Election after election, the NDP fails to connect on the campaign trail. Nor do they effectively mobilize between elections. I volunteer and donate, yet until after this recent defeat, I have never been invited to join the party: They do not engage loyal supporters.
Months before the campaign, throughout the campaign, and even after the campaign, the NDP sent fundraising emails that were waaay too long. I heard from long time NDP supporters that not only did these emails fail to keep them onside, the communication style and content turned them off.
Anyone with comms experience knew the emails wasted resources and time. But they were signed by people who should have known better: the National Director, the Campaign Director, someone with the title “Writer”.
An effective social media campaign does not take tons of money. It might not compete with corporate-funded campaigns, but it could have amplified key tags across social media so that candidates could repeat those same lines – succinctly until they became sound bites. That might have kept enough seats for official party status.
At the start of the campaign, the NDP claimed they were “running to form government” and until an editorial from Althia Raj, that was the line most associated with the NDP. Yet any NDP volunteer on the ground knew that was a line to nowhere.
After that came “We won’t stop fighting for working people”. But that’s not a reason to vote NDP! The candidates, especially the leader, needed to repeat “We’re the only party that will fight for working people’, again and again, until the media could not run any other NDP line. And give examples: “we made the Liberals support Canadians financially through the pandemic” . . . “you need us in Parliament to get support through the trade war . . .”
Then came the debates. The English debate could have been a triumph. Singh’s answers were clear and convincing. He was the only leader to use the word “genocide” about Gaza – something with which most Canadians agree. But who told him to interrupt? It was so frequent, it must have been strategy. And no one needs market research to know that strategy would backfire in polite Canada.
Communication problems pre-date Singh
And now we’re seeing comms trouble within the party itself. Even the few remaining NDP MPs have difficulty communicating with and getting information from their party.
I’m sure the communications staff are honorable, dedicated people. I’m sorry if they’ve lost their jobs. But whoever’s in charge of comms should have been transferred to policy long ago. Unfortunately, that may be the one person who kept their job.
Collapse offers opportunity for creativity
Starting now, the NDP could combine social media with popular education to rebuild the party and reinvigorate our democracy. Brief messaging and clear language could explain the parliamentary system. And that winning is not the point of politics. The point is to enact good law and policy. (Dental care and prescription meds for people who have none? Of course it was worth losing seats!)
They could explain why a coalition or minority government is as good as a majority. Canadian history demonstrates that minority parliaments curb right-wing agendas and promote progressive policy and legislation. Minority governments are more likely to keep election promises rather than initiating plans hidden during campaigns. Yet even educated Canadians, including some NDPers, don’t understand our system and are not aware that key legislation was enacted by minority parliaments. This leads to supposedly strategic votes that are anything but.
Begin by accessibly sharing important information so people tune in, whether or not they vote NDP. And share how key Canadian legislation – from medicare through pharmacare – happens when the NDP has influence. Most Canadians do not know the NDP brought us medicare. Sharing that history is long overdue.
A creative, informative approach could invigorate social movements outside of Parliament. And that could strengthen the voice of NDP MPs within Parliament.
Fundraising may not be necessary. Engage supporters with communications experience and they may help for free! As the Liberals bring in the Trumpian Bill C-2, a clear, strong NDP voice is more important than ever.
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