Federal NDP kicks off leadership campaign with eyebrow-raising rule for eligibility

The race to find a new federal NDP leader is underway, although no candidates have official thrown their hats in the ring.

Although no candidates have thrown their hat into the race to become the next leader of the federal New Democratic Party, one eligibility rule may raise eyebrows.

After the party’s dismal showing in April’s federal election, then-leader Jagmeet Singh stepped down.

Reduced to seven seats in the House of Commons, the NDP has lost official party status.

Interim party leader Don Davies, MP for Vancouver-Kingsway, sees the search for a new leader as an opportunity.

“To reimagine a strong, progressive federal option. One that brings voices to parliament, working people, marginalized Canadians, people whose interests and voices are often forgotten,” he told CTV News during an interview at his East Vancouver constituency office.

According to the official campaign rules, the entry fee is $100,000, and to get their name on the ballot, hopefuls must gather signatures from 500 party members.

“At least 50 per cent of the total required signatures must come from members who do not identify as a cis man,” it says in the official leadership rules.

“I think it’s important that a modern political party reach out and require leadership candidates to reach out and talk to the full array of Canadian culture and society. And so, I think it’s a good thing,” Davies said.

University of the Fraser Valley political scientist Hamish Telford told CTV News that it’s possible that particular rule may offend some – but it’s unlikely many objections will come from party faithful.

“I think it opens the NDP up to criticisms from outside sources that might dismiss the NDP for making these divisions or being too woke, or whatever pejorative they may want to use,” he said. “I’m not sure that New Democrats will be terribly fussed by it.”

The party will use a ranked ballot to elect the new leader at a convention in Winnipeg in March of next year.