as much as they’re going to try to paint him as a Marxist and a communist, I think if he does his job right — if he communicates his ideas properly — he can dispel a lot of that narrative.
Higgins: All right, gentlemen, we’re out of time. Have to leave it there. Great to see you both. Thank you for this.
Santos/Jud: Thank you.