NDP Leadership Candidates Prioritize Grassroots Over Parliament

0:00This is Canada News Today, powered by AI and presented by the Daily News Now. 4 out of 5 candidates in the Federal New Democratic Party leadership race say they won't rush to win a seat in the House of Commons if elected. Leader next week, Filmmaker Avi Lewis, Union leader Rob Ashton, Farmer Tony McQuale, and social worker Taneel Johnston all prioritize building the party's grassroots. Support ahead of the next election. These candidates argue that strengthening local writing associations, nominating candidates early, and reconnecting with voters face to face are more. Urgent than jumping into Parliament right away, they want to focus on ground level organizing to boost volunteer turnout and trust in the party. The only sitting member of Parliament in the race, Heather McPherson, calls this stance a little odd. She's won her Edmonton seat three times and believes the leader's key job is to hold the government accountable in question period from day one while still tending to grassroots efforts. McPherson's team has raised concerns about Lewis's past role in the elite manifesto, a 2015 policy paper pushing for clean energy that her provincial NDP campaigns in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

1:12Lewis dismisses revisiting old debates and stresses current solutions for Canadians. All candidates plan to run in the next federal election, regardless of upcoming by elections on April 13th. Voting wraps up on March 28th with the new leader announced the next day in Winnipeg, keeping the party's momentum alive.