Renewing Democracy

We know a stronger NDP will benefit all Canadians, and Tanille sees the “right now” role of the next NDP Leader as building our party up towards significant representation in the House, restructuring our internal processes to leverage member expertise and provide power to committees, and re-fund our EDAs to win big in the next federal election. That starts with accessibility, accountability, and action.

There are three parts to accomplishing this:

  1. Improving Democracy for All Canadians

  2. Making the NDP More Accessible & Democratic

  3. Building an Always Election Ready NDP

For All Canadians

  • Every vote will finally count, ensuring fairer representation and a Parliament that reflects the real diversity and priorities of Canadians. Let’s put PR in place with an empowered non-partisan citizens’ assembly.

  • Politics should serve people, not money. Bringing back the per-vote subsidy will empower voters over wealthy donors or 3rd party spending and strengthen our grassroots democracy.

  • Invest in nation-wide public civic education for all ages, so that people struggling to make ends meet aren’t burdened with navigating bureaucratic systems on their own.

    When people understand how elections work and how their voices matter, voter turnout rises, communities strengthen, and governments become more accountable to the people it serves.

  • Because if you can drive a car, you should be able to vote. Engaging young people early builds lifelong democratic participation and ensures decisions today include those who’ll live with them tomorrow.

Inside the NDP

  • Removing membership fees opens the door for everyone, because politics belongs to everyone, not just those who can pay to play.

  • Phase out the central party’s clawback of Elections Canada local campaign expense rebates given to ridings receiving over 10% of the vote, allowing local campaigns and riding-level associations to build momentum over time and give back to their community.

    Keeping resources local helps ridings grow, stay active between elections, and strengthen ties in their own communities.

  • Convention is our main method of internal democracy where rank and file members debate and vote on the NDP’s direction – it shouldn’t cost hundreds of dollars just to register.

    Making conventions free and accessible lets every member’s voice shape the future of our movement with no financial barriers attached.

  • Establish a Leader’s Advisory Forum that regularizes input consisting of the NDP Federal Council, the caucus of elected NDP Members of Parliament (MPs), all provincial and territorial NDP leaders, and other major figures like fellow candidates from the leadership race.

    A transparent, collaborative leadership process restores trust and ensures decisions reflect the breadth of our movement, not backroom politics.

Building an Always Election Ready NDP

  • Develop and maintain a Platform and Election Campaign Strategy in consultation with the elected NDP caucus of MPs & Federal Council such that we are ready at all times for a potential election. Using national documentation as a starting point, collaborate directly with riding associations and regional, provincial, and territorial sections of the party to produce unique, customized local contingents.

    Centering members in our platform ensures our priorities and campaigns are grounded in real community needs and experiences.

  • Facilitate year-round organizing enabling regular engagement with our members, affiliates, and others (labour groups, Indigenous leadership, PRIDE collectives, community organizations, voters), and enable and support riding associations to recruit local leaders community into candidate nomination races in a timely manner.

    Continuous organizing keeps our movement relevant, engaged, and empowers locals to lead, connect, and grow throughout election cycles, and not only during campaign season.

  • Paid, inclusive opportunities open the doors of politics to young, underrepresented leaders ready to make lasting change.

    Let’s create and deliver paid entry-level party internship opportunities with clear paths for growth, and provide party funding for projects proposed by groups like NDP campus clubs, youth contingents, equity commissions, regional councils, and riding-level associations. These are opportunities for us to invest in seeing more young people, 2SLGBTQIA+, Women and Persons of Colour in politics.

  • Conventions to power-up our people. Plan collaboratively with our membership and empower knowledge keepers to run training sessions to pass on their expertise, ensuring that we’re always building upwards on solid foundations. This is where policies grow and people are empowered. We need to be at the work everyday, not just election day.

    Hands-on, accessible training gives members tools and confidence to organize, campaign, and win in their own communities.

  • Invite the provincial and territorial NDPs into honest, ongoing conversations about how we can work together for the benefit of Canadians. Years of financial neglect from the Federal Government has pushed our Provinces and Territories into fight for flight. We need to work through that neglect, build to a place of common understanding and move forward, together.

    Working together across regions strengthens unity, tackles shared challenges, and delivers better outcomes for every Canadian, everywhere.

“Let’s bring the nDP into a new era. one that’s brave, bold, and impossible to ignore.”

- Tanille Johnston, 2026 NDP Leadership Candidate

Join Team Tanille Today!
Donate To Tanille's Campaign!