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Democratic Socialist Avi Lewis Elected Leader of NDP, Canada's Main Progressive Party

2026-04-28 News & Politics
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Democracy Now!
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Support our work: https://democracynow.org/donate/sm-desc-yt As Democracy Now! broadcasts from Toronto, we speak with Avi Lewis, the new head of Canada’s progressive New Democratic Party. Lewis was elected leader in a landslide last month, winning over party members on a democratic socialist platform that vowed to prioritize affordability, address the climate crisis, fight the Trump administration’s attacks on Canada and more. Lewis takes over as the NDP has only five seats in Parliament and just as Prime Minister Mark Carney secured a majority for his Liberal government following three special elections in April. Lewis acknowledges that “the NDP has a lot of rebuilding to do,” but says there is “wide-open political space” in Canada for a populist left-wing agenda. “I think young people in particular are really responding to a vision where life just doesn’t have to be so grindingly unfair,” Lewis says. “We need nonmarket solutions to a time of market failure.” Lewis is a longtime activist and filmmaker whose late father Stephen Lewis led the Ontario NDP in the 1970s. He is married to the acclaimed author Naomi Klein. Subscribe to our Daily Email Digest: https://democracynow.org/subscribe

Top Comments (10)

@theicyridge 2026-04-28

Avi Lewis is the clearest political voice we've had in a very long time. Thank you for bringing him on here.

261 14 replies
@DatSimo 2026-04-28

Avi's honesty is refreshing and much needed right now. Thanks for bringing him on - A Young Canadian Progressive 🧡

232 15 replies
@roberthanks1636 2026-04-28

To the dismay of corporate elites, Avi has begun the process of shifting the Overton Window to the Left.

160 15 replies
@BlinkyandLuna 2026-04-28

Thank you DN for your accurate coverage of Canadian politics. We need this more than ever.

126 5 replies
@budakon 2026-04-28

Thank you for interviewing won of our very best citizens up here in Canada. Those who know love Avi, and those who don't will soon.

85 4 replies
@organicstance 2026-04-28

🙏"public housing that is beautiful" yes! Low income people currently being penalized and prevented from growing plants having jobs and eating healthy.

79 1 replies
@salishseaside-canada 2026-04-28

Stephen Lewis was truly a great man and great Canadian.

66 10 replies
@deadmanprodinc 2026-04-28

This Mr. Lewis looks like a good reason to come back to the NDP. For decades the NDP had become LIberal 2.0 and today Carney is creeping into Conservative 2.0 territory. For starters, investing in ourselves by going back to public ownership will definitely bring revenue streams back into Canadian coffers, creating a new pool of resources to do more for Canadian citizens. One of the big things mentioned here was Carney recusing himself from taking a hard line on the genocide of Gaza. Carney is not much of a humanitarian and his actions or lack thereof has made it seem Canadians as a whole have supported the killing of 75+ thousand innocent Palestinians.

45 1 replies
@Forestdwellr 2026-04-28

Moving from the greens to ndp for the fisrt time in almost 20 years...go Avi stick to your priciples!

44 1 replies
@rubybegonia7052 2026-04-28

Congratulations, Avi !! ♥️ In memory of your dad, and in honour of all that is worth fighting for, the best of Luck ! 🇨🇦

31 1 replies

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