NDP Leadership Candidate Tanille Johnston Champions Rural Voices

Tanille Johnston, a federal leadership candidate for the New Democratic Party (NDP), is advocating for greater representation of rural communities as she campaigns across Vancouver Island. During her tour, which took place between Christmas and New Year’s, she visited locations such as Port Alberni, Tofino, and Ucluelet, emphasizing the importance of engaging with areas often overlooked by political leaders.

Johnston, a city councillor in Campbell River, previously ran for the NDP in the 2025 federal election, narrowly losing to her opponent in the North Island-Powell River riding. She is clear in her message: “Everywhere matters,” she stated before a meet and greet at a cafe in Port Alberni on December 27. “A lot of places, like Port Alberni, don’t get much attention from politicians, especially leadership candidates. I’m a big champion of rural communities.”

She believes that the NDP must connect with constituents beyond urban centers to regain ground lost in recent elections. “To win the next election, New Democrats need to reach areas we have historically neglected,” Johnston said. She sees a significant opportunity for the party to reignite interest by fostering meaningful conversations with voters in diverse communities.

Johnston highlighted the necessity for NDP leaders who can resonate with people across Canada. “We need leadership that can enter spaces we have either neglected or never shown up in before,” she explained. “Building new relationships is essential to growing the party.” She pointed out that while proposing major policies is important, the party must first increase its representation in the House of Commons.

The NDP faced significant challenges in the last election, securing only seven seats—the party’s worst performance to date. When reflecting on the party’s struggles, Johnston noted a failure to adapt and capitalize on the knowledge of local candidates. “We saw investment dumped into Burnaby in the last election, which many of us didn’t understand,” she remarked. “Burnaby was a lost cause, and ridings like mine could have benefited from additional resources.”

Jagmeet Singh, the party’s former leader, was the MP for Burnaby South, where he received just 18 percent of the vote in 2025, ultimately resigning from his leadership position that night. Johnston stressed that local candidates should be empowered to make decisions, rather than relying solely on a centralized campaign strategy. “There were decisions made centrally that hamstrung us quite a bit,” she said, particularly when referencing the long-term campaigning strategies employed by the Conservative Party in her riding.

Johnston is advocating for early candidate recruitment and local campaigning efforts. “I would have loved to tour around my riding saying, ‘Look, I’m still your candidate,’ but you lose your candidacy title as soon as the election is over,” she explained. She expressed concerns that the central party has not yet reached out to riding associations to gauge interest in nominating candidates for the next election cycle. “We could be in an election within the next year. By the time the leadership race is done, we could have only eight months before we’re facing an election,” she warned.

To address these issues, Johnston is calling for a redistribution of funds and messaging power to local candidates rather than keeping it centralized. “The most important thing people should know about me is that integrity is one of my core values,” she stated. “I believe in being genuine and straightforward, and I think we need more of that in politics. We need actual human beings in politics.”

The NDP is set to elect its next leader on March 29, 2025. Alongside Johnston, candidates include Avi Lewis, Rob Ashton, Heather McPherson, and Tony McQuail. Those candidates who fail to meet fundraising deadlines set by the party will not appear on the ballot.