Monday March 30, 2026 | WINNIPEG, MB [Posted at 11:22 am PT]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
On his first full day as the new leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Avi Lewis addressed media and took questions during a national press conference held in Winnipeg.
The national NDP leadership convention was held this past weekend in Winnipeg where Lewis won the leadership with 56% of the vote on the first ballot.
Remarks were also delivered today by now-former NDP Interim Leader Don Davies who is the MP for Vancouver Kingsway.
MP Leah Gazan as emcee for the press conference said that Davies has handled the role of interim leader with “grace and determination and famously good humour” through “one of the most difficult times in our party’s history”.
Davies himself said with humour that he “has no ego left”.
Meeting with caucus:
The NDP caucus met with Lewis this morning ahead of the press conference.
“We will figure out exact roles within the caucus as we go forward,” said Lewis today.
There are six NDP MPs half of which represent ridings in British Columbia.
Caucus members are former Interim party leader Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway); Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie); Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre), Gord Johns (Courtenay-Alberni), Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East), and Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona).
Davies today aligned with Lewis that the caucus of elected NDP MPs is fully behind their new leader.
Davies said “we didn’t have one leader, we had six”, as for the work of the NDP caucus over the past year.
The House of Commons is currently on spring/Easter break March 27 through April 12.
Rebuilding the party before seeking a seat:
The party has “significant debt” but Lewis says the $13 million debt mentioned in national media is not correct. “Those are not the latest figures,” he said.
“We are excited about retiring that debt,” which he says is part of getting the party election-ready and one of the reasons he won’t be running for a seat right away so that party affairs can be stabilized.
More fundraising will be done to get the party back where it wants to be.
As well, Lewis will be focussed on meeting Canadians across the country to hear about their challenges — in particular with the cost of living — so that when an available seat comes up he is ready to fully represent working Canadians.
Cost of living crisis is forefront:
Today it was clear that the cost of living crisis is the NDP top priority. Lewis will be visiting communities across the country to hear directly from Canadians about their challenges.
“Canadians are really struggling to get by in an economy that is not set up for them,” said Davies today.
Lewis highlighted what has become an entrenched “crippling” cost of living crisis — which he calls an emergency.
He noted that many Canadians are now having to manage basic household food supply including reducing meal portion sizes, skipping meals, and buying groceries on credit in order to have enough food on the table.
Buying food on credit is “dangerous” in the current economic conditions, said Lewis. It indicates how close to the edge many people are with the ability to make ends meet.
He did not mention food banks but has in the past mentioned government-run grocery stores. In some communities there already are food ‘markets’ (such as Living Edge in the Greater Victoria region) where people in need can ‘shop’ for free using tokens without having to register and declare need.
In Toronto now four municipally-run stores with controlled prices are in a pilot project phase.
Energy sector:
Lewis says there have been media inaccuracies as to his position on oil production in Canada. He says there is no NDP call to ‘keep oil in the ground’.
Rather, there is a need to “start the transition with public investment and ownership” as a way to avoid ‘boom and bust’ dynamics of the sector.
Lewis noted the need for an east-west electricity grid to help with economic independence for the Canadian economy.
The federal government is already eyeing that, including with a joint announcement with the Nova Scotia premier last week to bring in an east coast wind power generation project into the mix with inter-ties to Quebec Hydro and beyond.
Focus on workers:
Lewis wants to make sure that energy policy in Canada is focused on workers. “We need to build new industries funded by the federal government,” said Lewis.
More broadly, he says “left wing populism” is gaining success in western politics, mentioning the new mayor of New York in that regard.
Moving forward:
“We don’t have to agree on every single thing in order to do big things together,” said Lewis, reiterating a message that he heard from Manitoba NDP Premier Wab Kinew this past weekend.
Lewis met with Kinew for over an hour in the premier’s office on Sunday.
Pro human life:
Lewis was asked by media about a schism in the Jewish community that sees some being pro-Zionist and others not.
Lewis says he has been “clear and consistent” that he is “pro human life”. He supports civilian well-being in Gaza.
Past leadership:
Since the new leader’s win on March 29, former NDP party leader Jagmeet Singh has reached out to all the caucus members, said Lewis.
“He’s got some kind of magic that I would love a part of,” said Lewis about Singh.
===== RELATED:
- Avi Lewis wins federal NDP leadership (March 29, 2026)
- Heather McPherson likely to achieve NDP leadership win (March 28, 2026)
- Manitoba NDP Premier Kinew invigorates crowd at federal NDP leadership convention (March 27, 2026)
- NEWS SECTIONS: FEDERAL NDP | CANADA-NATIONAL