Nathan Cullen: Tom Mulcair is wrong. The NDP belongs in Parliament

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I recently read an article written by a former colleague, Tom Mulcair, and was shocked and a little saddened by the central argument: this election is too important and the fight too hard for the federal NDP to try and win seats. I’m trying to imagine such an idea coming from the likes of Jack Layton, Ed Broadbent, Alexa McDonough or Tommy Douglas. All of whom knew the importance of having the NDP in Parliament with a strong and meaningful voice. And how that voice could help Canadians make ends meet, and Canada face the threats of war, recession and political uncertainty.

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McDonough said it most clearly, “it’s downright dangerous to fly without a left-wing.”

So, let’s take a quick stroll through history — from the distant to most recent — to understand how wrong it is to suggest that the orange team sit this one out and that Canadians give up on voting for what they want.

It was Douglas who first alerted the country to threats of fascism when no other Canadian leader would take the risk. New Democrats created the political momentum that made the modern social safety net and public health-care possible. Family allowances, employment insurance, old age security and the list goes on.

Broadbent helped secure women’s (sections 15 and 28), Indigenous (sections 25 and 35), and minority rights in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms when Trudeau senior initially resisted their inclusion.

McDonough brought the party back from near oblivion, was a champion for a generation of women leaders, and helped push Prime Minister Chrétien to keep Canada out of the disastrous war in Iraq.

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Layton forced a wounded and floundering Liberal government to rewrite the 2005 budget and put billions into housing, the environment, and education. Later, he forced the near collapse of the Harper government, rejecting a budget full of deep cuts they tried to force into the teeth of the 2008 global financial crisis.

This most recent caucus, with just 24 MPs, brought in public dental care for millions of Canadians and free prescription medications for millions more. Families struggling to pay the bills will no longer have the worry of dental bills and prescriptions for diabetes and other illnesses keeping them awake at night.

When left unchecked, Liberal governments have implemented policies that hurt working people, cuts to employment insurance, abandoning affordable housing, and disastrous cuts to health-care transfers.

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Challenging times are ahead, and Canadian families would be well served by a steadfast, progressive voice in government or opposition to protect and support them. The NDP caucus, delivering on pharmacare and dental care, continues a legacy of fighting for the well-being of all Canadians. Again, “it is downright dangerous to fly without a left wing.”

Progressive politics is about believing in a better world and electing leaders who will do the work to make that world a reality.

Now, more than ever, Canada needs the compassion and strength that Jagmeet Singh and the NDP offer. Our journey is defined not by skepticism and fear but by our relentless pursuit of a fair and just society. Let us reject the voices urging us to surrender and instead embrace a future where we take control of our destiny.

Nathan Cullen has 15 years’ experience as a Member of Parliament, four years as a member of BC cabinet and has done extensive work in the non-profit and private sectors.

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