Leadership hopeful Lewis vows NDP will rise from ashes

NDP leadership hopeful Avi Lewis pledged that the rebirth of the federal party is underway, as he spoke in downtown Winnipeg ahead of this weekend’s convention.

“We are in an incredibly consequential moment in Canadian history, and we have gathered here in Winnipeg this weekend to let the country know that the NDP’s comeback has already begun,” he told scores of supporters seated in the pews of the Knox United Church at 400 Edmonton St., in the heart of downtown.

That message marked the beginning of a roughly half-hour speech in which Lewis outlined his vision for the future of a federal party that suffered significant loss in last year’s election and lost official party status.

Lewis tried to galvanize attendees by talking about fighting against corporate greed, the privatization of public health care and the ever-rising cost of groceries. He took aim at the Liberal government, saying it has shifted to the right under Prime Minister Mark Carney.

After criticizing his political opponents for their stances on defence spending, pipelines and artificial intelligence, Lewis offered the NDP as an alternative option.

“We are in a moment where we need to choose what kind of party we want to be. Canada needs to choose what kind of country it wants to be because we are at a crossroads and the way forward is wide open if we choose it,” he said.

Speaking to reporters after the rally, Lewis described Winnipeg as “ground zero for the cost-of-living emergency.”

“This city knows what suffering looks like when everything is too expensive,” he said.

“I think Winnipeggers know that there’s a lot of wealth in this country that’s stuck at the top and we need a federal government who’s going to go and get it and invest in universal public services.”

The convention is set to open in Winnipeg Friday, during which New Democrats will debate as many as 70 policy proposals covering a raft of issues from clean energy to electoral reform.

Premier Wab Kinew is slated to take the stage during the event, and Lewis said he looks forward to seeing him.

“I have a very warm relationship with Wab. We’ve been friends for many years,” Lewis said.

“Wab is an extraordinarily talented politician. The most popular politician in Canada right now, and frankly, as a newcomer to the federal scene, I’m excited to spend time around the guy and see how he does it.”

Kinew has not publicly endorsed any leadership candidate, but at least one member of the provincial NDP, Lagimodière MLA Tyler Blashko, attended Thursday’s rally.

Winnipeg Centre MP Leah Gazan, meanwhile, has endorsed Lewis and helped emcee the event.

Kinew and Lewis have some differences about their views on policy. Notably, Kinew has endorsed the Liberals’ pledge to meet NATO spending targets, while Lewis said he does not agree.

“We need a modern military. We need a functioning armed forces. I’m for all of that. I just think that setting an arbitrary target… it doesn’t actually tell a story about what it is we’re getting for all of that money,” he said.

Asked about Kinew’s decision to implement a one-year freeze on the provincial gas tax following the party’s election victory in 2023, Lewis said he viewed that as a practical measure and not a move toward fossil fuel expansion.

“That’s not an ideological question, it’s a practical question of what is the federal government doing about these things and that’s where we’ve offered solutions. They’re not going to be the same as Wab Kinew’s solutions,” he said.

“There are always going to be differences, and I think that’s the beauty of it.”

The New Democrats will decide their new leader Sunday.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca