Tanille Johnston launches federal NDP leadership bid in Nanaimo
Johnston said as leader, she would ensure the voices of all communities are being represented. (Jesse Woodward / CHLY 101.7FM)
Tanille Johnston had downtown Nanaimo as her backdrop as she kicked off her campaign to become the next leader of the federal New Democratic Party.
Johnston is from the We Wai Kai of the Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ (pronounced Lee-gwilth-daxw) First Nations, and has worked for various Indigenous health services as a social worker. In 2022, she became the first-ever Indigenous person elected as a councillor with the City of Campbell River.
At Maffeo Sutton Park, on Wednesday, October 8th, Johnston announced that she is throwing her name in the ring to seek the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Canada. She is the first Indigenous woman to do so.
She spoke with CHLY after the announcement.
She said as leader, she would ensure the voices of all communities are being represented.
“Our First Nations, our Metis, our Inuit, our seniors population, our veterans, our 2SLGBTQIA community, our people of invisible and visible disabilities,” Johnston said. “There are so many people that I feel haven't felt like they're not completely included in the NDP, or don't see themselves in the NDP, and I want to make sure that they do, because we are their party. We are here for them. They are us.”
This leadership race comes after previous leader, Jagmeet Singh, stepped down on election night, April 28th of this year, after losing his seat to Federal Liberal candidate Wade Chang. That election also saw the party's worst result in its history, resulting in a loss of official party status. A serious blow to the finances of the party.
Don Davies, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Kingsway, was selected on May 5th by the party as interim leader of the NDP after Singh’s resignation.
With the NDP currently only having seven seats in Parliament, Johnston said that while the party is small, they are still mighty.
“You know, what's interesting about the number seven is it's actually quite meaningful in a number of different indigenous communities across the country. It represents the seven directions,” she said. “So that's the four directions that we're commonly used to in colonial culture, but then it also represents ‘above, below and within.’ So I think that the fact that there are seven [NDP MPs] means something, and that that's actually very strong. I've never been someone who's discouraged any small thing from being mighty.”
This is not Johnston’s first run at federal politics; this past spring, she ran as the NDP candidate in the North Island—Powell River riding, where she came in second to Conservative Aaron Gun.
But she believes the NDP can still take that riding back.
“I think folks were politically just worried that if they did not place their ballot for the Liberal Party, that we would see Pierre Poilievre as our leader, and that that was also driving a lot of votes,” she said. “Unfortunately, understanding the political landscape in North Island-Power River, a vote for the Liberal Party was never going to do that. It was actually going to work for the opposite.”
She is running for the leader spot without her own seat in Parliament, but she said it actually gives her an advantage.
“Investing time in our riding associations, investing time in our student body associations, in our different not-for-profits across the country, in our First Nations communities, Metis communities, Inuit communities, to make sure that they feel valid and valued by our party, and I think that that is work that can be done better outside of the House of Commons,” she said.
She said if elected as leader, her first job will be working towards getting the NDP as many seats as possible during the next election.
“All these big, beautiful things that we want to do–we want affordable housing and we want health care for absolutely every single human in our country, all of these beautiful things we cannot do without more seats in the House of Commons,” she said.
Johnston is the only leadership candidate from Vancouver Island, but not the first. The last resident of Vancouver Island to seek the leadership of the Federal NDP was former B.C. Premier Dave Barrett, who at the time was MP for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca. Barrett lost narrowly to Audrey McLaughlin on the fourth ballot at the 1989 NDP leadership convention.
Johnston and other leadership contenders have until the end of January to meet the party’s criteria for inclusion on the leadership ballot, collecting required nomination signatures, and entry fees. Other leadership candidates are expected to tour through island ridings throughout the fall.
Leadership election results will be announced during the party’s annual convention in Winnipeg on March 29, 2026.
Produced with files from Jesse Woodward.
Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.