OTTAWA — The NDP national council is expected to meet Thursday evening to continue work on rules for the upcoming leadership race to replace Jagmeet Singh.
Some in the party, including former MPs, say the race will help cover the party’s campaign debt through increased fundraising efforts.
But former party staffers and MPs behind the group Reclaim Canada’s NDP are encouraging party members to shift their donations away from the central party to local electoral associations in an attempt to bolster the NDP’s grassroots.
Former B.C. NDP MP Rachel Blaney says the central party can take “a bit of a hit” to boost local resources and grow the party base.
Jordan Leichnitz, a former senior NDP strategist, says this is a “self-sabotaging” effort because riding associations can’t win elections without the central party apparatus.
The NDP received more than $3 million in rebates from Elections Canada after the 2019 and 2021 campaigns, but fewer than 50 NDP candidates secured the necessary 10 per cent of a riding’s vote to be eligible for rebates this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2025.
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
