NDP hoping to make gains in the West

By Janet E Silver. Published on Aug 19, 2021 5:37pm

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks from the contested riding of Port Moody—Coquitlam on Aug. 17. (Screenshot)

With just over four weeks to go until voting day on Sept. 20, the New Democrats are busy fielding candidates to run in all 338 ridings. As of Thursday morning, the NDP had confirmed 196.

No party has confirmed candidates in all ridings yet.

The NDP hopes to make gains in Saskatchewan, Alberta, northern Ontario, southwestern Ontario, Toronto, Atlantic Canada, and British Columbia, “particularly the Lower Mainland and some interior seats,” NDP national director Anne McGrath told iPolitics on Thursday.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was the first federal leader to visit British Columbia, shortly after the election was called on Sunday. On Thursday, Singh was the first to visit Alberta, where he campaigned with Edmonton—Griesbach candidate Blake Desjarlais and Heather McPherson, the incumbent in Edmonton—Strathcona. McPherson is the only NDP MP in Alberta. Desjarlais is a Metis activist and community leader.

“We’re very interested in what’s happening in Edmonton—Griesbach,” McGrath said. “There are provincial premiers that a lot of people don’t feel are representing them, and people are very concerned about the management of the pandemic (and) the vision for the recovery.”

To ensure voters had the information they needed early on in the campaign — and because more people are expected to either mail in their ballots or vote early — the party released its platform before the election was called, said McGrath.

“We ran in the last campaign with a very progressive platform that had health care at its centre,” she said, explaining why it’s so similar to this year’s platform. “And I can’t think of a time when Canadians are more concerned about health care than right now.”

On Wednesday, Elections Canada’s chief electoral officer, Stephane Perrault, told reporters in Ottawa he was expecting significantly more mail-in ballots than in previous elections because of the pandemic. Perrault also announced four more advance-polling days to prevent lineups on Sept. 20.

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