Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

New Year, New Chief Of Staff And A Byelection Bid: Jagmeet Singh Eyes 2019

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 24 Dec, 2018 05:31 AM

    OTTAWA — It will be a big January for NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh as he looks to get a much-needed seat in the House of Commons.

     

    Singh plans to hunker down next month in the B.C. riding of Burnaby-South as he tries to check "elected" off his to-do list for a critical campaign year ahead.


    The byelection, expected for February, marks Singh's biggest political test to date while he also tries to calm party fears about fundraising, slumping polls and a growing list of veteran MPs who say they won't run in 2019.


    Singh has been to the riding a number of times, said Jennifer Howard, his new chief of staff.


    Howard is a longtime party strategist who was elected as a Manitoba provincial politician in 2007.

     


    The party has secured a volunteer team and an office as it sets its sights on a victory for their leader, she said, adding that the New Democrats are not taking anything for granted as they work on a win.


    "He is going to become Jagmeet the candidate," Howard said.


    "We are doing all the things that you do to get ready for a campaign so I am very confident."


    For his part, Singh has declined to say whether he will step down as leader should he lose in the riding, which was vacated by former New Democrat MP Kennedy Stewart, now Vancouver's mayor.


    Howard said she's not letting any other thought enter her mind either.

     


    "He is going to win," she said. "We aren't focused on any other outcome because in order to get that outcome, we have to focus on running that race and doing what we need to do to win it."


    In addition to taking on the byelection battle, Singh also faces the task of looking at the party's roster for the 2019 election campaign.


    Earlier this month, MP Fin Donnelly joined a growing list of NDP incumbents who will not seek re-election. It includes Romeo Saganash, Helene Laverdiere, Tom Mulcair, David Christopherson, Irene Mathyssen and Linda Duncan.


    B.C. MPs Nathan Cullen and Murray Rankin are also mulling their futures during the holiday break.


    Canadians should not draw unnecessary conclusions from the departure of veteran NDP MPs, Howard said.


    "I don't see any basis for that," she said. "I don't think that this is anything different than (what) typically happens at this stage (as) you get closer to an election ... This is about the time in the cycle when people make those decisions."

    MORE National ARTICLES

    'It's Heartbreaking:' Manitoba Premier Says Increase In Child Deaths Is Shocking

    'It's Heartbreaking:' Manitoba Premier Says Increase In Child Deaths Is Shocking
    Manitoba's premier says it is shocking to see a spike in the number of children who have died in the province.

    'It's Heartbreaking:' Manitoba Premier Says Increase In Child Deaths Is Shocking

    Study Aims To Shed Light On The Elusive Wolverine In B.C.'s South Coast Region

    Study Aims To Shed Light On The Elusive Wolverine In B.C.'s South Coast Region
    VANCOUVER — A new project aims to find out more about the life and lifestyle of the ghost of the deep forests of British Columbia, the wolverine.

    Study Aims To Shed Light On The Elusive Wolverine In B.C.'s South Coast Region

    World Curling Tour Plans To Review Policy After Red Deer Ejection

    World Curling Tour Plans To Review Policy After Red Deer Ejection
    Knocking back a few pints after a game is enmeshed in the social fabric of the sport, especially at the club level. Sometimes you'll even see elite curlers head to the bar once play is complete, with winners typically buying the first round.

    World Curling Tour Plans To Review Policy After Red Deer Ejection

    Parole Board Says Marco Muzzo Lacks Insight Into Drinking Issues

    Parole Board Says Marco Muzzo Lacks Insight Into Drinking Issues
    In trying to paint himself as a responsible drinker who made a deadly mistake, a drunk driver who killed three children and their grandfather revealed a lack of insight into his drinking habits and the risk they pose to others

    Parole Board Says Marco Muzzo Lacks Insight Into Drinking Issues

    Andrew Scheer Lays Out Tory Plan For Gun Violence, Rejects Calls For Handgun Ban

    Andrew Scheer Lays Out Tory Plan For Gun Violence, Rejects Calls For Handgun Ban
    Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says he wants to tackle a surge of gun violence in Canada by targeting criminals who use weapons illegally, rather than supporting an outright handgun ban.

    Andrew Scheer Lays Out Tory Plan For Gun Violence, Rejects Calls For Handgun Ban

    Justin Trudeau Aims To Confront Ontario'S Ford On Cuts To Francophone Services

    Justin Trudeau Aims To Confront Ontario'S Ford On Cuts To Francophone Services
    OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a message to Ontario's French-speaking minority today in light of budget cuts in the province that affect them: the federal government has your back.

    Justin Trudeau Aims To Confront Ontario'S Ford On Cuts To Francophone Services