So when I see people who I ideologically align with inside of the NDP, genuinely believing that simply promising grandiose policy changes or strategy without any connection to the real world and the needs of people right now, all I can do is call it out or laugh. Either way, I sometimes get called an unprincipled moderate for not submitting to the blind idealism that often exists in our leftist movements. That or I’m asked to help revive efforts that are doomed, not because of their potential or validity. But because their leaders absolutely refuse to use any tool aside from their ideological will and books to draw people in.

As a collective we need to quickly come to the realization that simply being Communist or Socialist or Social Democrat or Liberal or Conservative or Fascist or whatever is not a winning strategy. Hell it’s not a strategy at all.

One of the most concerning examples I have heard within the NDP was a provincial party that is currently so hyper focused on political theorization that they cannot create or except a concise and well researched policy book, and would rather have zero unifying policy. Despite this backdrop and having no seats in their jurisdiction, there is hope. After all, the party is gaining popularity thanks to the hard work of a small but mighty team the party’s popularity is slowly but surely growing overall.

Posturing isn’t all bad though. It can give us something to look forward to. It can inspire us to do better. It can remind us who we are and where we came from in a more engaging way.

But policy promises that you have no real plan to implement is just posturing.

Principles must work in tandem with Strategy.

Because if they don’t, your Principles are just Dreams in your head.

Far from the world that needs them the most.

What is the Future of the NDP?

I don’t know I’m not a fortune teller.

But what I can offer is some key points that I’m looking for this leadership race that will determine my endorsement.

(For those speculating, I will be making an endorsement after the English debate)

I like a politician that’s proactive, but not performative.

No matter how many clicks or viral soundbites a politician can produce. No matter what kind of promises any of them make (especially given the state of the NDP Caucus in Parliament at the moment), showing up and genuinely listening and being proactive is the skill that will be key to solidifying our voter base in local communities.

This is especially effective in events that allow for engagement by the participants, allowing them to ask questions and engage with the issues.

Tanille Johnston and Heather McPherson were the two top contenders in this category in my perspective, because they both held virtual events targeting specific regions for consultation relatively early on and really listened to what we were saying.
Heather and Tanille’s approach are quite different from what I’ve seen.

Heather has primarily held consultation sessions for large areas all at once which I do think is a smart and efficient way of holding these types of events. Heather even hosted nationwide forums (most notably her event with Alexandre Boulerice on Palestine) which not only had a large turnout of members from across the country, but also brought together representatives from a large swath of Pro-Palestine organizations, and accommodated for Francophones more than any event of the Leadership Race by far from what I’ve seen.

Tanille has a different approach, focusing more on hosting more intimate one on one events with EDAs, and campus clubs. She also takes the initiative, asking to speak at AGMs and other local functions which is something I deeply admire. But whether intimacy is capable of winning against Heather’s efficient campaign style, especially as an underdog is yet to be seen.

I like a politician that really knows how to mobilize, fundraise, and translate that into electoral results.

The NDP Leadership for any future party leader is going to be the easiest part of their political journey. They will have to bring the NDP back to official party status next election, fight for policy in a minority (or majority) without the seats to be kingmaker or the resources of an official party, and ultimately win back lost supporters.

Rob Ashton and Heather McPherson are the two candidates who have the strongest track records when it comes to translating this into real results in my opinion. Rob as the National President of ILWU Canada is extremely well versed on how to mobilize workers (the owners of the NDP) and hold the powerful accountable, and Heather is the Member of Parliament in the NDP’s safest federal riding which happens to be located in the notoriously conservative province of Alberta. My concern for Tanille, is that although she has won her city council race is her struggling to fundraise during the leadership race.

I want someone with a Track-Record of Winning!

Heather McPherson - Current MP Edmonton Strathcona
Tanille Johnston - First, First Nations and Current City Councilor of Campbell River
Rob Ashton - Current National President of ILWU Canada

I want a politician that isn’t too rigid.

Someone who has Socialist values is a must, and every candidate in the race is saying socialism, and most of the candidates have political experience. But, its important to avoid having a leader that is so dogmatic that they are incapable of growing the big orange tent, or thinks that their ideologically uninformed or politically inexperienced community isn’t worth consulting.

Is ideology and experience important? Yes.

But shunning people because they don’t fit your exact political ideology simply isn’t the way to build anything, and talking at people instead of to them is a recipe for disaster.

Instead, the ideology and experience a candidate brings to the table must become real by engaging people on the ground and fighting for their issues proactively.

I want a politician who keeps good company

Politicians aren’t just themselves, they represent their movement and their circle reflects that.

When someone hires staff or has people in volunteer positions, they will never be perfect.

But having an excessively toxic volunteer base or community at some point reflects on the way the campaign is managed, and at the end of the day in the context of the leadership race those people is hired by the candidate.

Of course, it’s impossible to logistically manage everyone working under you in a popular nationwide campaign. But it’s important to put the right people in the right jobs.

I want a politician who’s human.

I want to see less speeches where it’s painfully obvious that they’re repeating their own talking points as if they’re trying to convince themselves, and more authentic expressions of the will of the people who keep them in power at the end of the day.

But what I’m tired of most is politicians pretending to be something their not, and lately that thing that they’re pretending to be is Zohran Mamdani. Zohran’s campaign, although there are things that can be learned from it, is not a cookie cutter template campaign.

Everything down to the font he uses was deeply rooted in his identity as an Indian Muslim, and his deep connection to his constituents. You could even argue that copying certain aspects of his campaign is straight up cultural appropriation.

What I want to see out of the next leader of the NDP is to stop trying to play Mamdani, or Obama, Layton or even Tommy Douglas.
Everyone knows you’re just running a cookie cutter campaign, and invoking names to compensate for your lack of unique ideas.

Connect with your Community, Connect with your Constituents, Connect with your Country. It’s certainly great to borrow tactics, but rise to the occasion and actually connect to people like they did instead of being a copycat.

Overall, if you pricked any one of the Leadership Candidate’s fingers, I’d want them to bleed love for their community and the country and the courage to say “hey why’d you prick me you jerk!!!???”

Youth seem to have grabbed the attention of the political world lately. From Mamdani in New York, to Lowan in the BC Greens we see some younger people taking a more proactive approach to political life.

As the BC Young New Democrat’s Campus Clubs Liaison, and the Founder of the TRUSU NDP this new interest is something that I have been on the front line of. It fascinates me and I believe that it presents us an opportunity to move in ways thought impossible even 5 years ago.

But what does it mean to Empower Youth?

A reasonable definition of Empower is “to give authority to; to delegate power to; to commission; to authorize.” it’s the definition given by google.

So in effect empowering youth must translate to the power and authority, to act, to lead, which is something that is in low supply. Power and authority in the political sense is a scarce resources. After all it’s distributed by democratic or undemocratic processes in all sorts of institutions.

But instead of talking about how to empower youth, first I’m going to go over what empowering youth is not.

Empowering youth is not the act of giving youth a voice. Although this can certainly help youth develop confidence, this can also prove to relegate youth to mouthpieces. Simply having a youth spout a pre-written script or agenda for the benefit of another is not empowerment in the slightest. It’s platforming.

Empowering youth is not relegating them to social media. Although we tend to be more savvy with it simply having a youth post a pre-written script or agenda for the benefit of another is not empowerment in the slightest. It’s platforming.

Empowering youth is not using youth to confirm your preconceived notions about youth at an event of your curation and creation. It’s platforming.

Empowering youth is not giving them a committee shaped sandbox to play in that hold no power over real decisions or operations. It’s platforming.

Youth are not innocent naive angelic statues used as decorations in the backdrop of rallies, or placed at the forefront to show that you’re hip and relevant. Youth are actors worthy of equitable consideration.

One thing that comes to the top of my head when it comes to this topic is the Netflix series “Stories of a Generation - with Pope Francis” (I know some of you are going to accuse me of shoving the Papacy down your throat, but bear with me).

The series hosted by the late Pontiff stays true to the Francis brand in the sense that it rarely focuses on him, but rather the stories of men and women over 70 talking about their lives and experiences in an attempt to foster intergenerational exchange.

So in the spirit of intergenerational exchange, if you have somehow managed to read all that I will tell you what youth empowerment is:

Youth Empowerment is giving sovereignty over their positionality in organizations, and their voice creating space whenever possible.

Mentorship without coercion or ulterior motives, guidance without force. Because power as a concept transcends political constructs.

Surprisingly to some, it is holding us accountable to the world we want to create and challenging us to overcome our fears and preconceptions.

It looks like seeing to understand over seeking to be understood.
(Ironically a St Francis of Assisi quote, because I’m never beating the religious fanatic allegations anyway)

It looks like surpassing the dreams of our predecessors without forgetting their lessons.

Inheriting the world earlier than previous generations and taking on the responsibility that comes with it.

It looks like becoming what we were always meant to be today, not tomorrow.

Beyond the doubt of the mind and proven by the evidence of the eye.

Because one day we too will die.

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