Show Notes
What happens when a leadership win sparks tension inside the party?
This week on Balance of Power, Shannon Phillips, Leah Ward and Shannon Greer reflect on the legacy of Stephen Lewis, unpack the implications of Avi Lewis’s decisive leadership win, and dig into what it all means for New Democrats across the country.
First: legacy and loss. The panel reflects on Stephen Lewis’ impact on Canadian politics, the NDP movement, and the organizing culture that still shapes campaigns today.
Then: the new leader. What does Avi Lewis’ win signal about where the federal NDP is headed? From shifts in labour relationships to a more populist policy approach, the hosts break down the opportunities, and risks, of this moment.
Plus: Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck joins the show to talk about affordability, energy policy, and the realities of building a government-in-waiting. From a healthcare system pushed to the brink, to rising costs and soaring power bills, and the challenge of connecting policy to people’s day-to-day lives on the Prairies.
“Legacy, Leadership, and What It Means to Be an Effective Opposition”
Welcome to Balance of Power.
Have a comment or idea? email us: [email protected]
Guest MLA Carla Beck, Leader of the Saskatchewan NDP https://www.ndpcaucus.sk.ca/carlabeck
Guest Host Shannon Greer https://www.newwestpublicaffairs.ca/shannon-greer
Mentioned in this episode Stephen Lewis' Eulogy for Jack Layton https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/1.1715421
The Stephen Lewis Foundation https://stephenlewisfoundation.org/
Stephen Lewis GOTV Speech https://www.facebook.com/reel/2076947419829035 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Balance of Power
What happens when Alberta separatists take their campaign south of the border and start fighting with each other along the way?
Canada has some of the strongest legal protections for abortion in the world. So why do reproductive-rights advocates say the fight is changing rather than ending?
What happens when a government calls a snap election two years early — and the opposition is still trying to figure out who it is?
What happens when a seat everyone assumed was safely Conservative suddenly flips?
What happens when the agency responsible for running Alberta’s referendum is already warning that it is stretched too thin?