NDP leadership candidates make first pitch to voters, pledging ‘straight talk’ amid ‘hard’ rebuild ahead

NDP Leadership Candidates, left-to-right, Tanille Johnston, Avi Lewis, Tony McQuail, Heather McPherson, Rob Ashton and President of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Bea Bruske pose for a family photo ahead of the NDP Leadership forum in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

The five confirmed candidates vying to become the next NDP leader had their first official chance to pitch themselves to the party faithful tonight, taking turns to share their vision for the future of the party, at a forum in Ottawa.

The New Democratic Party-sanctioned event – hosted by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the largest labour organization in the country – was billed as a “worker-first forum,” and the evening’s line of questioning from moderator and CLC president Bea Bruske stuck to that focus.

Noting how all political parties are now courting working-class votes, Bruske led 10-minute long one-on-one “armchair discussions” with each candidate about how they intend to “deliver real results for working people.”

Throughout the night, candidates sought to draw contrast to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and while not naming him, their former leader, Jagmeet Singh.

Taking place in the same hotel event space overlooking Parliament Hill where Singh launched the NDP’s last federal election campaign, rows of supporters, caucus members, union leaders and former top party officials listened in as each candidate spoke. More than 1,000 others tuned in online.

NDP will run country one day: Ashton

Rob Ashton, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and longtime British Columbia dockworker, was first – the order was drawn at random in advance – and said his message to working people is “it’s about time that we actually start looking for jobs for Canadians.”

Framing himself as the working-class candidate, Ashton said he thinks the party has to be “passionately defensive” of workers, and as someone with a reputation for being “unapologetically loud,” that’s what he’d do as leader.

Ashton said if he wins, he’d prioritize going into places party leadership may be uncomfortable, to have “hard” conversations with Canadians and build support in regions the party hasn’t historically had strength.

“One day the NDP will run this country,” Ashton said.

‘Pivotal moment’ for party, country: McPherson

Next up was Alberta MP Heather McPherson, the only caucus member in the race. She started off stating how she thinks it is a “pivotal moment” both for the party and the country, and it’s crucial Canadians understand the challenges they’re facing.

Noting the long road of rebuilding ahead, McPherson said she thinks the most important trait the next leader needs to have is “they have to be hard working,” as well as motivated to do what it’ll take to get more MPs elected.

“I don’t need to win with 62 per cent of the vote. I need to get more New Democrats elected. We need to win in more seats,” she said.

After hearkening back to her campaign kick-off messaging about “opening doors and building a bigger table,” when asked what word she’d use to describe the future of labour, McPherson said: “together,” to applause.

‘I know I’m the underdog’: McQuail

The third candidate to be questioned was U.S.-born, Ontario-based organic farmer and repeat party candidate Tony McQuail, who stated early on: “I know I’m the underdog in this.”

He said that, should he garner the support needed to win the race, he’d quickly reach out to the other leadership candidates for guidance, but he’d also look to meet with other party leaders and see if they could find a path to work together before another election.

McQuail also spoke about the impact artificial intelligence is having on workers, and expressed worry about “who’s programming the AI.” Leaning into his campaign pitch to address “the root causes of inequality and environmental collapse,” he said the economy needs to be “redesigned” to work fairly and include “sensible transition programs.”

Lewis pledges ‘straight talk’ with workers

Then it was Avi Lewis’ turn. The Vancouver-based documentary filmmaker and co-author of the Leap Manifesto started out speaking French, the only candidate to do so. He said his campaign is focused on “the everyday emergency of just trying to get by in an impossible economy.”

Lewis said he thinks “it’s time for some straight talk,” and a leader that takes “big swings,” targeting Canada’s wealth concentration. Not a stranger to calling out what he sees as challenges the party has had in the past, on Wednesday he also said work needs to be done to change how NDP riding associations are feeling.

“They feel neglected. They feel under resourced. They could be 343 community organizing hubs, 365 days a year, and the party has to start valuing the base, not just for as an ATM, not just for a show, but for actual ideas that will fix problems in communities,” he said.

When he was asked what he thinks the future of the labour movement is, his answer was “general strike,” which went over well with the audience.

‘Inclusion isn’t just a word’: Johnston

The youngest candidate in the running, Tanille Johnston – Campbell River, B.C. city councillor, registered social worker and past NDP candidate – was was the last to take the stage. She led with saying that workers need to hear that the NDP “is invested in building a strategy that’s going to help us win.”

Johnston also pitched setting up free memberships to help grow the party, stating that, in order to do so, it needs to be more accessible. She also said that in her view, the next leader “really needs to have a ton of energy, a ton of commitment, the ability to see and hear across diverse spectrums.”

She also spoke about how in her view, “inclusion isn’t just a word. It’s a verb. You need to activate inclusion. You need to live that. You need to demonstrate it day in and day out.”

She noted that, as an Indigenous woman, she embodies those qualities and feels that she is “positioned to have an opportunity to build this party and to structure it in a way that’s going to enable that victory in the next election.”

Not a debate, two showdowns to come

After Wednesday night’s program wrapped, the candidates took to the stage chanting “NDP!” a sign of how the forum was largely a warm-up for the first official debate of the leadership race, which is scheduled for Nov. 27, in Montreal. While the format has yet to be released, the party has confirmed it will be “held majority in French.”

In order to continue on as a candidate, the hopefuls must pay a $100,000 entry fee, in four installments, and the second payment of $25,000 is due two weeks before the first debate.

Chief Electoral Officer for the NDP leadership race Éric Hébert-Daly said the debate will be another opportunity for the candidates to “share their vision, their values, and the issues they want to bring forward to members across the country.”

The deadline for candidates to have submitted all documentation and fees needed to appear on the ballot is January 1 and spporters to be enrolled as “a member in good standing” in order to cast a ballot, by January 28.

A second leadership debate – likely to be largely in English – will be held in Winnipeg in February.

Seven-month search to replace Singh

The race to replace Singh got underway in September and will culminate in spring 2026, with the declaration of a winner on March 29 at the NDP’s national convention in Winnipeg.

Singh stepped down on election night in April, after a tough campaign in which he lost his seat and the NDP lost official party status after repeatedly downplaying the potential of an NDP collapse in support.

When he announced his intentions, Singh said he would officially leave once an interim leader was named. That happened in May, seeing the New Democrats name Davies to be leader in the interim.

Over the summer the party embarked on a post-defeat soul searching described as a “review and renewal process” to “help shape a path forward for the party to continue delivering real relief for Canadians.”

Davies said Tuesday that it was “a very exciting time,” for the party.

“We have a chance to reimagine what a strong, progressive NDP looks like at the federal level. I think Canadians are very clear they don’t want to have a U.S.-style, two party system. So having a third party focused on the interests of working families is important.”