Why I'm Endorsing Avi Lewis for NDP Leader
His Democratic Socialist Platform is what Canada Needs
This has been a fascinating Federal NDP leadership contest, and I want to stress that I have been broadly impressed by all the candidates. Each has made a valiant case for why they should lead. Tanille Johnston and Tony McQuail have each highlighted issues and communities that are deeply under-served, both within the NDP structure and wider Canadian society. Heather McPherson has championed a progressive vision for Canada’s foreign policy during this contest and her wider time as NDP foreign affairs critic. And Rob Ashton has brought an essential perspective as a labour leader to the race, along side bold policies to increase worker power in Canada
All would be credible leaders in their own right, but I feel Avi Lewis is best poised to improve the NDP’s standing, challenge corporate power in Canada, and build a socialist vision to fight back against Trump’s assault on our country. While I could speak to many things, I want to highlight a few key strengths of Lewis that set him apart from the field.
First, Lewis has demonstrated some real organizational prowess. He’s had large rallies across the country, bringing in sizeable and energetic crowds. But Lewis has also succeeded in the realm of fundraising. Often, New Democrats treat fundraising as a 4-letter word, but the reality is that you need at least a decent sum of money to compete, even if you don’t quite match capitalist party coffers. In this context, Lewis has already raised more money than Jagmeet Singh did in his 2017 leadership contest, when the NDP was a much higher point in the polls, with many more seats in Parliament. Lewis’ campaign reports raising $783,000, and that was as of the end of 2025. It’s likely a decent bit higher now.
This to be fair is notably less than Carney raised in his Liberal leadership run. But it’s enough that Lewis has demonstrated a capacity to build a war chest and campaign machine, which bodes well in a general election.
Second, Lewis has made it clear he understands the flaws of our political status quo, and how that’s rooted in our First Past the Post system. He has made a commitment to ensure proportional representation is a priority in any minority parliament negotiations with him as leader. This is critical, because many Canadians feel trapped by FPTP, and how it forces them to vote out of fear, rather than hope. FPTP also intensifies regional conflict in Canada, because progressives don’t have a voice in rural Alberta, while Conservatives don’t have a voice in urban Montreal.
Making this a priority ensures that the Liberals will be forced to reckon with their hypocrisy on “strategic voting:” that if they want to scaremonger Canadians about the dangers of a false Conservative majority, the only way to actually solve that is by working with the NDP. And if they continue to preserve the FPTP status quo, it becomes clear they are fine risking a Poilievre majority that their base clearly opposes.
Third, Lewis is only candidate even marginally prepared to communicate in both official languages. Now, to be clear, Lewis himself admits he has work to do in this regard, but among the 5 candidates, he has the most developed ability to speak in French, and this is essential in trying to win back support in Quebec, as well as setting the narrative of a viable national campaign. In my recent interview with him, he made immersing himself in French a first priority upon winning the leadership.
Finally, and most importantly, Lewis understands Canadians need economic democracy to challenge the power corporations—foreign and domestic—have over our lives. Carney made hay in the 2025 election by referring to Canadians as “co-owners” of the country. But he doesn’t actually mean that. Because his ideology is centred around private power dominating the public arena. Of capitalists—including American capitalists cozy to Trump—deciding our fate even if we oppose it. Of his government teaming up with corporations to crush workers’ right to strike at record speed in violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
But Lewis seeks to make this rhetoric a reality by massively increasing the role of worker and public ownership of the economy. By ensuring that the Canadian people have the economic tools to resist the power of both Bay Street AND Wall Street. In many ways, Lewis offers us a modern vision of what CCF-NDP at its best has stood for: a belief that we can use economic planning and solidarity to build a cooperative commonwealth for all Canadians.
And make no mistake: this is also the way to defeat Trumpism. Carney’s approach is mostly to appease Trump and gesture to dissidence occasionally. We get speeches about a ‘post-USA global framework’, but Carney still defers to Trump on everything from war crimes in Venezuela to our domestic tax policy.
Carney and Poilievre, in short, want to make Canada more like America: more trickle-down economics, more tax cuts for the wealthy, and more cuts to public services. But you don’t defeat American domination by trying to out Wall Street Wall Street. You defeat it by being the antithesis of Trumpist America, and a democratic socialist Canada under Avi Lewis and the NDP is a important first step
So if you want build a Canada that’s Strong, Free, and Just, join me in supporting Avi.
sign up as a member of the NDP before January 28th, 2026. You can do so here for $5.