NDP Leader Avi Lewis, joined by the members of his parliamentary caucus, holds a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday. Lewis spoke to reporters and announced a motion the party will table in the House of Commons.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
NDP Leader Avi Lewis has ruled out asking any of the six members of his federal caucus to step aside so he can seek a seat in the House of Commons.
Mr. Lewis made the commitment Monday outside the House during his first news conference as leader.
“There’s no way I am asking one of these spectacular people to step aside, not in a million years,” Mr. Lewis, flanked by the caucus members, said when the issue was raised by a journalist.
“We are very, very proud of our small but mighty caucus.”
Although Mr. Lewis won the party leadership last month, he lacks a seat in the Commons. He fell short in two previous attempts, ahead of the leadership race, to win a seat.
When Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre lost his Ottawa-area seat in the last federal election, an Alberta member of his caucus stepped aside so Mr. Poilievre could run in a by-election in that riding. Mr. Poilievre won the by-election, held last August.
Coyne: Crisis is coming, and voters may give the federal NDP another look
For now, Mr. Lewis said he will focus on rebuilding the party, which suffered its worst-ever election result in last year’s vote, losing official party status.
“I’m very, very confident in this caucus to handle things here in Ottawa, and from time to time, I will be here with all of you enjoying the delights of the scrum and finding ways to amplify our common message,” he told journalists. “The work in the House will go on.”
On Monday, Mr. Lewis was at the Commons to announce the tabling of a motion in Parliament to ban the use of personal data to charge Canadians different prices for the same products, a practice dubbed surveillance pricing.
The NDP government in Manitoba has raised concerns about the issue, and introduced legislation last month to dub what it called “personalized algorithmic pricing” an unfair business practice.
Mr. Lewis said the federal NDP action exemplifies the approach his caucus will take, acting in the interest of working-class Canadians through a variety of tactics.
However, there were immediate challenges for Mr. Lewis, beyond his stand on surveillance pricing, as the news conference proceeded.
Lewis and MP Alexandre Boulerice share a glance at the news conference. Boulerice was asked about speculation he will leave federal politics to run in a provincial election in Quebec.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Alexandre Boulerice, the party’s only MP in Quebec, has been publicly musing about departing the NDP caucus and federal politics to enter provincial politics in Quebec.
He declined to address the issue when asked, but said he was happy to be at the news conference with Mr. Lewis talking about a proposed NDP motion on surveillance pricing.
“I’m a member of Parliament, inside the NDP caucus. I’m here to support the team and Avi, and I’m really happy to be here to do my job,” he said.
When a journalist asked NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson for comment on U.S. President Donald Trump’s vow to blockade ports in Iran, Mr. Lewis stepped in to say only he would be taking questions after the subject of who would speak for the caucus was discussed ahead of the new conference.
Don Davies to act as NDP parliamentary lead after new leader Avi Lewis announces critic roles
Mr. Lewis said Mr. Boulerice was allowed to speak because he was answering a question about his personal future.
The NDP Leader expressed reservations about the possibility of the federal Liberal government securing a majority, in part, through floor crossings that have included a former member of the NDP caucus, Lori Idlout.
“Canadians did not elect a majority government and if they end up with one largely through floor crossings, it just feels wrong, and I think Canadians are disturbed by this,” he said.
He said the Liberal brand is being challenged by the caucus acceptance of former Conservative Marilyn Gladu, who has expressed socially conservative views.
“I think the Liberal tent is stretched so far now that the fabric must be, I don’t know, is it spandex? It is something very stretchy when you can encompass Marilyn Gladu in a caucus with progressives in the Liberal Party.”
On Sunday, the New Democratic Party elected Avi Lewis as its new leader. He takes the reins of a political party still reeling from losses in last year’s federal election, which cost them official party status and left them with only seven seats. Another blow came earlier this month, when Nunavut MP Lori Idlout defected to the Liberals. Without a seat in Parliament and overseeing a party with minimal resources, how Lewis will rebuild the party and what it will look like remain big questions.
The Globe and Mail