NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY
LEADER JAGMEET SINGH FOUNDED 1961 SITTING MPS 41
When the NDP chose Jagmeet Singh as their new leader in October 2017, they wanted to position themselves as a party that reflected all of Canada. The first non-white leader of a national party, he was supposed to represent the diversity of the country, appealing to immigrants who, as he said, “didn’t see themselves reflected in government.” A young, energetic leader who biked to work and competed in martial arts, he had the potential to be a charismatic breath of fresh air.
It’s been two years, and we’ve yet to see that kind of leader emerge. A big problem for Singh has been his near invisibility on the national scene. He didn’t win a seat in Parliament until late February, and his absence left the party without a voice in Ottawa. Even when he did speak on issues, he seemed unprepared, leaving many concerned that he lacked the experience and depth to be a national party leader.
Another challenge facing Singh is that his party is being squeezed on two sides, with both the Liberals and Greens cherry-picking NDP platforms. This has left the NDP boxed in and struggling to find a platform that stands out from the others.
As a result, in May, NDP support in many polls had bottomed out to 15 per cent, well behind the Conservatives and Liberals and only three points up on the Green Party.
The party’s main support base lies in Quebec, where it has 15 seats. To build or even hold this base, Singh will have to navigate the unique politics in that province where the government has recently passed legislation banning civil servants from wearing religious symbols and clothing. Banned symbols include religious head scarves, crosses, skullcaps – and turbans.
THE ECONOMY
The NDP shapes its economic philosophy to play to unions and lower-income or disenfranchised Canadians. To make the rich pay (what they deem) to be their fair share, the NDP would boost the top marginal tax rates and institute a new one per cent wealth tax on those worth more than $20 million.