A New Face Walks the Halls of Power
Canada's political landscape shifted last year when Avi Lewis — documentary filmmaker, activist, and son of former NDP leader Stephen Lewis — took over the helm of the New Democratic Party. This week, he made his first official appearance on Parliament Hill, and he came with a message: the NDP is trying something different.
CBC's The House accompanied Lewis on a walk through West Block, home of the House of Commons, as he reflected on what it means to lead a party that's been searching for relevance since its collapse in the 2025 federal election.
What Is the 'Experiment'?
Lewis used the word deliberately. For him, the NDP's path forward isn't about reclaiming the traditional left-of-centre lane that the Liberals have often crowded — it's about building a politics rooted in movements, not just messaging.
He's spoken openly about wanting to reconnect the party with labour unions, climate activists, and working-class Canadians who feel left behind by both the Liberals under Mark Carney and the Conservatives. The experiment, as he describes it, is about whether a social democratic party can be genuinely transformative rather than just a conscience vote for progressive Liberals.
"We're not trying to be the Liberals with better vibes," Lewis has said in various interviews. "We're trying to build something that actually changes who has power in this country."
Walking the Hill for the First Time
There's something symbolic about a new party leader walking the corridors of Parliament for the first time. West Block, with its Gothic Revival architecture and freshly renovated interior, houses the House of Commons chamber while Centre Block undergoes its own long-running restoration.
For Lewis, who built his profile outside of traditional politics — through journalism, activism, and environmental advocacy — the institution itself represents both the goal and the obstacle. He's betting that Canadians are hungry for a politics that feels less transactional and more honest about the scale of challenges facing the country, from housing affordability to climate change to the ongoing trade pressures from the United States.
Taking on Carney's Liberals
With the Liberals now led by Mark Carney, the NDP faces a familiar challenge: how do you outflank a centrist government that has adopted progressive language while governing from the middle?
Lewis has been direct in his criticism of Carney, arguing that despite the climate credentials and polished economic framing, the Liberals remain a party of Bay Street, not Bay Street residents who are struggling to pay rent.
Whether that message cuts through in a political moment still dominated by economic anxiety and Canada-U.S. relations remains to be seen. But Lewis seems unfazed by the scale of the task — if anything, he appears energized by it.
A Long Road Ahead
The NDP is rebuilding from a bruising electoral setback, and Lewis is entering a House of Commons where his party holds a modest seat count. But he's framing this moment not as a crisis, but as an opening — a chance to redefine what the left looks like in Canada at a time when the political centre is crowded and restless.
Whether the experiment works is a question that will unfold over the next Parliament. But one thing is clear: Avi Lewis isn't planning to play it safe.
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