Jagmeet Singh wins NDP leadership race

Ontario MPP Jagmeet Singh is the new leader of the federal NDP.

The provincial politician — who holds no seat in the House of Commons — won the party’s leadership race on the first ballot Sunday with a total of 35,266 votes out of 65,782 total votes cast, or just over 53 per cent.

“I don’t have the words to capture this journey. I don’t, but let me just say it is a profound honour,” said Singh in his victory speech.

“This race has renewed excitement in our party.”

A 38-year-old turbaned Sikh who represents the provincial riding of Bramble-Gore-Malton, Singh had been predicted by pollsters to have the race in the bag and beat out party stalwarts and members of Parliament Charlie Angus, Guy Caron and Niki Ashton.

Angus came in second behind Singh with 12,705 votes, while Ashton got 11,374 and Caron got 6,174.

Singh was first elected to Queen’s Park in 2011 and served as deputy leader of the Ontario NDP from 2015 until May, when he decided to take a run at the federal leadership.

The party voted in early 2016 to dump Tom Mulcair, who was elected leader after the death of Jack Layton. A former Toronto city councillor, Layton had led the party to Official Opposition status for the first time in history in the 2011 election, something that was lost under Mulcair.

The NDP now holds third-party status.

Singh has been billed as the party’s best hope of reclaiming the support it briefly captured — and its strongest shot at taking on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2019.

“We are the party that is building a better Canada,” he said. “It is us, and it is in us that you can see the future of our country. How great our country will be with a New Democratic government. Look at what we’ve been able to accomplish in a few months. Imagine what we can accomplish in two years.”

Singh also reiterated his commitment to the core platform issues of his campaign and pledged to continue working to address inequality, pay equity, housing affordability, climate change and electoral reform.

In his speech, he repeated a central pledge of his provincial political work, and said banning the practice of police carding — or racially profiled and arbitrary street checks — would be a priority if elected prime minister.

Singh reflected on growing up in “The Six,” a term for Toronto popularized by local rapper Drake which draws on the city’s 416-area code. He urged party members to stand together to fight inequality, prejudice and the unstable economic realities faced by Canadians who are under- or unemployed.

Shortly after the winner was declared, the Liberal Party released a statement that reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening the Canada Pension Plan, creating new affordable childcare spaces, improving home care for seniors and building more affordable housing.

“Liberals across Canada offer our congratulations to Jagmeet Singh on his election as Leader of the New Democratic Party. The Liberal team looks forward to a constructive debate on how we can continue to strengthen Canada’s middle class,” it said.

“The Liberal team will stay focused on building a stronger middle class and a better future for all Canadians, not just the wealthiest one per cent. We look forward to working together with the NDP on this shared goal.”

The election of Singh makes Trudeau the oldest of the main federal party leaders at 45.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, elected in May, is also 38.