As the grey skies of Ottawa gave way to a rare April sunshine, the NDP caucus gathered behind closed doors to chart their path forward—one they hadn’t anticipated treading quite so soon. The selection of Vancouver Kingsway MP Don Davies as interim leader marks a pivotal moment for a party still processing its electoral setbacks.
“The work of building a more just and equal Canada continues,” Davies told reporters on Parliament Hill yesterday, his voice steady despite the challenging circumstances. “While we take time to reflect on recent results, Canadians need us to keep fighting for them in the House.”
Davies, first elected in 2008, brings sixteen years of parliamentary experience to the role. His appointment comes after the party’s disappointing showing in last month’s by-elections, where they lost two previously safe seats in British Columbia and Manitoba—defeats that ultimately led to Jagmeet Singh’s resignation announcement last week.
The veteran MP’s selection wasn’t entirely surprising to those who’ve followed his career. As the NDP’s health critic since 2015, Davies has established himself as a methodical policy wonk with a knack for translating complex legislation into kitchen-table concerns.
“Don represents the steady hand the party needs right now,” explained Shachi Kurl, President of the Angus Reid Institute. “He’s not flashy, but he knows how to navigate both internal party dynamics and the parliamentary process, which is exactly what an interim leader should deliver.”
According to the party’s constitution, Davies won’t be permitted to run in the upcoming leadership race—a restriction that party officials confirm was designed to ensure a level playing field when permanent leadership candidates step forward later this year.
The NDP Federal Council has announced a leadership convention will take place within six months, with formal campaign rules expected next month. Sources within the party suggest British Columbia Premier David Eby and Manitoba MLA Nahanni Fontaine are among those being encouraged to consider bids, though neither has publicly expressed interest.
For Davies, the immediate challenge will be keeping the 25-member caucus focused while the party undergoes what many see as necessary soul-searching. Recent polling from Léger shows NDP support hovering at 15%—historically low territory that threatened their relevance in the supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberal government.
“The agreement isn’t automatically terminated with a leadership change,” Davies clarified when asked about the arrangement that has kept the Liberals in power since 2022. “We’ll continue evaluating it based on what delivers for Canadians, not political calculations.”
Behind the calm exterior, party insiders describe intense debate about the NDP’s future direction. The party’s traditional working-class base has eroded in recent years, with the Conservatives making unexpected inroads in former strongholds.
“There’s this growing disconnect between progressive policies that appeal to urban voters and the economic anxieties of smaller communities,” noted Christo Aivalis, labour historian at McGill University. “Davies understands both worlds, having represented a diverse Vancouver riding with both blue-collar and professional constituents.”
The interim leader’s first major test will come next week when the House returns from break. He’ll face Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre across the aisle during Question Period, with housing affordability and healthcare wait times likely dominating the agenda.
Davies’ appointment was endorsed by the party’s Federal Council after recommendation from caucus. Notably, he won unanimous support from his colleagues—unity that hadn’t been guaranteed given the factional tensions that emerged during recent electoral post-mortems.
“We’re hurting, but we’re not broken,” Saskatchewan MP Niki Ashton told me by phone. “Don has the respect of every wing of the party, from the labour movement to environmental advocates. That’s rare in today’s political climate.”
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