Overview
- Avi Lewis won the federal NDP leadership at the Winnipeg convention on Sunday as supporters in keffiyehs joined him on stage and a large Palestinian flag waved behind his victory speech.
- Provincial NDP leaders in Alberta and Saskatchewan moved quickly to distance themselves in the days after his win, reacting to his pledge to halt oil and gas expansion.
- Jewish groups and commentators condemned anti-Zionist rhetoric tied to the convention, with B’nai Brith calling a Wab Kinew line about an “Epstein class” an antisemitic dog whistle and urging an apology.
- Labour outreach began a day after the vote when Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske met Lewis in Winnipeg’s Elmwood–Transcona to press for job protection and affordability, and major unions said they plan further talks.
- Coverage highlights steep headwinds for the party, with The Globe and Mail noting only about six MPs, serious debt, and a smaller membership base, as well as weak standing in Quebec and concerns about Lewis’s French.