The NDP is no longer needed as a party. In fact most of the mandate for their existence has been taken over by the Liberal Party and to some extent the BQ. At one time, they filled the function of representing worker interests in the country and could rely on solid support from the unions but as the Liberal Party has drifted leftward under Justin Trudeau the NDP have been crowded out. In fact as far as union interests are concerned the Grits may be a better option. For one they are actually electable nationally.
It also didn’t help the NDP’s chances that there is a third left-of-center party in the equation, the ‘cooler’ Greens, who have been poaching votes from the more fuddy-duddy orange party.
Now it is true that the NDP had a renaissance under Jack Layton, who grew the party to its greatest heights (especially with respect to their success in Quebec) in the noughties, but this was largely a false dawn. It was Layton’s character and personal charm that carried this surge. Once he departed the scene, so did the support, despite the fact that under the helm of Tom Mulcair, the NDP actually had a capable leader.
With Jagmeet Singh, the party has returned to its natural level. What we have seen is not so much a loss of seats by the NDP but a restoration of the typical order which has historically defined the NDP as Canada’s laggard third party.
A golden opportunity was also lost here. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics...
Despite all of this, the NDP may have added leverage in propping up the minority Grits in key issues, where the the government doesn’t enjoy widespread support. Who knows what favors they will extract for their service?
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