Yves Engler - Socialist for NDP Leader
by Barry Weisleder
At a well-attended news conference on July 7, the New Democratic Party Socialist Caucus announced the nomination of Yves Engler, a distinguished Montreal-based author and activist, as its candidate for federal NDP leader. Engler brings to the contest a fearless commitment to global peace, democratic accountability, workers’ rights and socialism. In the wake of the electoral disaster suffered by the federal NDP on April 28, he is the first nominee to step forward.
Born in Vancouver in 1979 to union-organizer parents who were deeply rooted in political activism, Engler learned early that social change demands hard work and struggle. Engler has authored thirteen critically acclaimed books—including "Stand on Guard for Whom? A People’s History of the Canadian Military" and "Canada in Haiti: Waging War Against the Poor Majority"—which have expanded public awareness of Canada's foreign policy and its impact on working people and oppressed communities.
Engler is a founder of the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute. He resides in Montreal with his partner and comrade, Bianca Mugyenyi, and their two children. Yves is fluent in French and English.
Engler embodies a robust, left-wing commitment to democratic socialism. He understands the necessity of structural transformation: affordable public housing, universal pharmacare, indigenous self-determination, closing tax havens used by the super-rich, and fostering worker-owned cooperatives to further economic democracy. He also advocates public ownership and democratic workers’ control of critical sectors, including auto, banking, natural resources, and public utilities, to ensure that public benefit, and not private profit, will be central to Canada’s economy.
“Forty years of neo-liberal capitalist policies has led to radically increased inequality and homelessness as well as a weakened working class and social welfare system,” says Engler. “It’s time for the NDP to take on unmitigated corporate power and fight for a democratic economy that puts workers first. We stand for the billions, not the billionaires.”
“Capitalism's need for endless consumption is imperiling humanity’s long-term survival on this planet”, added Engler. “Canada's most egregious contribution to the ecological crisis is Alberta's ever-growing tar sands, which must be quickly phased out.”
Engler’s critique of Canadian militarism stands at the forefront of his work and activism. In 2005, he poured symbolic fake blood onto then-Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew to condemn Canada’s role in Haiti’s 2004 coup and subsequent occupation—an action that garnered widespread attention and provoked Canadian state political scrutiny. In 2002 Engler was an elected vice president of the Concordia Student Union executive when Benjamin Netanyahu sought to speak at the university.
Engler has systematically dismantled the myth of Canada as benevolent peacekeeper, instead documenting through investigative work the ways Ottawa’s military and corporate interests align with those of Washington and US businesses, and have undermined peace globally. His leadership would position the NDP as a global voice for freedom and international solidarity.
“Yves Engler is exactly the leader Canada’s NDP needs: fearless, principled, and unapologetically socialist,” said Socialist Caucus chair Barry Weisleder. “He represents everything we stand for—workers’ rights, democracy, peace, and environmental justice. We call on all NDP members who believe our party must return to its democratic socialist roots to support Yves Engler in this leadership race.”
Engler also emphasizes the need to deepen NDP democracy—from policy development to candidate selection—ensuring that the party remains rooted in the communities it serves, “not just as a broadcast from party headquarters.” The appetite for radical democratic reform was demonstrated on July 6, when the party's Federal Council voted 55 per cent to reject the top officials' package of restrictive rules to govern the leadership race, and instead commenced a section by section debate. NDP Grassroots Rising and Reclaim NDP are two recently formed groups that are agitating widely for greater transparency and accountability in the party.
The Socialist Caucus endorses Engler because he embodies its enduring project: to push the NDP away from corporate rule and towards its democratic socialist roots. Engler has repeatedly challenged party leadership—whether on Palestine, Canada’s complicity in Haiti, or fossil-fuel expansion—and urged rank-and-file members to reclaim the NDP from within. His campaign commits to reinvigorating neighbourhood associations, ratcheting up policy debate, and ensuring the party is managed by working people, not expensive public relations lobbyists.
As an ally of the labour movement, Engler recognizes that a revitalized NDP must prioritize pro-worker legislation: binding sectoral collective bargaining, stronger anti-scab laws, enforcement of pay equity, paid sick leave, and a living minimum wage indexed to inflation.
Under Yves Engler, an NDP government would champion:
Morally grounded, foreign policy based on solidarity— End Canada’s role in enabling Israel’s holocaust in Gaza, slash military spending, curtail arms sales and withdraw Canadian troops from all international deployments with U.S. forces.
Economic democracy —Public ownership and democratic control of strategic industries, robust and well-funded public services (healthcare, childcare, eldercare), and recognition of unions as partners in economic planning.
Freedom of expression and civil rights—Protect political free speech, end government surveillance of peaceful activists, better restrain the intelligence agencies and abolish Canada’s terror list.
Land back — Put an end to Canada’s dispossession of Indigenous peoples and expand Indigenous jurisdiction.
Environmental stewardship—Make a just transition away from fossil fuels with re-training programs for affected workers. Drastically reduce Canada’s ecological footprint and shutter the tar sands.
Over 100 activists attended the organizing launch of Yves Engler’s leadership campaign on July 13. Over 80 per cent volunteered to serve on one committee or more. Many financial pledges were collected towards the $100,000 entry fee that has been imposed by NDP officials. Participants expressed optimism for a victory regardless of the outcome of the vote because the movement for socialism will be strengthened.
Praise for Engler has come from across progressive movements. Briarpatch Magazine called him “one of the most important voices on the Canadian Left.” Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, and Rick Salutin have praised his investigative rigor and principled stance. Yves has been featured on several left wing podcasts during the first week of the campaign.
The Socialist Caucus invites all New Democrats—especially those who feel their values are no longer reflected in the party—to unite behind Yves Engler’s leadership bid. It is time to build an NDP that challenges capitalism and imperialism while promoting de-colonization and economic democracy.
Contact Information
New Democratic Party Socialist Caucus
647-986-1917 info@ndpsocialists.ca www.ndpsocialists.ca
Candidate Information
Yves Engler
yvesforndpleader.ca