NDP designates Don Davies as temporary party leader
Hitting the Headlines in Ottawa:
The federal council of Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP) has selected a new interim leader - Don Davies, one of the three elected MPs from British Columbia. He'll steer the political party until the upcoming leadership race.
Mylene Crête, the sole elected MP from Quebec, had expressed interest in the interim leader role on Radio-Canada last week, but the party chose otherwise.
Don Davies has made a name for himself by negotiating the initial stages of the pharmaceutical agreement with Justin Trudeau's Liberal government during the last legislative session. He steps in to fill the void left by Jagmeet Singh, who announced his resignation following the underperformance of the NDP in the federal election. Singh lost his riding of Burnaby-Centre, British Columbia, lagging behind the Liberals and Conservatives by a significant 18.2%.
The NDP caucus has been scaled down from 24 to 7 MPs, leaving them short of the required number to achieve party status in the House of Commons. This status guarantees a budget for parliamentary preparations. Despite the diminished numbers, the NDP intends to make a request for the status.
"We believe we should have the status of official party," states Anne McGrath, NDP campaign spokesperson. "It's an arbitrary number, and we have solid arguments, such as our role in holding the balance of power in the House and our status as a national party."
It remains to be seen whether other parties will back the NDP's claim. Previously, a similar request from the Bloc Québécois was rejected in 2015. The sovereignist party had 10 MPs at the time, falling short of the 12 required for official party status in the House of Commons.
The federal council of the NDP convened on Monday evening for the first time since the federal election.
In the 2021 Canadian federal election, the recognized parties in the House of Commons were:
- Liberal Party: They were the largest party but fell short of a majority.
- Conservative Party: They represented the Official Opposition.
- Bloc Québécois: Primarily focused on Quebec.
- New Democratic Party (NDP): A social democratic party backing progressive policies.
- Green Party: A party dedicated to environmental issues and sustainability.
To gain official party status, a group must meet specific criteria, mainly possessing a minimum number of elected members and being listed with Elections Canada. The exact number of MPs needed for recognition can fluctuate based on House of Commons rules and precedents, with a party typically requiring at least one member to be elected to the House of Commons. Additionally, parties must be registered under the Canada Elections Act to receive official party status in the House of Commons[3][4].
Parties with official status in the House of Commons are entitled to several privileges, such as:
- Speaking time: Greater opportunities to speak in debates.
- Committee representation: Seats on parliamentary committees.
- Party funding: Access to public funding for party activities.
- Research and staffing resources: Enhanced support for research and staffing within the party.
Parties with fewer than 12 seats may not receive automatic official party status, although they can still participate in debates and committee work to some extent[3].
Don Davies, the newly appointed interim leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) in Canada, has previously negotiated policy-and-legislation related to pharmaceuticals with the Liberal government. In recent French politics, Mylene Crête expressed interest in the interim leader role but was not chosen. The NDP intends to request official party status in the House of Commons, despite being scaled down to seven MPs, arguing that their role in holding the balance of power and status as a national party warrant such recognition. This request, however, might face opposition from other parties, as a similar request from the Bloc Québécois was rejected in 2015.
