2017 New Democratic Party Leadership Election

In 2017, the New Democratic Party held a leadership election to choose a successor to Tom Mulcair. The election was triggered by Mulcair having lost a leadership review at the party's federal convention held in Edmonton, Alberta, on April 10, 2016, which resulted in a majority of delegates voting in favor of holding a new leadership election. Mulcair declined to partake in the subsequent leadership election and stated that he would remain leader until the party chose a replacement.

Four candidates were on the leadership ballot: Charlie Angus, Niki Ashton, Guy Caron, and Jagmeet Singh. The voting process occurred on Sunday, October 1, 2017. Every party member was entitled to cast a secret vote in the leadership election using either a ranked ballot and Instant-runoff voting, or potentially repeated rounds of voting under exhaustive voting, with each member being able to choose one format or the other for their vote. Had no candidate received a majority of votes in the first round of voting, the least-popular candidate would have been dropped and an additional vote count held once a week until October 15, 2017 or until a candidate received a majority of votes.

Singh, the only non-MP in the race, formally announced his candidacy for the leadership on May 15, 2017. Singh received the support of 11 MPs, the most of any candidate, including former leadership candidates Nathan Cullen and Peter Julian, in addition to the support of major labour unions such as the United Food and Commercial Workers. Media attention surrounding his campaign noted the fact that, if elected, Singh would be the first visible minority person to lead a major federal party, as well as the first of the Sikh faith.

Singh was elected in the first round, with 53.8% of the votes, thus rendering the need for subsequent rounds of voting unnecessary. Following his election as leader, Singh appointed former leadership rival Guy Caron to serve as the New Democratic Party's Parliamentary Leader.

Background

The result at the 2016 convention was the first time a leader of any Canadian federal political party has failed to receive at least 50% in a leadership review vote. In the months since the 2015 federal election, Mulcair's leadership had been a point of conflict within the party because of the election campaign, in which the NDP fell to third place from the Official Opposition status it gained in the 2011 election. The New Democrats had led public opinion polls since May 2015 and appeared to be poised to win their first federal election in history. However, they fell back behind the Liberals and Conservatives in the last month. The election thus resulted in a Liberal majority government.

The party lost more than half of its seats and fell to third place. Mulcair's leadership faced criticism following the election, particularly due to his moderate platform that the party was running on. In contrast, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau had promised to run a budget deficit to fund stimulus programs and higher social spending, a position which was perceived as the Liberals outflanking the NDP on the left.

Election rules

Under rules set out in the party's constitution, every member was entitled to cast a secret ballot for the selection of the Leader. The new leader was chosen on October 1, 2017, on the first round of voting through a combination of preferential ballots and X voting. Had a leader not been chosen in the first round, additional vote counts would have taken place once a week until a candidate hit the 50 per cent plus one mark, to be declared leader (with eligible voters that chose to vote with an internet ballot being allowed to change their vote at any time before the closure of the polls, including between each round of balloting).

Candidates were required to pay an entry fee of $30,000 and spend no more than $1.5 million. 25% of all donations to candidates were paid to the party. To be nominated, candidates required at least 500 signatures from party members, at least half of which must be from female-identified members and at least 100 from "other equity-seeking groups" including indigenous people, LGBT people, persons with disabilities and visible minorities. At least 50 signatures were required from each of five regions: the Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies and B.C., and the North.

Timeline

Debates

Official candidates

Charlie Angus

Charlie Angus, , has been the MP for Timmins-James Bay since 2004 and was elected NDP Caucus Chair in January 2016. He is the author of eight books and worked as a journalist, a roofer, and a dishwasher earlier in life. Before entering politics, Angus was a member of the Toronto punk band L'Étranger with Andrew Cash and Peter Duffin, from 1980 to circa 1984, and subsequently formed the country band Grievous Angels in 1986. From 1985 to 1990, Angus and his wife Brit Griffin lived in Angelus House, a Catholic Worker house they founded, where they invited the homeless to live with them. They also established a separate homeless shelter in 1986. In 1990, they moved to northern Ontario, where Angus owned and ran a magazine and eventually entered politics. Angus stepped down as Caucus Chair and Indigenous Affairs Critic on November 23, 2016, to consider a leadership bid. He formally registered his campaign with Elections Canada on February 20, 2017, and publicly launched it on February 26.
:Date candidacy registered: February 20, 2017
:Date campaign launched: February 26, 2017
:Campaign website:

Endorsements
* MPs: (2) Carol Hughes ( Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing), Christine Moore ( Abitibi—Témiscamingue)
* Provincial politicians: (8) Gilles Bisson (Ontario MPP for Timmins—James Bay), France Gélinas (Ontario MPP for Nickel Belt), Elizabeth Hanson ( Yukon NDP leader; Yukon MLA for Whitehorse Centre), Andrew Swan (Manitoba MLA for Minto), John Vanthof (Ontario MPP for Timiskaming—Cochrane), Dave Wilson (Nova Scotia MLA for Sackville-Cobequid), Lenore Zann (Nova Scotia MLA for Truro-Bible Hill-Millbrook-Salmon River), Buckley Belanger (Saskatchewan MLA for Athabasca)
* Municipal politicians: (7) Phil Allt ( City of Guelph Councillor for Ward 3), James Gordon ( City of Guelph Councillor for Ward 2), Catherine McKenney (City of Ottawa Councillor for Somerset Ward), Gavin Will (Deputy Mayor of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, Newfoundland and Labrador), Dustin Ross Fiddler (Band Councillor, Waterhen Lake First Nation), Alex Felsky (Grand Erie District School Board Trustee for Brantford), Leigh Bursey (Brockville, Ontario, city councillor)
* Former MPs: (15) Charmaine Borg (Terrebonne—Blainville, 2011–2015), Andrew Cash ( Davenport, 2011–2015), Ray Funk ( Prince Albert—Churchill River, 1988–1993), Claude Gravelle ( Nickel Belt, 2008–2015), Matthew Kellway ( Beaches—East York, 2011–2015), Wayne Marston ( Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, 2006–2015), Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre, 1997–2015), Jamie Nicholls ( Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2011–2015), Malcolm Allen (Welland, 2008–2015), Catherine Bell (Vancouver Island North, 2006–2008), Djaouida Sellah (Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, 2011–2015), Mike Sullivan ( York South—Weston, 2011–2015), Rod Murphy ( Churchill, 1979–1993), Libby Davies (Vancouver East, 1997–2015), Tony Martin (Sault Ste. Marie, 2004–2011)
* Former provincial politicians: (8) Robin Austin (British Columbia MLA for Skeena, 2005–2017), Evelyn Gillespie (British Columbia MLA for Comox Valley, 1996–2001), Jennifer Howard (Manitoba MLA for Fort Rouge, 2007–2016), Eugene Kostyra (Manitoba MLA for Seven Oaks, 1981–1988), Ray Martin (Former Alberta NDP leader), Mat Whynott (Nova Scotia MLA for Hammonds Plains-Upper Sackville, 2009–2013), Becky Barrett (Manitoba Minister of Labour and Immigration, 1999–2003), Frank Corbett (Nova Scotia MLA for Cape Breton Centre, 1998–2015)
* Other prominent individuals: (10) Robyn Benson (President, Public Service Alliance of Canada), Dave Bidini (Musician), Michael Byers (Academic), Torquil Campbell (Musician), Darlene Dziewit (President, Manitoba Federation of Labour, 2004–2009), Ken Georgetti (President, Canadian Labour Congress, 1999–2014), Yann Martel (Author), Paul Moist (President, CUPE, 2003–2015), Mary Shortall (President, Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour), Pat Stogran (former leadership candidate, former veterans' ombudsman), David Suzuki (Environmentalist), Bill Tieleman (Columnist, ''The Tyee''), Glen Hare, Deputy Grand Chief of the Anishinabek Nation.
* Trade Unions and other organizations: (2) Public Service Alliance of Canada, Unifor Local 103
* Media:

Other information: Has emphasized job security, the high cost of post-secondary education and Indigenous issues. Angus is not as fluent in French as some of the other candidates but is said to have a good basis in the language.

Niki Ashton

Niki Ashton, , has been the MP for Churchill—Keewatinook Aski under its current name since 2015 and was previously the MP for Churchill beginning in 2008. She served as NDP Critic for Jobs, Employment & Workforce Development Critic (2015–2017), Shadow Minister for Status of Women (2012–2015) and Aboriginal Affairs (2015). She placed seventh in the 2012 leadership race. She is the daughter of former Manitoba NDP MLA Steve Ashton, who served as a minister in the cabinets of Gary Doer and Greg Selinger.
:Date candidacy registered: March 2, 2017
:Date campaign launched: March 7, 2017
:Campaign website:
Endorsements
* MPs: (5) Sheri Benson (Saskatoon West), François Choquette ( Drummond), Georgina Jolibois ( Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River), Romeo Saganash (Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou), Brigitte Sansoucy ( Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot)
* Provincial politicians: (4) Cheri DiNovo (Ontario MPP for Parkdale—High Park; withdrawn leadership candidate), Tom Lindsey (Manitoba MLA for Flin Flon), Flor Marcelino (Interim Manitoba NDP leader; Manitoba MLA for Logan), Doug Routley

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