Singh targets suburbs as national tour begins

OTTAWA • An energetic Jagmeet Singh came running on to a campaign-style set up in Ottawa on Sunday and later gave a window into how he sees himself as NDP leader — something equivalent to a high-risk stock.

Singh, a 38-year-old Ontario provincial politician named federal party leader on Oct. 1, is preparing to embark on an introductory tour in every province and territory before a party policy convention in February.

There’s no time to waste on the road to beating Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Singh told party faithful.

“We have to be the party that inspires, that truly touches the hearts of people. We have to inspire because we have to win — we owe it to Canadians to do so.”

Part of Singh’s upcoming travel — set to include stops including around Toronto and Vancouver — will speak to the party’s goal under his watch: to unlock potential in suburban ridings. Singh concedes the strategy comes with risks but believes it is key to take on the Liberals and Conservatives in these battlegrounds. “What I have been saying about my candidacy is that I am high risk, high reward,” he said.

“I feel like this is where we need to reach out to people, 35 per cent of Canadians live in suburban ridings. Those are places where it is fundamental for us to get out our message of progressive politics … they are competitive but they are important, they are fundamentally important

CANADIANS HAVEN’T HAD THE CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW HIM YET.

to building a coalition of folks to form government.”

If Singh can break into these ridings, it could represent a significant political shift for the party comparable to its historic breakthrough in Quebec, said former NDP national director Karl Belanger.

“I am talking about a geopolitical shift in the NDP universe on a scale that was seen in 2011 when the Orange Wave was created by Jack Layton and the NDP,” he said in an interview.

There are no guarantees, however, that Singh can deliver in suburban ridings, and the party must also stay connected with supporters in Quebec, where it has 16 seats. The realities of Quebec voters are quite different than those around Toronto and Vancouver, he said, adding it will be a challenge for the NDP to connect with both.

“If you are unable to make the inroads in the region you are seeking as growth … but at the same time you lose the base that you have, you don’t end up with very much,” Belanger said. “Jagmeet’s greatest challenge is of course his greatest opportunity: a great many Canadians haven’t had the chance to get to know him yet,” said NDP strategist Robin MacLachlan.