Lost in what otherwise is a fine article is any reference to the modern NDPs affectations with pro Palestinian politics. Both McPherson and Lewis' views on this are well known and will also closely align with the views of young people who get their cues from TikTok and faculty members across many university campuses.
Viewing Israel as a colonial power imposing its oversized will against a weak Gaza society turns history and logic upside down. It's dangerous territory and the front runners need to provide clarity to the Jews in Canada who are fearful for their lives and also to those of us who can't believe the overt antisemitism that is bubbling out into the open.
NDP anti semitism - along with deification of Hamas “martyrs” - will certainly gain the party political points in Quebec where blaming Jews for everything is a centuries-old tradition.
I remain astonished the author chose not to include this discussion in her otherwise excellent article.
The NDP has embraced the putrescent stench of antisemitism, and the results of that decision were shared in the last election.
Not mentioned as well was the supply and confidence travesty, which led to the NDP unconditionally supporting the worst Government since Confederation.
Canadian journalists are prone to be very antagonistic towards "right wing populism", which is firmly rooted in western Canadian culture. Left unspoken is the "left wing populism" of western Canada which through the odd change of garments became the NDP.
As the author notes, the NDP was also built upon prairie pragmatism that dreamed big but realized that incremental change would keep the broader public on side. The radicals who wanted everything NOW would have to put some water in their wine.
The current leadership aspirants could do themselves a big favour and adapt a pragmatic approach that identifies life for ordinary people and addresses their concerns in ways that are tangible and meaningful. The NDP went all in on identity politics, which creates a divisive hierarchy of privilege that is the antithesis of equality and fairness for all. As it stands now, the NDP is not interested in fairness and has taken hostility towards men to new heights with quota targets that discourage men from participating in the leadership race. Petty, shortsighted and arrogant.
I couldn't have said it better! Ironic that the CPC gets slammed for nurturing identity politics when it was actually invented on the left and to this day, still inhabits that spectrum.
Thank you Jag for deep sixing this party. My Dad was a confirmed NDP member for decades and being from Saskatchewan had met Tommy Douglas who he says was a great man and a true leader. My Dad was also a little nuts..so there's that. But anyway, hope the party folds it's tent or else thinks for itself and not a even leftier party than the Liberals. They could go back to their common-sense roots. That might work? nah.
I hail from ‘70s Oshawa and even though I moved from coast to coast with the Navy, and my politics slowly shifted rightwards, I was happy to keep my home electoral district to vote for Ed Broadbent. I was even happier when settling in Ottawa to occasionally bump into him on Elgin Street, and exchange pleasantries as he recognized me (he was retired by then, so my *home* adjusted). If Ashton is the closest they have to a modern-day ed, they’re deservedly sunk.
Rob Ashton has been fairly quiet on the Israel-hating front, not entirely silent, but now that he's in the leadership race, he's Tweeted how "appalled" he is at the treatment of the "aid flotilla" to Gaza that wasn't carrying any aid, presumably to shore up his position with the NDP's antisemitic base.
I'm surprised Tammy Robert doesn't mention Heather Robinson's Israel-bashing, as that's been Robinson's main thing for the past two years. It's what's given her prominence, and probably edges out climate change as the number one obsession of NDP activists.
I hope that McPherson wins it. A Lewis victory would likely sound the death knell for the party as a credible political force.
And I do hope that she tacks away from overt support for either side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Better to focus on domestic politics and the relationship with the United States. There be much political capital to mine on these fronts (and only division on the Israeli-Palestinian front).
That was precisely my point. Take no sides in this, just call on both to work towards peace and be done with it.
No political party in Canada wins by getting itself deep in on this... even the Americans are changing tack, because they resent being manipulated by the Israelis (and because Trump and company see advantage in getting closer to the Gulf states).
We don't play in that league, so best to adopt a reasonable position in favour of peace, and then move quickly to issues that most Canadians are more focused on anyway.
I don’t see much hope for the federal NDP with either of these choices for leader. While Avi is somewhat charismatic, he is way too far left to be successful. He also appears to have no common sense. Heather has no charisma whatsoever and I can’t see her playing on the same field with Carney and Poilievre . Very likely to meet the same fate as McLaughlin and McDonagh.
At this point MacPherson seems the only hope to revive a moribund party. I don't think Canada wants to listen to Lewis and his sermons about the Evil One Per Cent.
Other commenters described well the reasons for the low viability of NDP(2025) as a Canadian political party.
I have nothing good to say about the No Democracy Party of 2025. I wish upon them a crappy insignificant existence and in the end their bones be devoured in the wilderness by wildlife. Soon.
Thanks The Line Editors for curating this piece. I'm glad to be informed. It's kinda depressing hearing about the choices, given the roots of the NDP, and their leaders from other eras . But good to know.
I listened to Althea Raj's Toronto Star podcast talking about this race and interviewing Rob Ashton. I highly recommend people with a hobby in politics listen to it.
Granted, Mr. Ashton is just one of the three candidates, but Mark Carney should be extremely happy with this kind of opposition to his left.
I'll look for interviews with the others, hopefully they're on the same podcast.
OR... how about getting all three lined up for On The Line interviews?
The NDP also have to ask themselves if they're prepared to have a hand in the Conservative Party sometimes running the government. If the answer is no, they would do well to disband their party.
The can pull support away from both LPC & CPC , but everyone knows the most likely outcome of a stronger NDP is a weaker LPC and therefore a more likely Conservative government. In the past, the NDP was okay with this, possibly because they saw both as the "uni-party" and one wasn't much worse than the other.
But if that's changed and a Conservative government is unacceptable, then the NDP should just shut down because it's highly unlikely that a surging NDP will make Conservative governments less likely.
Lost in what otherwise is a fine article is any reference to the modern NDPs affectations with pro Palestinian politics. Both McPherson and Lewis' views on this are well known and will also closely align with the views of young people who get their cues from TikTok and faculty members across many university campuses.
Viewing Israel as a colonial power imposing its oversized will against a weak Gaza society turns history and logic upside down. It's dangerous territory and the front runners need to provide clarity to the Jews in Canada who are fearful for their lives and also to those of us who can't believe the overt antisemitism that is bubbling out into the open.
NDP anti semitism - along with deification of Hamas “martyrs” - will certainly gain the party political points in Quebec where blaming Jews for everything is a centuries-old tradition.
If you are right, John, that bodes well for the Conservatives.
The mark of every society with heavy fascist tendencies. "To protect culture" of course.
This is a wonderful post, Darcy Hickson.
I remain astonished the author chose not to include this discussion in her otherwise excellent article.
The NDP has embraced the putrescent stench of antisemitism, and the results of that decision were shared in the last election.
Not mentioned as well was the supply and confidence travesty, which led to the NDP unconditionally supporting the worst Government since Confederation.
Canadian journalists are prone to be very antagonistic towards "right wing populism", which is firmly rooted in western Canadian culture. Left unspoken is the "left wing populism" of western Canada which through the odd change of garments became the NDP.
As the author notes, the NDP was also built upon prairie pragmatism that dreamed big but realized that incremental change would keep the broader public on side. The radicals who wanted everything NOW would have to put some water in their wine.
The current leadership aspirants could do themselves a big favour and adapt a pragmatic approach that identifies life for ordinary people and addresses their concerns in ways that are tangible and meaningful. The NDP went all in on identity politics, which creates a divisive hierarchy of privilege that is the antithesis of equality and fairness for all. As it stands now, the NDP is not interested in fairness and has taken hostility towards men to new heights with quota targets that discourage men from participating in the leadership race. Petty, shortsighted and arrogant.
I couldn't have said it better! Ironic that the CPC gets slammed for nurturing identity politics when it was actually invented on the left and to this day, still inhabits that spectrum.
Thank you Jag for deep sixing this party. My Dad was a confirmed NDP member for decades and being from Saskatchewan had met Tommy Douglas who he says was a great man and a true leader. My Dad was also a little nuts..so there's that. But anyway, hope the party folds it's tent or else thinks for itself and not a even leftier party than the Liberals. They could go back to their common-sense roots. That might work? nah.
I hail from ‘70s Oshawa and even though I moved from coast to coast with the Navy, and my politics slowly shifted rightwards, I was happy to keep my home electoral district to vote for Ed Broadbent. I was even happier when settling in Ottawa to occasionally bump into him on Elgin Street, and exchange pleasantries as he recognized me (he was retired by then, so my *home* adjusted). If Ashton is the closest they have to a modern-day ed, they’re deservedly sunk.
Rob Ashton has been fairly quiet on the Israel-hating front, not entirely silent, but now that he's in the leadership race, he's Tweeted how "appalled" he is at the treatment of the "aid flotilla" to Gaza that wasn't carrying any aid, presumably to shore up his position with the NDP's antisemitic base.
I'm surprised Tammy Robert doesn't mention Heather Robinson's Israel-bashing, as that's been Robinson's main thing for the past two years. It's what's given her prominence, and probably edges out climate change as the number one obsession of NDP activists.
Brian, you reference "Heather Robinson." Are you referring to Heather McPherson? Or, perhaps to someone else?
Yes, Heather McPherson. Sorry - some wire got crossed in my brain.
Are they still broke? It would seem fitting if insolvency brought down a the party dedicated to the financial ruin of the country.
I hope that McPherson wins it. A Lewis victory would likely sound the death knell for the party as a credible political force.
And I do hope that she tacks away from overt support for either side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Better to focus on domestic politics and the relationship with the United States. There be much political capital to mine on these fronts (and only division on the Israeli-Palestinian front).
Either side?
Miss McPherson has most definitely shown overt support to one side of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
That was precisely my point. Take no sides in this, just call on both to work towards peace and be done with it.
No political party in Canada wins by getting itself deep in on this... even the Americans are changing tack, because they resent being manipulated by the Israelis (and because Trump and company see advantage in getting closer to the Gulf states).
We don't play in that league, so best to adopt a reasonable position in favour of peace, and then move quickly to issues that most Canadians are more focused on anyway.
I don’t see much hope for the federal NDP with either of these choices for leader. While Avi is somewhat charismatic, he is way too far left to be successful. He also appears to have no common sense. Heather has no charisma whatsoever and I can’t see her playing on the same field with Carney and Poilievre . Very likely to meet the same fate as McLaughlin and McDonagh.
Socialism is a proven failure.
At this point MacPherson seems the only hope to revive a moribund party. I don't think Canada wants to listen to Lewis and his sermons about the Evil One Per Cent.
Avi Lewis himself and Naomi Klein belongs to the Evil One Per Cent.
Other commenters described well the reasons for the low viability of NDP(2025) as a Canadian political party.
I have nothing good to say about the No Democracy Party of 2025. I wish upon them a crappy insignificant existence and in the end their bones be devoured in the wilderness by wildlife. Soon.
Thanks The Line Editors for curating this piece. I'm glad to be informed. It's kinda depressing hearing about the choices, given the roots of the NDP, and their leaders from other eras . But good to know.
Does any of them speak French?
Apparently MacPherson can muddle her way through a speech. Hopefully she is taking lessons. Maybe she spend some time in Montreal with Alexandre.
And time with the disarmament fanatics of Poly Se Souvient.
I listened to Althea Raj's Toronto Star podcast talking about this race and interviewing Rob Ashton. I highly recommend people with a hobby in politics listen to it.
Granted, Mr. Ashton is just one of the three candidates, but Mark Carney should be extremely happy with this kind of opposition to his left.
I'll look for interviews with the others, hopefully they're on the same podcast.
OR... how about getting all three lined up for On The Line interviews?
The NDP also have to ask themselves if they're prepared to have a hand in the Conservative Party sometimes running the government. If the answer is no, they would do well to disband their party.
The can pull support away from both LPC & CPC , but everyone knows the most likely outcome of a stronger NDP is a weaker LPC and therefore a more likely Conservative government. In the past, the NDP was okay with this, possibly because they saw both as the "uni-party" and one wasn't much worse than the other.
But if that's changed and a Conservative government is unacceptable, then the NDP should just shut down because it's highly unlikely that a surging NDP will make Conservative governments less likely.