The federal NDP has selected Vancouver-Kingsway MP Don Davies to serve as the party’s interim leader.
It comes as the party gears up to hold a leadership contest to replace Jagmeet Singh, who announced plans to step down following the New Democrats’ poor showing in the April 28 federal election.
In a statement, the party said the NDP’s Federal Council had made the decision in consultation with its reduced caucus.
“While the recent election results were not what we hoped for, our commitment to building a better Canada has never been stronger,” party president Mary Shortall said in a statement.
“With a renewed sense of purpose, we will hold the government to account and keep fighting for the issues we heard about on doorsteps across the country – public health care, affordable homes, good jobs, and making the ultra-rich finally pay their fair share.”
The party thanked Singh for his term as leader, saying he led with “courage, compassion, and a clear commitment to improving life for working people, and citing progress on key NDP policy priorities including child care, pharmacare and dental care.
Singh had said he would step down as soon as an interim leader was selected. He was among the more than a dozen New Democrats to lose their seats.
The NDP was reduced from 24 to just seven seats, losing official party status in the process, as voters flocked in historic numbers to the Liberal and Conservative parties.