John Ivison: Carney throws the NDP a lifeline with his new labour bill

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNP Comment John Ivison: Carney throws the NDP a lifeline with his new labour bill Leader Avi Lewis has taken the NDP further left than many traditional supporters want, but on this, he's on solid ground for progressives Author of the article: By John Ivison Published Sep 22, 2026 5 minute read Join the conversation New Democratic Party leader Avi Lewis speaks during a press conference at Foyer of House of Commons at West Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. PHOTO BY HYUNGCHEOL PARK /Postmedia Article content There are signs of life in the NDP. The party’s support has crept up on cat’s paws since the last election, reaching double digits in some national polls in recent weeks. Article content On Monday, the Liberals threw New Democrats another lifeline, in the form of Bill C-39, the government’s omnibus Building Canada Strong Act. Article content RECOMMENDED VIDEOS Article content New(ish) NDP Leader Avi Lewis looked like a man recalled to life as he held a press conference on Parliament Hill on Tuesday, flanked by a number of Canadian union leaders. It was just like old times for the NDP, which was shut out of Ontario in the last election, losing seats in union-heavy towns such as Hamilton, Windsor and London. Article content Article content Lewis has taken the party further left than many of its traditional supporters feel comfortable with, taking hardline positions against Zionism, fossil fuel development and free enterprise. Article content Channel Israel Columnist Jesse Kline keeps you up to date with what’s happening in Israel and the effects of antisemitism on life here in Canada. Friday mornings. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content But on Bill C-39, he is on solid ground for progressives. Article content “I understand there’s a little Carney-mania going on in the world,” Lewis told reporters. “People are very enamoured of the prime minister internationally and here in Canada. (But) we’re trusting this man with massive changes that will accelerate projects at the cost of Indigenous rights, at the cost of the environment, and at the cost of protections for workers, including the fundamental right to strike.” Article content Prime Minister Mark Carney described C-39 as “the…