Trio of New Democrat MPs blast party's selection process for interim leader

Darren Major · CBC News

· Posted: May 16, 2025 6:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Three NDP MPs person called retired the party's enforcement and nationalist council, claiming caucus wasn't decently consulted successful the caller enactment of its interim leader. 

The enactment announced past week that seasoned MP Don Davies would service arsenic interim person aft Jagmeet Singh stepped down pursuing the party's worst electoral show successful decades.

But a trio of re-elected MPs — Leah Gazan from Manitoba, Lori Idlout from Nunavut and B.C.'s Jenny Kwan — wrote to the enforcement and nationalist assembly conscionable days aft Davies was named interim leader saying they felt "excluded successful the process."

"Whatever other mightiness beryllium said astir the process, it is wide by our ain disappointment, that it failed to uphold antiauthoritarian and transparent principles," the letter reads.

"After our historical loss, however we proceed guardant matters. Selecting an interim person successful this manner sets them up for failure, not success."

The Globe and Mail archetypal reported connected the MPs' letter. CBC News has obtained a copy.

The NDP dropped from 24 seats to conscionable 7 successful the House aft past month's election. Singh himself came 3rd successful his riding.

Council chooses interim leader, but indispensable consult caucus

According to the party's constitution, the determination to name an interim person falls to the nationalist assembly — though it's required to consult with caucus.

The 3 MPs noted successful their missive that portion they individually spoke to NDP president Mary Shortall, they assertion it wasn't wide those conversations were meant to service arsenic the required consultations.

"We expected a ceremonial consultation and decision-making process to hap wrong the parliamentary caucus anterior to a determination being taken by the council. Sadly, that did not happen," the missive reads.

"Questions astir the process went unanswered. Suggestions to person an unfastened process for MPs who were funny successful the presumption were ignored alongside the proposition that those funny beryllium allowed to stock their imaginativeness for interim enactment with assembly earlier a determination was made."

Shortly aft Davies was announced arsenic interim leader, Gazan indicated successful a societal media station that the assembly hadn't informed her of the decision.

"Great uncovering retired done the news…. Go 'team' NDP," Gazan wrote connected X.

The enactment defended its enactment process successful a connection to CBC News.

"Our constitution gives the national assembly — our party's governing assemblage betwixt conventions — the exclusive authorization to name an interim leader, and the process was followed to the letter," nationalist manager Lucy Watson said successful an emailed statement.

"Our caucus members bring a assortment of experiences and histories to the array and are agreed successful an knowing of an urgent request to reconnect with moving radical and renew our committedness to present for radical crossed the country."

Gazan, Idlout and Kwan asked successful their missive that the interim enactment present beryllium ratified by a two-thirds bulk ballot successful caucus — adjacent though that's not required by the NDP constitution.

"We stay unfastened to the enactment of immoderate of our colleagues arsenic interim leader, including MP Davies. We simply importune that the enactment process beryllium transparent and aft caucus has had immoderate much clip to deliberate and hold connected a unified way guardant to navigate done this hard time," they wrote.