What is the New Democratic Party (NDP)?
Answer
The federal social-democratic political party founded in 1961 by the merger of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and the Canadian Labour Congress, currently led by Jagmeet Singh.
Explanation
The New Democratic Party (NDP, in French Nouveau Parti démocratique or NPD) is the federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The NDP was founded on August 3, 1961 by the merger of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF, founded 1932 in Calgary as a farmer-labour-socialist party) and the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC, founded 1956 from the merger of the Trades and Labour Congress and the Canadian Congress of Labour). The current federal NDP leader is Jagmeet Singh, elected October 1, 2017 (the first racialised person to lead a major federal Canadian party).
The NDP has never formed federal government. Its highest electoral result was in the May 2, 2011 federal election, when Jack Layton's NDP won 103 of 308 seats and became the Official Opposition for the first time, displacing the Liberals into third place. After Layton's death from cancer on August 22, 2011 and the Liberals' recovery under Justin Trudeau, the NDP slipped back to third place in subsequent elections. The NDP currently has 16 seats in the 45th Parliament (after the April 2025 federal election).
The NDP has been more successful at the provincial level. NDP governments have led Saskatchewan (Tommy Douglas's government from 1944 to 1961, the first social-democratic government in North America, introduced North America's first Medicare programme in 1962), British Columbia (Dave Barrett 1972 to 1975, Mike Harcourt 1991 to 1996, Glen Clark 1996 to 1999, John Horgan 2017 to 2022, David Eby since 2022), Manitoba (Edward Schreyer 1969 to 1977, Howard Pawley 1981 to 1988, Gary Doer 1999 to 2009, Greg Selinger 2009 to 2016, Wab Kinew since 2023), Ontario (Bob Rae 1990 to 1995), Alberta (Rachel Notley 2015 to 2019), Yukon (Tony Penikett 1985 to 1992), and the Northwest Territories (briefly).
The NDP's platform combines progressive economic policy (universal pharmacare, dental care, expanded EI, raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations), strong public services, Indigenous reconciliation, environmental policy, and labour rights. The party has had a confidence-and-supply agreement with the federal Liberal government from March 2022 to September 2024 (the Supply and Confidence Agreement), supporting the Liberals on key votes in exchange for federal action on NDP priorities including the federal Canadian Dental Care Plan and Pharmacare Act of 2024. The party's official colour is orange.
Why this matters for your test
The NDP is one of Canada's three principal federal parties and the country's social-democratic party. Recognising the 1961 founding from the CCF and CLC gives candidates a specific anchor.
Source: New Democratic Party of Canada; Library of Parliament
