It’s five years to the week since Jagmeet Singh won the NDP leadership. Party insiders, MPs, observers and the leader himself reflect on his tenure and what comes next.
During a late afternoon walk along the Ottawa River behind Parliament Hill, the NDP leader is approached by an exuberant passerby itching to snap a shot. Singh throws up a peace sign as the shimmering lining of one of his customary three-piece suits flashes bright blue in the wind.,” he replies instantly, thanking her for saying hello. Filipino is one of about 40 languages, he explains, in which he can greet people and ask how they’re doing.
“There are a lot of other life experiences that I feel like I draw from more than that,” he told the Star. “I intuitively knew that forcing the government to do things would make some people frustrated. Some people would be angry about that,” Singh said, of criticisms that he is a traitor, a sellout, a Liberal prop.
For Singh, the deal was always about proving the NDP could actually deliver on some of its long-sought demands, like national dental care and pharmacare programs. He knew he would win in some fashion — his team said he had brought on board more than 47,000 new party members — but he didn’t know how much of the party’s existing membership would throw down their support. He wound up securing 53.8 per cent of eligible ballots, outpacing his three rivals, including two members of Parliament — Charlie Angus and Niki Ashton — who still sit in his caucus.
“There’d been massive staff turnover … When I first met him, I expected this guy who’s not that happy, but even then he was optimistic. He understood the challenges in front of him,” she added.NDP MP Matthew Green, who backed Singh’s campaign in 2017, noted he didn’t have the institutional knowledge of the House of Commons that most leaders already possess. He was an Ontario MPP and had no seat in Parliament until he won a Burnaby South byelection in 2019.
That point is also made by Abacus Data CEO David Coletto, who says Singh’s public approval ratings get a boost during election campaigns because he suddenly becomes more relevant to Canadians.
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