B.C. expected to play 'extremely important' role as federal NDP faces uncertain future

Kelowna, B.C., resident and former federal NDP candidate Cade Desjarlais sees the party in "disarray."

Desjarlais, who ran for the NDP in Kelowna-Lake Country in 2021 but voted for the successful Liberal candidate in the redrawn riding of Kelowna last month, said the NDP needed a working-class reset, a leader in that mould and a focus on British Columbia.

"It's almost like the final frontier for the NDP out here," he said.

"I think that realistically, that B.C. will play an extremely important role in forming the future of the party."

B.C. is home to three of the party's meagre parliamentary caucus of seven, including interim leader Don Davies. It is also one of just two provinces governed by a New Democrat, Premier David Eby, the other being Manitoba under Premier Wab Kinew.

Other NDP members and former political staffers agree that despite the devastating outcome of last month's election — which saw the party's parliamentary ranks reduced by 18 from the 25 seats won in 2021, and its popular vote collapse by 59 per cent — a renewal is not beyond reach, if the right leader is found.

WATCH | Western provinces may be key to NDP's rebuild:

The federal NDP just suffered its worst election result ever – winning only seven seats and six per cent of the vote. But at the provincial level, it’s a different story. The NDP is in power in both B.C. and Manitoba. CBC Calgary’s Rob Brown looks at whether a national rebuild could revolve around the NDP’s strength in the West.

Geoff Meggs, former chief of staff to Eby's predecessor, the late John Horgan, said while the situation for the federal NDP was "very worrisome" and required "a lot of action," millions of Canadians have routinely voted for the party.

"We have a very strong record of success and a big, big pool of voters in Canada, when you consider the provincial scene," he said. "We are Opposition or government in Western Canada, Opposition in Ontario, Opposition in Nova Scotia. But we formed government in most of those provinces at some point."

Canadians who voted for the NDP in the past may do so again "if the right leader comes along," Meggs said.

Jagmeet Singh lost his riding and resigned as leader but the "damage was done," Desjarlais said.

"You can't really be seen as a symbol of the working-class when you are walking around the airport with a Versace bag or a Gucci bag, whatever the case may be," he said, referring to a sighting of Singh with a designer tote outside a Toronto hotel in 2023.

Kareem Allam, a member of the B.C. NDP and founding partner of Richardson Strategy Group, said the party had done "extremely well" when it positioned itself as the voice of workers.

"We saw that with John Horgan, we saw it with [former federal NDP leader] Jack Layton, and as they start to drift away from that labour vote, that working person … the worse they do," he said.

"I think that is going to be the defining feature of the next leadership race," Allam said, adding that "a lot of working-class people" have found a comfortable home with the federal Conservatives.

So who should be the next federal NDP leader?

Meggs said they should have prior experience in elected politics, "ideally" be proficient in French and be familiar with national issues.

He said "there is no doubt" former Alberta premier Rachel Notley "would be a really formidable leader" for the federal party.

"I don't know if she's interested in doing it, but she is exactly the kind of person who I think could bring new energy and new eyes to the job."

Meggs also pointed to Heather McPherson, Alberta's lone New Democratic MP.

Eby has ruled himself out, but said he hopes the future leader will look to his administration and that of Kinew for inspiration on how to form government and approach key policy questions.

Meggs said the next federal leader must be in it for the long haul, given the challenges facing the party.

He said a leader from Western Canada could help the party reconnect with voters, but "may lack an understanding of some of the specific issues facing people in Quebec and in Eastern Canada."

Allam, meanwhile, said the leader should ideally be from Quebec or Western Canada.

Looming over the future of the party is U.S. President Donald Trump and the challenge of dealing with him and his tariffs.

Meggs said the party must learn how to speak to recent immigrants, a more urgent task with the threat of Trump.

"What does it take to forge a stronger country, a more effective national response to the challenge of Trump?" he said. "It won't be the decision or action of a single person. They are going to have to consult and draw in a lot of people into that work as well."

Desjarlais said it was precisely the threat of Trump that contributed to his vote for Liberal Stephen Fuhr, whom he considered a strong MP from a previous stint.

"But the major piece as well was, who was going to deal with Donald Trump? It was really a question of leadership."