August 1st, 2025 | Allan Ray

The NDP Needs A Nationalistic Reboot

The party was decimated because they lost touch with rising trends.

The New Democratic Party emerged from the 2025 election shattered. The federal NDP won only seven seats, barely 6.3% of the popular vote. It was their worst result on record. Even party leader Jagmeet Singh failed to win re-election. In fact, this was so dire that the NDP lost official party status for the first time since 1993, meaning it will no longer get guaranteed speaking time or be allowed to sit on committees. In short, the New Democrats have now hit a political wall. Their traditional left-leaning platform has failed to inspire Canadians, and the once-influential social democratic party now risks being marginalized. However, the NDP would regain relevance if it embraced a stronger, more nationalistic message.

The NDP’s Crushing Defeat

The scale of the NDP’s 2025 defeat can’t be overstated. For decades, Canadian politics included at least a three party system, with the NDP holding enough seats to influence or even block legislation. But in 2025, commentariat noted that support for the Liberal and Conservative parties concentrated so heavily that smaller parties “lost ground” – leaving the NDP with just seven MPs. This was not just another bad election: it was “their worst result in its history,” a calamity that even stripped them of official status. As Global News observed, such a small caucus can't even ask a question daily in Question Period or sit on committees. In practical terms, the NDP has seen its voice reduced to near-silence at the federal level. The shock of losing party status (last seen in 1993) illustrates how deeply out of step the NDP’s message has become with voters.

This debacle follows years of stagnation. Jagmeet Singh’s ideas – high immigration targets, aggressive climate policies, expansive social programs – faced a backlash amid economic and cultural concerns. Conservative thinkers note that in a changing Canada, many working class and younger voters felt the NDP had little to say about their immediate fears. Commentators linked this to a wider “polarization” toward a two party race, meaning the NDP’s usual constituency either stayed home or drifted to other options. If the NDP cannot recover some of those voters, it may wither altogether, a fate that Canada’s democracy should avoid.

Canadian Nationalism 

The NDP’s leaders appear to have missed a broader mood in the country and a resurgence of Canadian nationalism. Recent events showed that Canadians of all stripes are rallying around the idea of defending national sovereignty and identity. For example, when U.S. political tensions flared under President Trump’s trade threats, Canadians responded not as globalists but as patriots. The Council on Foreign Relations reported that Trump’s rhetoric about Canada being the “fifty-first state” and his steep tariffs on our goods “ignited a wave of patriotism across Canada,” with politicians and citizens alike pledging to defend national sovereignty.

In cities and small towns, media and public opinion has turned sharply in favour of “Canada First” policies.

The NDP could tap into this by emphasizing that their progressive ideals are compatible with national pride. Instead of relying on globalized platitudes or partisan divisiveness, the NDP should say loudly that Canadians all share a stake in the country’s future and must protect what is distinctively Canadian. That kind of message – guarding national sovereignty, jobs, and culture – resonates in the current climate.

However, expanding beyond their usual anti-American sentiments and rejecting globalism all together, while criticizing any attempts at selling out to Europe, would be a wider reaching and positive move for New Democrats. Accepting that Canadians are neither American nor European would be a proper nationalistic approach.

Protecting Canadian Jobs

Central to this nationalist awakening is a shift on economics. The new crop of voters saw prices and jobs vulnerable to decisions in Washington, not Ottawa. When the United States announced tariffs of 25% on many Canadian goods and 10% on energy, it underlined how intertwined – and precarious – our economy is with the U.S. Canadian farmers, manufacturers and natural resource workers felt betrayed by the broken promises of free trade.

In this environment, the NDP, traditionally the party of working class Canadians, should rethink its approach. The old faith in global supply chains looks like a liability after such shocks. Instead, the NDP could champion stricter trade remedies to protect domestic industries. For example, stronger anti-dumping laws or tariffs on foreign goods that undercut local wages would echo historical Canadian values. As far back as the 1980s, Canadian nationalists (often Tory, but also in mainstream opinion) opposed free trade deals precisely out of fear of economic and cultural domination by larger economies. A modern NDP could similarly invoke that tradition. They could argue that building a strong domestic manufacturing base, whether in auto, timber, tech, or green energy, is a patriotic duty. This would show that the NDP cares about Canadians’ livelihoods before foreign interests.

The response of Ottawa’s new government is instructive. The Liberals under Mark Carney have already taken a much tougher line with a 25% tariff on U.S. auto imports and forming new trading partnerships. If the NDP doesn’t criticize these moves, they risk looking disconnected from voters worried about jobs.

Immigration and Integration

Another facet of nationalist sentiment is a debate over immigration. Canada has long prided itself on openness to newcomers, but by 2024 that narrative began to break. In late 2024 a major survey found that nearly 60% of Canadians believed the country was accepting too many immigrants– the first time since 2000 that a majority felt immigration was excessive. Rising immigration levels, combined with stresses on housing and infrastructure, is fuelling public worries. Politicians have responded, while even Justin Trudeau announced a 21% cut in immigration targets for 2025, explicitly acknowledging voter concerns.

For the NDP, which has always supported immigration as part of its inclusive vision, this presents a peril.

Ignoring such public sentiment risks painting them as clueless. Instead, the NDP could moderate its approach by focusing on integration and national interest. A nationalist left could still welcome immigrants warmly, while also insisting on sensible limits and strong community support. For instance, they could propose capping overall intake to a sustainable level (echoing the 2025 cut), while spending the savings on better settlement programs, affordable housing for newcomers, and language training. In effect, prioritize newcomers’ successful integration into Canadian culture.

They could focus on bringing in more highly skilled immigrants.

Cultural preservation doesn’t have to mean closing borders; it can mean embracing immigrants who become part of Canada’s culture. The NDP could emphasize “Canadian values” courses or civic education to help all residents – old and new – understand shared rights and responsibilities. They might also stand up for bilingualism and Indigenous languages, showing that national unity is built on diversity under a common umbrella.

One can be pro-immigrant without being pro-amnesty on any terms. The polling shows this balance is what most Canadians want. By shifting on immigration, the NDP could break the caricature that they care only about open borders, and show that they too are looking out for Canadian jobs and culture.

Cultural Preservation

Closely tied to immigration is the issue of cultural identity. Many Canadians worry that globalization and ideological changes threaten uniquely Canadian institutions like our public healthcare and our justice system. A nationalist NDP could tap into this by arguing that protecting Canada’s culture and social model is itself a progressive cause. Instead of casting culture-war issues (like removing statues or rewriting history) as left or right, the NDP could stress that teaching Canadian history and celebrating patriotic holidays is about educating citizens, not dividing them.

The NDP has a chance to reclaim patriotism for the left flank, a patriotism focused on social justice at home and defending our national integrity abroad. By speaking out for Canadian innovation, Canadian-made products, and respect for veterans and workers, they can show that nationalism isn’t a right-wing monopoly. In fact, as one historian has noted, Canadian nationalists used to aim for a country less reliant on any foreign power– a goal that spans the aisle. The leftwing version might emphasize independence from international corporate interests or foreign propaganda, while still proudly flying the Canadian flag.

If the NDP were to embrace that vision, they would truly put Canada first in a way that resonates with voters of all stripes. Further, this NDP version of nationalism would not act as a direct threat to Conservatives, but would rather take back many NDP votes lost to Liberals in 2025.

Conservatives Still Need a Strong NDP

To many Conservatives, the idea of saving an NDP might seem strange. Yet a robust NDP actually benefits Canada and even the Conservative Party. Historically, whenever the NDP has held seats in Parliament, it has acted as a balance against Liberal excesses. A strong NDP means Conservatives face better odds in competitive ridings (vote-splitting on the left) and also ensures that any major law has to account for diverse perspectives, not just the ruling party’s whims.

In the 2025 campaign, for example, some ridings were three-way races. Progressive strategists openly acknowledged that in NDP/Liberal/Conservative contests, it might make sense for liberals to tactically vote NDP (or vice versa) to block a Conservative win.

A unified left can be dangerous for the Conservatives, but splitting the left-wing vote between Liberal and NDP actually keeps the playing field more even. A hypothetical Canada with only Liberals and Conservatives is effectively a no-filters contest: the winning margin would be much larger and more arbitrary. In other words, the Conservatives should prefer a country where multiple parties represent different viewpoints rather than a two-party duopoly where one side sweeps.

Every Liberal seat the NDP siphons from Liberals is a win for Conservatives.

The NDP can safely adopt many of these more nationalistic policies without sacrificing their brand, or cutting into Conservative support. Both parties have their own take on nationalism, but an NDP version could bleed some more blue-collar Canadians away from Liberals, many who may like some Conservative ideas, but would never—out of principle—vote Conservative.

If Conservatives want to see their own agenda succeed, they should quietly welcome the NDP’s renewal, as long as it means engaging with them from a more nationalist, practical perspective.