The new leader will aim to rebuild the federal party after historic electoral loss.
The Latest
- Avi Lewis has won the leadership of the federal NDP at the party’s convention in Winnipeg.
- Lewis won 56 per cent of the vote on the first ballot, a decisive victory that slightly outstrips what Jagmeet Singh won in 2017.
- MP Heather McPherson came second in the race. Rob Ashton, Tanille Johnston and Tony McQuail were the other candidates.
- Lewis now has the difficult task of rebuilding a party at a historic low with just six MPs, weak polling and about $13 million of debt.
- “We have a big job of rebuilding to do,” Lewis told CBC’s Rosemary Barton, adding that he does not have a timeline for seeking a seat in the House of Commons.
Updates (latest first)
That’s a wrap
Avi Lewis, who was proclaimed as the new leader of the NDP, speaks at the party convention in Winnipeg Sunday. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)
That’s all for our live coverage of Avi Lewis’s resounding NDP leadership win.
He takes over a party at a historic low point, and he acknowledges it will take a lot of work to mount a comeback. But he also said the party has “tremendous momentum” after the weekend’s convention.
“New Democrats know that we’re on our way back,” he told our Rosemary Barton in an interview shortly after his victory speech to party faithful in Winnipeg.
How Lewis rebuilds the party from here — and deals with the criticism we’ve already seen from some of his provincial counterparts — is a story we’ll be following here in the weeks and months to come.
March 29 · 1:33 PM EDT — Delegates optimistic for NDP’s future
I’m Ian Froese. I cover provincial politics in Manitoba, where the NDP is the governing party.
I’ve spoken to a few delegates in the crowd here in Winnipeg since Avi Lewis was named the NDP’s new leader.
Toronto resident Zhanina Bregu called it emotional to watch Lewis on stage talking proudly and openly about democratic socialism and wanting public ownership of grocery stores and telecommunication providers.
“I haven’t heard any of our leaders in our country talking like that, really in my lifetime,” she said. “I’m excited that a lot of young people, which I count myself in, supported him and are energized by this direction that the party is taking.”
Bregu, decked out in various pins — including one reading “socialism is the big tent” — said Lewis’s ability to attract new members and raise as much money as the rest of the NDP leadership field shows his broad appeal.
Toby Sanger, a Quebecer living in the Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi riding, believes there’s an opening on Canada’s left flank for Lewis’s policies. He says Prime Minister Mark Carney has “gone a lot further right than I think a lot of people expected, and with increasing inequalities and people struggling and what they’ve seen south of the border … people are looking for a bold new vision.”
One Heather McPherson supporter is taking her defeat in stride. Raphaël Émond, who ran for the NDP in the Quebec riding of Chicoutimi-Le Fjord in the 2025 campaign, liked that McPherson already had a seat in the House of Commons — but he believes Lewis is up for the challenge.
“He’ll be pushing for progressive ideas that I think will be able to revive the NDP not only in Quebec but across Canada.”
March 29 · 1:31 PM EDT — Poilievre congratulates Lewis
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre is sending his congratulations to Avi Lewis for a decisive win.
“I look forward to working to hold the Carney Liberals to account for the worst grocery price inflation and fastest-shrinking economy in the G7,” Poilievre said on social media.
“We must make Canada affordable and safe for us all.”
March 29 · 1:17 PM EDT — Danielle Smith takes a shot at Nenshi after Lewis’s win
Despite Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi’s desire to separate himself from Avi Lewis, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith won’t let him off that easily.
On social media, the premier highlighted a section of the Alberta NDP’s constitution where it notes “the party shall constitute a section of the New Democratic Party of Canada.”
“The truth is, the Alberta NDP has a long track record of opposing pipelines and energy development. Their extreme views are a danger to jobs and affordability,” Smith said.
“The UCP will never stop fighting against radical forces, including the Alberta NDP, who want to shut down our economy and keep our resources in the ground.”
March 29 · 1:16 PM EDT
B.C. MP Gord Johns told CBC that the NDP caucus is meeting this afternoon with Lewis. Johns had endorsed McPherson during the leadership race, but said he thinks the party has momentum coming out of this convention.
March 29 · 12:50 PM EDT — Carney congratulates Lewis on his victory
In a social media post, Prime Minister Mark Carney congratulated Lewis on his victory and said he looks forward to “speaking about how we can work together to keep delivering for Canadians.”
Carney also thanked former interim NDP leader Don Davies for his service and for his work “to create new opportunities together for Canadian workers.”
March 29 · 12:10 PM EDT — When will Lewis run for a seat in the House of Commons?
Lewis tells Rosemary Barton that running for a seat in the House of Commons is not his top priority right now.
“It’s very important, but it’s not the primary importance right now this second,” he said. “There is a big country out here and we have a big job of rebuilding to do.”
Lewis would not commit to a time frame, but he said he wants to travel across Canada and build up the party. He added that the energy at the convention is “slightly out of sync with the portrayal of a party in the wilderness. New Democrats know we’re on our way back.”
March 29 · 12:09 PM EDT — Lewis touts mandate as Alberta, Saskatchewan NDP leaders express concern
In an interview with CBC’s chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton, Lewis said he has a large mandate from the NDP membership and he has the responsibility to be consistent on his positions, even as provincial NDP leaders express concern about his oil and gas policies.
In a letter, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck is calling Lewis’s position on oil and gas development “ideological and unrealistic” and she won’t meet with him until he reverses his stance.
Lewis said he “welcomes hard conversations” and he looks forward to speaking with Beck “when she’s ready.” He also said he’s cheering for Nenshi and hopes he will prevail against Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
March 29 · 11:51 AM EDT — How will Lewis pay for his promises?
The new NDP leader is taking that question head on in his victory speech, arguing Canada is awash in wealth and that Canadians “can have nice things.”
“Oil companies are expecting a new windfall in the tens of billions. Grocery baron Galen Weston [Jr.] alone is worth $20 billion. It is time, far past time, to properly tax the corporations and billionaires that have been riding a tidal wave of profits,” Lewis told the convention.
“The money is there,” he declared. “We need a government with the courage to go and get it for all of us.”
March 29 · 11:46 AM EDT — Lewis hugs McPherson after win
I was at the very front of the convention centre when Avi Lewis was declared the winner. There was a lot of noticeable energy from his supporters, but the cheering was not from everyone.
All the candidates were in the front row. When Lewis won, he turned to hug his biggest opponent Heather McPherson. She smiled, and was composed, but you could sense she was disappointed. There were tears in the eyes of some McPherson supporters.
Lewis invited the other candidates and caucus members on stage, but it certainly was not how McPherson had hoped to take the stage today.