Reflections from a Democratic HoserWhat will it take for the left to rebuild a movement rooted in ordinary Canadians?
Canada is in uncharted territory. The threat to our border, our economy, and our democracy is as serious as it gets. There is no road map for what comes next. We are dealing with a predatory nation whose leader has stated his determination to break Canada and reduce us to a vassal state. To get through this, we’ll need a clear-eyed understanding of what we’re up against. The threat is not simply a narcissistic president or unreasonable tariff demands. The threat is fascism. What gives me hope is that ordinary Canadians understand the mission. Every day, I hear from people who are ready to do their part to defend democracy. It’s a message of solidarity from farm folk in New Brunswick, retirees in Quebec, urban dwellers in Toronto, energy workers in Calgary, and activists in British Columbia. They are united in their determination to defend the bedrock values of Canada. You would think this groundswell of patriotic democracy would be a focus of all major political parties. But that hasn’t happened. So many political leaders, media and pundits have missed the gravity of the moment. A few get it. Wab Kinew has been inspiring. Doug Ford used it to push an unnecessary election and then went off to his cottage. But with fascism on the move, and I ask myself: where is the left? Where are the labour leaders? Where are the progressive groups that should be embracing the flag as a symbol of our shared values? Ed Broadbent and Tommy Douglas presented a vision of bold nationalism. Firebrands like Bob White of the UAW/CAW marched in the streets for an independent Canada. I joined the NDP because I shared Jack Layton’s belief in the goodness of Canadians. He embraced the grandeur of the country in his politics and life. People remember him for his deathbed call to embrace “love, hope and optimism.” But my favourite Jack expression was a little less inspiring. “Bums in seats.” It’s what he used to tell our caucus all the time — that in order to make our policies a reality, we had to get out and do the hard work of electing more NDP MPs. Jack was a bridge builder, and he assembled an incredible team that turned a dream into reality with the extraordinary Orange Wave election of 2011. But by the end of that summer, Jack had been taken by cancer.
As the votes were being counted for Tom Mulcair’s leadership win, the key advisors who had made the Orange Wave a reality were packing their bags. They were seen as the old guard. Their knowledge and expertise were replaced by a new team loyal to the incoming leader. In the next election, we dropped from 100 seats to 44. And when Tom Mulcair was defeated, his team were put out the door as Jagmeet Singh brought in his crew. I ran in the 2017 leadership. It gave me the opportunity to see this immense and beautiful country. In leadership races, people like to debate policy and the big ideas. My offer was simpler. To be a truly social democratic movement, we had to rebuild our relationship with working-class folk who had been the roots of our party. I warned that we were losing touch with the grassroots. I believed politics was about stripping away the jargon and coded language and sitting in a Legion Hall to hear what people actually thought about the issues. That’s how I ran my campaign and have great memories of meeting grassroots members from Vancouver Island to Nova Scotia. I’ll admit, I didn’t do so well navigating the divisive internal party politics or convincing those who believe that policy and political purity should define our standing in the political order. At one town hall, a woman came up to me and fired a hardball question.
For her, it was the defining question of whether to support me or not. I attempted a bit of humour.
I failed the test. Big time. I think Jack would have got the joke. More importantly, I think he would have found a way to bring that woman back into the fold. I lacked the tools. My run against Jagmeet Singh was friendly and respectful. I put together a great team from across the country. But few of my organizers or brain trust were invited into the fold after the votes came down. The leader takes all. My team dispersed and went on to other projects. In the next election, we went from 44 seats to 24 seats. Then came the disaster of 2025 that reduced the NDP to a mere seven seats. On the eve of that election, I tried to warn the party that we were headed into the rocks. We had long forgotten the “bums in seats” mantra. We were becoming disconnected from our working-class base, having become too focused on internal battles over identity and language. The Trump election upended everything. The threat to Canada’s sovereignty was a clear and present danger. It was obvious that the election would be about articulating a vision for Canada. Mark Carney wrapped himself in the flag and used the Elbows Up language. The NDP bet the house on Jagmeet’s likability. The disastrous result was so predictable. But the numbers revealed a disturbing sign: key New Democrat constituencies voted for the Poilievre Conservatives’ Maple Maga pitch. Reclaiming those voters will be key to stabilizing Canada’s political landscape. I wish the new leader, Avi Lewis, well in the task before him. He faces the same challenge every Social Democrat leader before him faced: building trust with ordinary Canadians so that they see the NDP as a viable alternative. Some of his supporters have told me of their determination to clear house and establish a new vision. Perhaps it will work. But I am doubtful that a new Orange Wave will emerge simply from bolder language and a new team at the helm. My advice to the new leader is to be a builder of bridges. There is a lot of goodwill and ideas out there. I served a quarter-century in the trenches of partisan politics and learned some very positive and some very hard lessons. I believe that social democracy will succeed if it is rooted in the stories and experiences of people who live in places like Nickel Belt, Swift Current, Chicoutimi and St. John’s. I don’t write that as a partisan. My focus these days is Canada. But I believe that, given the threats we face, Canada needs a social democratic vision now more than ever. The Prime Minister has done extraordinarily well representing Canada on the global stage, but as a former Goldman Sachs banker, the tendency towards austerity on the home front will be strong. The lessons from the global march of fascist ideology are clear — they fester in times of growing inequality and lost opportunities. Only the NDP can provide that credible voice for those suffering from increasing economic precarity and wage stagnation. I encourage the progressive left to embrace the red-and-white Maple Leaf at this crucial time. It is a powerful symbol of our shared commitment to a democratic, inclusive and sovereign Canada. As Jack used to say, “What binds us together as Canadians is so much stronger than the issues that divide us.” What keeps my faith strong is the goodness of ordinary Canadians and their innate sense of fairness. We can survive the threat of fascism. And where do I stand on the political spectrum? Consider me a democratic hoser. Perhaps, now more than ever.
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