He has never even won an election – municipal, provincial, or federal.
And he says he won’t be running for a federal seat any time soon – traditionally, when a seatless leader is selected, one of the party’s elected members falls on their sword so the new leader can run in a safe seat.

It doesn’t surprise me that Lewis can’t ask any of his six remaining MPs to do that for him. I wonder if there are any safe NDP seats left in Canada now?
His policies are progressive, yes, and some are worthy of support I think. But many also strike me as insular, trite, parochial. I shake my head at his stubborn negativity toward Alberta and Saskatchewan, along with his apparent inability to appreciate how Canada’s priorities have changed now because of our risky situation with Trump, with NATO, and with the Iran War.

Fred Delorey

….My gut tells me it’s an unmitigated disaster. Avi Lewis isn’t just left-wing; he’s arguably the most radical, far-left extremist to ever take the helm of a major Canadian political party. We’re talking about a guy who literally wants to nationalize our grocery stores, completely defund the Canadian military, and aggressively shut down our entire energy sector by next Tuesday. He’s the Leap Manifesto come to life.
…As federal leader, his extreme views will instantly infect the brand of the entire integrated party. Every time he attacks the resource sector or champions a fringe socialist policy in Ottawa, Conservative and Liberal premiers are going to gleefully hang those quotes around the necks of every provincial NDP leader in the country. He isn’t just going to sink the federal party; he is going to drag the successful provincial wings down with him.
But then again, the world is changing rapidly, and usually in crazy ways. Maybe Canadians can be convinced that they desperately want Canada Post managing their produce aisles. Maybe the electorate is finally ready for a platform where your weekly ration of locally sourced lentils is delivered by a government-appointed bicycle courier.
I remain deeply unconvinced…

Evan Scrimshaw

…If the NDP were a pressure group or a charity or a think tank, a thoroughly socially progressive movement designed to push the Liberals left on Palestine and poverty reduction and keep them from moving right on other key issues, I’d have a lot of time for them. But they’re a political party whose success could help the Conservatives, so it’s clear that this matters to our politics. And there’s no clear answer to what they think. In picking Avi Lewis, they’ve suggested that they think they’ve erred in being too moderate, but nowhere does that show an actual path forward….
…Avi is not a perfect representative of a bold progressive start either. Avi’s not AOC, and he’s not Zohran. Both of them represented ideological positions left of their respective opponents, but they also represented generational change and a fresh start. Avi’s not that – he’s an activist with a longstanding record that can and will be used against him. He’s been an asshole to Shannon Phillips and the Alberta NDP, he was a driving force behind the 2016 convention vote on the Leap Manifesto that sabotaged the Notley government and was an anchor around the party, and his maximalist views on politics have earned him about as much good will with western New Democrats – you know, the people who are actually somewhat electorally successful – as I had with those who were Team Trudeau in December 2024. He doesn’t represent generational change given he’s 58, nor can he credibly claim being anti-establishment, given he’s the third person in his family line to lead the NDP either federally or in Ontario.
Is Avi going to be a party destroying fiasco? Probably not, but he’s not their saviour either…

David Climenhaga

…. If the only reason the NDP existed was to prop up the Liberals and feel good about it – as indeed seemed to be the perception of a growing number of voters throughout Mr. Singh’s blundering tenure – why not just vote Liberal? Back on April 28 last year, a hell of a lot of them did.
Much of the lost working class – including many union members – went over to the increasingly MAGAfied Conservatives.
So who says a guy who advocates state intervention to support tenants’ rights, lower grocery prices, assured access to reproductive rights, fair taxes, and free post-secondary education won’t do better than the branch of the party that wanted to continue Mr. Singh’s approach, only more competently?
Well, who knows? The NDP is in such bad shape today that it might be hard for any leader to pull the party out of the muck. But who’s to say that a leader who proposes real change won’t do better at keeping the NDP in play than one who wanted to remain closer to the mushy middle of Canada’s political Overton window?…

Nora Loreto

…Many of the headlines from this past weekend focused on discord between provincial leaders and Lewis’ vision. This will undoubtedly be one of the more difficult terrains that Lewis has to traverse. During his speech, with a wide-smiled Kinew looking on, Lewis said that he looks forward to reaching out to BC Premier David Eby. Someone laughed out loud from the crowd. Indeed, Lewis’ supporters should be critical of the centrism of the Eby government, Lewis’ own sister-in-law included.
When Lewis took the stage when the results were announced, Kinew rushed to the stage and scooped up Lewis’ hand before interim leader Don Davies could. Already though, the knives were out from other provincial leaders.
Kinew wasn’t just on stage to demonstrate that, unlike his non-Premier provincial homologues, he supports Lewis. Kinew was showing that he understands that an NDP with a left populist flank can help a Red Tory like Kinew more than it will hurt him. By offering Lewis full support, Kinew showed the press that there is room in the NDP for disagreements, while not alienating Manitobans who are frustrated with Kinew’s radical centrism.
Carla Beck and Naheed Nenshi, who mostly should be ignored until they can demonstrate that they’re effective (which they have not yet demonstrated), could learn from Kinew’s strategy. Rather than loading up and firing pre-written fuck-yous about Lewis to the press, they should embrace the change. It will make them look dynamic rather than crusty, and Kinew is showing them how to do it. It’s the most basic pro-tip in politics: don’t do the opposite of what the successful, popular guy is doing.
There’s no doubt that this division will be used to discipline Lewis (as I have previously written). But Kinew is a key ally for Lewis, Red Toryism and all, and their relationship will be one to watch….

It seems pretty clear to me that the actual leader of the NDP in Canada now is Wab Kinew.

Danielle Smith is doing Grievance Theatre again
Smith seems to be determined to create provincial “grievances” so she can bash Ottawa and gin up a YES vote on the Albexit referendum, isn’t she. Don’t the people of Alberta ever get tired of this?

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— Global News | Breaking, Latest News and Video for Canada (@globalnews.ca.web.brid.gy) March 30, 2026 at 9:23 PM

This is ridiculous.
1) Good luck opening that Pandora’s Box.
2) Alberta already appoints provincial court judges, which handle the bulk of criminal cases.
3) The premise here is utterly false. Federally-appointed judges aren’t parachuted in. They come from the province and communities they serve.

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— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) March 30, 2026 at 8:08 PM

And how will the rest of us survive it?  

Brittlestar’s Sucker-Punch Spring