NDP tells candidates to prepare for spring election

NDP is urging its candidates to be ready for a federal election as early as March 10. 

NDP’s national campaign director Jennifer Howard warned in the Wednesday memo that Liberal leadership frontrunner Mark Carney could trigger a snap election if he wins the leadership race on March 9.  

According to an internal memo obtained by CBC entitled Election Timing and Planning, it accuses the Liberals of seeking to turn President Donald Trump’s threats of a 25% steel and aluminum tariff into a “political benefit” rather than working on emergency legislation. 

It claims no Liberal leadership contenders have reached out to opposition leaders to address the crisis, calling rumours of a Carney-led election push “credible.”  

“Taking a page from Doug Ford’s playbook, the Liberals believe they can turn this crisis into a political benefit,” wrote Howard, referencing the Ontario Premier’s 2022 election strategy. 

The document outlines key NDP campaign priorities, including affordability, access to doctors, and the party’s focus on “working people” against the other parties it claims serve “billionaire CEOs.”

Recent polling shows Conservative support slipping slightly, with Liberals gaining some ground, and the NDP facing a small dip.

Howard expressed confidence in NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s ability to present a “real progressive choice,” emphasizing climate action and indigenous reconciliation.  

Liberal leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland dismissed the idea of an early election, calling it less than “ideal” amid Trump’s March 12 tariff deadline. 

Freeland argued that, unlike Carney, her current seat in Parliament would allow her to immediately defend Canadian interests.

The NDP has instructed its 140 nominated candidates to accelerate campaign readiness ahead of a potential spring election.