Federal NDP leadership candidate Tony McQuail says his grassroots campaign needs an urgent boost in donations to stay in the race, and he’s using the opportunity to draw attention to deeper issues in Canada’s democracy and economy.
The Lucknow-area farmer and longtime activist says he must raise another $10,000 by November 13 to meet the party’s first $50,000 leadership fee installment.
"If people want my progressive, green voice talking about the need to really address the issue of representation for the 99 per cent of Canadians who aren't being particularly well served by government choices these days, and then the regeneration, redistribution and redesign, if I'm going to stay part of it, we've got to raise about another $10,000 in the next 10 days to ...make that benchmark," he said.
McQuail said his message is resonating with Canadians frustrated by a political system that doesn’t reflect their votes. He’s calling for an overhaul of Canada’s first-past-the-post voting system, which he argues unfairly benefits major parties and discourages participation. McQuail wants to reach out to the people who’ve given up on voting, along with disillusioned Liberal and even some Progressive Conservatives, who he says share his concerns.
McQuail also linked environmental decline to economic inequality, arguing that wealth concentration and unsustainable growth are compounding the planet’s problems.
“We knew back in the 70s that you couldn’t keep infinite growth on a finite planet,” McQuail added.
McQuail reflected on the environmental changes he’s witnessed firsthand.
“Fifty years ago, our orchard was alive with insects. On our 50th anniversary this year, it was silent. Insect populations are collapsing,” he said.
He pointed out that the system worked for the elites in society back when they were the only folks able to vote and said it continues to distort results by underrepresenting smaller parties like the NDP and the Green Party.
McQuail’s platform is built around “regeneration, redistribution, and redesign” to address growing wealth inequality. He offered a vivid illustration of the gap between the rich and the poor in Canada.
“If I tell you you’ve got a million seconds to live, that would mean you can live for another 11 days. But if I tell you you have a billion seconds to live, you’d have another 31 years, and nobody needs that level of discrepancy in wealth," he shared. " I was pretty appalled when I attended the Canadian Labour Congress forum in Ottawa, with the number of people on the street."
McQuail explained his campaign is about rebuilding democracy “from the community level up” and ensuring the economy serves all Canadians, and not just a privileged few. He called it a grassroots effort to regenerate communities, redistribute resources, and redesign governance to be more inclusive.
He stressed that meaningful change starts locally, from naturalizing backyards to redesigning transportation in rural areas, and then scaling up to national policies.
He concluded by framing his campaign as a choice between despair and proactive solutions. With over 50 years of farming experience and 45 years of political activism, McQuail hopes to bring a practical, community-driven vision to the NDP leadership race.
