Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has taken his fair share of flack over the years for his purported populist rhetoric. From sloganeering to offering up policies intended to limit the size and influence of government in the lives of Canadians, media and pundits have cried foul over his choice of words and delivery of messaging.
That same level of scrutiny should be directed at the newly minted Leader of the NDP. Last weekend, Avi Lewis pulled off a win on the first ballot and officially kicked off a new chapter for the party that is seeking to rebuild its fortunes.
Most Canadians would be forgiven for not paying attention to the NDP leadership race. After all, the NDP failed to receive official party status following the outcome of the 2025 federal election, and former Leader Jagmeet Singh was quick to resign his position after losing his seat. Since then, the party has struggled to capitalize on issues in the House of Commons, while also navigating the same floor crossing drama that faced the Conservatives.
While the leadership race and the policy positions taken by the NDP candidates were largely muted, Lewis did have some success breaking through the noise of the media cycle. His views on topics like the high cost of groceries drove headlines and clips on social media, fuelling a persuasive narrative not dissimilar to the one that won over New Yorkers in the last mayoral campaign. While it is true that there is unilateral concern around household budgets these days, including the cost of basic necessities, Lewis’ suggestion of a “public option for food and groceries” should raise serious alarm bells.
The policy of a “new public food system, grounded in public farmland and supply chains that puts people before profits,” is obviously light on details and lacks a clear path to implementation to achieve its intended goals. It may be a nice concept in theory, but this type of policy is at best a pipe dream, and at worst, a dangerous idea meant to prey on vulnerable voters seeking out hope in desolate situations.
But the unfortunate reality is that the federal NDP doesn’t need to form a government in order for these types of policies to take hold. It’s possible that in the near future, Toronto will be a real-life test case for government run grocery stores after city council voted in favour of a motion that will see a pilot project launched to open four municipally run grocery stores.
While council has given themselves a buffer that extends beyond the fall municipal election cycle to work out the details, it is hard to envision any level of government succeeding at successfully providing groceries at a discount without running up a sizable bill on behalf of the taxpayers. Canadians need only to look at the many problems with $10 dollar a day daycare to see the unintended consequences and cost overruns that occur when the government tries to outmaneuver the private sector.
The NDP may be banking on these types of policy initiatives to lure disenchanted progressive voters back, but even a cursory glance reveals a lack of substance that will come at a steep cost to taxpayers.
Josie Sabatino is a Senior Consultant at Summa Strategies, focused on providing strategic insight and helping clients meet their objectives in an ever changing and complex political and regulatory environment. Prior to joining Summa, Josie spent nearly a decade in political communications and most recently served as the Director of Communications to the Hon. Erin O’Toole, former Leader of the Official Opposition.
