In a first-past-the-post system like Canada’s, it’s not unusual for the major parties to consolidate support in the run-up to an election. But in the bigger picture, the NDP—and the Canadian left more generally—seems to be at a loss for purpose in a political landscape that is suddenly oriented around threats from our southern neighbour.

Jack Layton was the first progressive politician who inspired me enough to go to a rally. He used to say optimism is better than despair. I think he was half right. Right now pessimism of the intellect says the Canadian left is in a bad place. But optimism of the will demands that if we have failed, we fail again, and fail better until we succeed.

Carney has made it clearer than ever that he will be a conservative prime minister, governing on behalf of the rich and powerful to maintain their grip on Canadian society. Many thousands of progressive voters were clearly misled into thinking otherwise. This underscores that even as Poilievre lost the election, he won the ideological debate within the Liberal Party.

Though much of the party’s focus will now necessarily shift towards the selection of a compelling leader, that leader will also need a more vibrant and shared raison d’etre with which to galvanize voters. As the NDP goes back to the proverbial drawing board it seems appropriate that they examine that second word in their own name: democratic.

It is imperative for socialists to ally with Indigenous peoples and oppose Albertan independence, as separation would constitute an enormous setback for Indigenous rights in the region. Even as Canada continues to renege on its historic and contemporary promises to Indigenous peoples, an ultraconservative independent Alberta would certainly be far worse.

Canadian conservatism was at one time a nation-building ideology aimed at stability, order, and “good government.” This is why Conservative governments in Canada contributed to building public institutions, and economic policies which advanced Canadian interests ahead of neoliberal ideology. No hint of this communitarian ethic remains in Canadian conservatism today.

The BC NDP has fallen into familiar patterns with its willingness to use vulnerable populations as a political bargaining chip in hopes of appearing tough on certain issues. The government’s current approach not only harms community members affected by their policies, but also legitimizes the unfounded criticisms levied by the opposition.

The 2025 federal election demonstrates the failings our electoral institutions from a democratic perspective. But here it is important to remember they were never created or kept in place with democratic objectives in mind. Canada’s voting system is a pre-democratic hold-over and it remains in use because it serves those that benefit from it.

In the 1960s, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and the Canadian Labour Congress forged a bond and came together to form a new political party—the NDP. Both organizations need to rediscover that fighting spirit to become a political force once again. Otherwise, they will wither and fade into irrelevance and oblivion.

The Online News Act has proved to be the biggest media disaster since Canada’s ill-fated experiment with the convergence of newspaper and television ownership at the millennium, which media owners also lobbied for. Whichever party wins today should repeal it in favour of more well-considered remedies to our growing media problems.