Ontario New Democratic Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ontario New Democratic Party Nouveau Parti démocratique de l'Ontario
Leader	Marit Stiles
President	Janelle Brady
Provincial director	Kevin Beaulieu
Deputy leader(s)	Doly Begum Sol Mamakwa
House leader	John Vanthof
Founded	October 8, 1961; 63 years ago (1961-10-08)
Preceded by	Ontario CCF
Headquarters	2069 Lake Shore Boulevard West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Youth wing	Ontario New Democratic Youth
Ideology	Social democracy
Political position	Centre-left
National affiliation	New Democratic Party
International affiliation	Progressive Alliance
Colours	Orange
Seats in Legislature	28 / 124
Political parties

The Ontario New Democratic Party (often called the ONDP or NDP) is a political party in Ontario, Canada. It believes in social democracy, which means it supports a fair society where everyone has equal chances. The party is currently the Official Opposition in Ontario. This means they are the main party challenging the government.

The ONDP is part of the larger federal New Democratic Party in Canada. It was created in October 1961. It brought together the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section) (Ontario CCF) and the Ontario Federation of Labour. For many years, the Ontario NDP was one of the most successful NDP parties outside of Western Canada.

A Look at NDP History in Ontario

Early Days: The Ontario CCF

The NDP's earlier version was called the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). It was a democratic socialist party started in 1932. In Ontario, the CCF almost won the 1943 provincial election. They won 34 seats and became the Official Opposition for the first time.

Two years later, they had fewer seats. But in the 1948 provincial election, they won 21 seats. They became the Official Opposition again. They even defeated the Premier, George A. Drew, in his own area. However, in 1951, the Ontario CCF lost many seats. They never fully recovered before becoming the NDP.

Building Up the Party: Donald C. MacDonald

Donald C. MacDonald, a key leader for the CCF/NDP from 1953 to 1970.

Donald C. MacDonald became the leader in 1953. He spent 15 years rebuilding the party. When he started, the party had only two seats. By the time he stepped down in 1970, they had 20 seats.

The New Democratic Party of Ontario was officially formed in October 1961. Delegates from the Ontario CCF and unions came together. They elected MacDonald as their first leader. The Ontario NDP slowly gained more seats in the 1960s. They had a big success in the 1967 provincial election. Their support grew, and they won 20 seats in the Ontario Legislative Assembly.

Becoming Official Opposition: Stephen Lewis

Stephen Lewis took over as leader in 1970. The NDP continued to grow in popularity. In the 1975 provincial election, the ruling party became a minority government. This meant they didn't have enough seats to pass laws easily.

Lewis led a strong campaign. The NDP became the Official Opposition with 38 seats. This was the first time they were the main opposition since the CCF in the 1940s. People hoped the NDP would soon take power. However, in the 1977 provincial election, the NDP lost five seats. They fell back to third place. Lewis then resigned as leader.

Challenges and Comeback: Michael Cassidy and Bob Rae

Michael Cassidy became the next leader. But the party did not do well in the 1981 provincial election. Cassidy then stepped down.

The party's luck changed when Bob Rae became leader in 1982. The NDP won two special elections. By 1984, polls showed Rae's NDP was doing better than the Liberals.

In the 1985 provincial election, no party won a majority of seats. The NDP, with 25 seats, held the "balance of power." This meant they could decide which of the other two parties would form the government. The NDP made a deal with the Liberals. The Liberals would form a minority government with NDP support. In return, the Liberals agreed to put some NDP policies into action. The NDP chose to stay in opposition, not join the government.

When this deal ended in 1987, the Liberals called an early election. The NDP lost some seats but became the largest opposition party. Bob Rae became the Leader of the Opposition.

Forming Government: Bob Rae as Premier

Before the 1990 provincial election, the Liberals were expected to win easily. But the Liberal government faced problems. Bob Rae's NDP ran a strong campaign. They won a surprising majority government with 74 seats. This was the first time the NDP formed a provincial government east of Manitoba.

Bob Rae became the Premier of Ontario. But Canada's economy was in a difficult period. The NDP government made some unpopular economic decisions. They introduced something called the "Social Contract." This meant:

• Changes to agreements with public sector unions.
• A freeze on wages for government workers.
• "Rae Days," where government workers had days off without pay.

These decisions caused problems between the NDP and labour unions. The government did pass laws to help with fair employment and to ban replacement workers during strikes. But this didn't win back union support.

By the 1995 provincial election, it was clear Rae's government would not be re-elected. The NDP lost many seats and fell to third place. Rae resigned as leader in 1996.

Despite the challenges, Rae's government did make some social welfare improvements. They increased social assistance rates for people needing help.

After Government: Howard Hampton

Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton in February 2007.

Howard Hampton became the new leader in 1996. He led the party through three elections. Under Hampton, the ONDP twice lost its "official party status." This status gives a party more resources and speaking time in the legislature.

After the 1999 election, the NDP had only nine seats. The rules said a party needed 12 seats for official status. However, the ruling party changed the rules to lower the number to eight seats. This allowed the NDP to keep its official status.

In the 2003 election, the NDP focused on public ownership of electricity and public auto insurance. They also wanted to reverse cuts made by the previous government. Despite a strong performance by Hampton in a televised debate, the party lost two seats. They again lost official party status. Many NDP supporters voted for the Liberals instead, hoping to defeat the ruling party.

Regaining Official Status Through By-Elections

The NDP worked hard to regain its status. In a special election (called a by-election) in May 2004, Andrea Horwath won a seat for the NDP. This brought the party back to eight seats and allowed them to regain official party status.

Later, the NDP won more by-elections. Peter Tabuns won in Toronto—Danforth in 2006. Cheri DiNovo won in Parkdale—High Park in 2006. And Paul Ferreira won in York South—Weston in 2007. These victories increased the NDP's number of seats in the legislature.

In the 2007 provincial election, the party's support grew. But they only won 10 seats, not making big gains. Howard Hampton announced he would step down as leader in 2008.

Leadership of Andrea Horwath

Andrea Horwath became the new leader in March 2009. She focused on ideas like tax incentives for businesses that create jobs. She also wanted to improve healthcare and cut taxes on necessities like home heating.

In the 2011 election, Horwath led her party to an increase from 10 to 17 seats. The Liberals won a minority government, meaning they needed support from other parties to pass laws. Horwath's NDP held the "balance of power."

The NDP continued to gain seats through more by-election wins. In 2012, Catherine Fife won in Kitchener—Waterloo. In 2013, Peggy Sattler won in London West and Percy Hatfield won in Windsor—Tecumseh. Wayne Gates won in Niagara Falls. These wins brought the NDP to 21 members in the Legislative Assembly.

In the 2018 provincial election, the ONDP had its best result since forming government in 1990. They won 40 seats and became the Official Opposition. They won many seats in Toronto and Northern Ontario.

After the 2022 Ontario general election, the party lost some seats. Horwath announced she would resign as leader. Peter Tabuns became the interim (temporary) leader.

Leadership of Marit Stiles

After Peter Tabuns' temporary leadership, Marit Stiles was chosen as the new Ontario NDP leader. She was declared leader on February 4, 2023. She is currently the Leader of the Opposition.

Party Leaders

The party was known as the Ontario section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) until October 8, 1961. That's when it officially became the New Democratic Party (NDP).

CCF Leaders

NDP Leaders

Election Results

This table shows how the party has done in elections, including results from the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) before it became the NDP.

Election	Leader	Seats	Change +/-	Votes	Percentage	Standing	Position
1934	John Mitchell	1 / 90	1	n.a.	7.0%	3rd	Third party
1937		0 / 90	1	n.a.	5.6%	none	Extra-parliamentary
1943	Ted Jolliffe	34 / 90	34	n.a.	31.7%	2nd	Official Opposition
1945		8 / 90	26	n.a.	22.4%	3rd	Third party
1948		21 / 90	13	n.a.	27.0%	2nd	Official Opposition
1951		2 / 90	19	n.a.	19.1%	3rd	Third party
1955	Donald C. MacDonald	3 / 98	1	n.a.	16.5%	3rd	Third party
1959		5 / 98	2	n.a.	16.7%	3rd	Third party
1963		7 / 108	2	n.a.	15.5%	3rd	Third party
1967		20 / 117	13	n.a.	25.9%	3rd	Third party
1971	Stephen Lewis	19 / 117	1	n.a.	27.1%	3rd	Third party
1975		38 / 125	19	n.a.	28.9%	2nd	Official Opposition
1977		33 / 125	5	940,691	28.0%	3rd	Third party
1981	Michael Cassidy	21 / 125	12	672,824	21.2%	3rd	Third party
1985	Bob Rae	25 / 125	4	865,507	23.8%	3rd	Liberal minority (With NDP confidence and supply)
1987		19 / 130	6	970,813	25.7%	2nd	Official Opposition
1990		74 / 130	55	1,509,506	37.6%	1st	Majority Government
1995		17 / 130	58	854,163	20.6%	3rd	Third party
1999	Howard Hampton	9 / 103	8	551,009	12.6%	3rd	Third party
2003		7 / 103	1	660,730	14.7%	3rd	No status§
2007		10 / 107	3	741,043	16.8%	3rd	Third party
2011	Andrea Horwath	17 / 107	7	980,204	22.73%	3rd	Third party
2014		21 / 107	4	1,144,576	23.75%	3rd	Third party
2018		40 / 124	19	1,925,512	33.57%	2nd	Official Opposition
2022		31 / 124	9	1,072,769	23.74%	2nd	Official Opposition

^§Regained official party status after a 2004 by-election.

Current Ontario New Democrat MPPs

These are the current Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) for the Ontario NDP.

How the Party Works

The Ontario NDP has leaders like the party leader, a president, and vice-presidents. These leaders are chosen at big meetings called conventions, which happen every two years. The party leader is in charge of the NDP members in the Ontario legislature.

The Provincial Director manages the party's daily activities outside of the legislature. This person is hired by the party's executive team.

The highest decision-making group in the party is the provincial convention. It includes people chosen from different local groups and party sections. There's also a Provincial Council that meets a few times a year. It helps make decisions between the big conventions.

See also

• List of political parties in Ontario
• List of articles about Ontario CCF/NDP members
• Ontario CCF/NDP leadership elections