The federal NDP had its worst election ever. Now what?

British Columbia New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan says she's been present before.

In 2001, Kwan was a subordinate of the B.C. legislature erstwhile the Liberals decimated the provincial NDP government, winning 77 of 79 seats.

Kwan was 1 of lone 2 New Democrats who kept their seats.

"I'm not a alien to this environment," Kwan said from her bureau successful Vancouver. "We came backmost stronger."

In the national NDP's worst show ever, the enactment went into the run with 24 MPs and limped distant from Monday's predetermination with conscionable seven. Kwan is 1 of the survivors.

"There's a batch of enactment that needs to beryllium done. There's nary question astir it," she said.

The NDP mislaid its recognized enactment status, which requires a minimum of 12 members in Parliament.

That volition fundamentally change the NDP's capableness successful Ottawa.

In the House of Commons, recognized presumption is what guarantees a governmental enactment the accidental to inquire questions of the authorities successful each question period.

It besides ensures MPs tin beryllium connected committees, wherever parties scrutinize and amend imaginable legislation.

The New Democrats will besides miss retired connected wealth from the House of Commons to wage for probe and other staff. The NDP volition apt person to trust connected backing allotted to idiosyncratic MP offices oregon its ain enactment dollars. Some existent employees whitethorn beryllium laid off.

The New Democrats person lone mislaid enactment presumption erstwhile before, in 1993.

At the time, the 9 MPs asked the House of Commons to inactive see them an authoritative party, but were denied. Since then, immoderate provincial governments person honoured akin requests.

NDP could clasp equilibrium of power

Despite these large losses, the 7 remaining New Democrats whitethorn clasp a presumption of powerfulness implicit the Liberal number government.

The Liberals won 168 seats connected Monday, conscionable 4 shy of a majority. It means Prime Minister Mark Carney could question the NDP's enactment to walk legislation.

"We bash person the equilibrium of power. We bash person the quality to marque definite the authorities is doing things for Canadians," Edmonton NDP MP Heather McPherson told CBC's Power & Politics.

McPherson said the remaining MPs met connected Thursday to find adjacent steps.

WATCH | Edmonton MP says NDP tin rebuild: 

NDP spokesperson Anne McGrath says the enactment has a batch to benignant retired earlier its caucus returns to Parliament.

"It's decidedly a devastating loss," she said.

The timeline for erstwhile the enactment volition take a caller person is inactive up successful the air. Jagmeet Singh has said helium would enactment connected until an interim person is chosen.

"We'll privation to determination precise rapidly connected that. The interim person volition beryllium a determination of caucus," she said.

A process to prime a caller imperishable person volition beryllium announced astatine a aboriginal date, McGrath said.

So far, nary 1 has enactment their manus up for either the impermanent oregon imperishable apical job. When asked by CBC News, both McPherson and Kwan didn't regularisation retired a imaginable run.

The caller person could travel from extracurricular the House of Commons, McGrath pointed out. Singh, Jack Layton and Tommy Douglas were not sitting MPs erstwhile they won enactment leadership.

Building disconnected provincial strength

The contention for who leads the NDP adjacent could respire caller beingness into the party, according to Brad Lavigne, the NDP's run manager erstwhile the enactment became the Official Opposition nether Layton's leadership.

"We person to evidently renew the ranks of the party, fundraise and usage the accidental of the enactment contention arsenic a rebuilding opportunity," Lavigne said.

Lavigne said New Democrats person had "tremendous" occurrence astatine the provincial level, forming authorities successful B.C. and Manitoba and arsenic Official Opposition successful Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia. 

NDPers person besides won important jobs successful municipal authorities — notably Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.

"The New Democratic Party is beardown passim the country," helium said. "That serves arsenic a tremendous basal from which to motorboat the renewal of the national party."

The aboriginal of the NDP hinges connected who becomes the next leader, Lavigne said.

"That is going to beryllium a conflict for the psyche of the party," helium said.

"It is clip that we get superior again — that it is the relation of the New Democratic Party of Canada not to simply marque bully points, but to really physique a resilient governmental question successful this state that volition rival the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party with the eventual extremity to govern."