New Democratic Party

<p>The New Democratic Party  is a federal <a href="/facts/List_of_political_parties_in_Canada/tKzgMDaz">political party in Canada</a>. Widely described as <a href="/facts/Social_democracy/Ttb0ryDT">social democratic</a>, the party sits at the <a href="/facts/Centre-left_politics/UVLcWS99">centre-left</a> to <a href="/facts/Left-wing_politics/JUcz1kvS">left-wing</a> of the Canadian <a href="/facts/Political_spectrum/8JazHDe0">political spectrum</a>, generally to the left of the <a href="/facts/Liberal_Party_of_Canada/4NcQ9pNu">Liberal Party</a>. The party was founded in 1961 by the <a href="/facts/Co-operative_Commonwealth_Federation/CK2dJ21R">Co-operative Commonwealth Federation</a> and the <a href="/facts/Canadian_Labour_Congress/axJ2uaQ7">Canadian Labour Congress</a>. As of 2025, it is the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons, with seven seats.
</p><p>The federal and provincial (or territorial) level NDPs are more integrated than other political parties in Canada, and have shared membership. The NDP has never won the largest share of seats at the federal level and thus has never formed government. From 2011 to 2015, it formed the <a href="/facts/Official_Opposition_(Canada)/cALeJ7lI">Official Opposition</a>; apart from this, it has been the third or fourth-largest party in the <a href="/facts/House_of_Commons_of_Canada/XAdyEgPs">House of Commons</a>. However, the party has held the <a href="/facts/Balance_of_power_(parliament)/LMkd8Gj8">balance of power</a>, and with it considerable influence, during periods of Liberal <a href="/facts/Minority_government/IpJcjuIE">minority governments</a>. Sub-national branches of the NDP have formed the government in six provinces (<a href="/facts/Ontario/HUkxk5Rf">Ontario</a>, <a href="/facts/Manitoba/QuCdIDYB">Manitoba</a>, <a href="/facts/Saskatchewan/ehkUec57">Saskatchewan</a>, <a href="/facts/Alberta/PjKJFbJY">Alberta</a>, <a href="/facts/British_Columbia/Ty3e3g1Q">British Columbia</a>, and <a href="/facts/Nova_Scotia/RcmIvd1A">Nova Scotia</a>) and the territory of <a href="/facts/Yukon/JAGCCGCW">Yukon</a>. The NDP supports a <a href="/facts/Mixed_economy/M27dNu2U">mixed economy</a>, broader <a href="/facts/Welfare_spending/awUwQxkd">welfare</a>, <a href="/facts/LGBTQ_rights_by_country_or_territory/UpImJVJQ">LGBTQ rights</a>, <a href="/facts/World_peace/sgbKHDzt">international peace</a>, <a href="/facts/Natural_environment/NzGY148M">environmental</a> stewardship, and expanding <a href="/facts/Healthcare_in_Canada/K8aMhm6M">Canada's universal healthcare system</a> to include dental care, mental health care, eye and hearing care, infertility procedures, and prescription drugs.
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New Democratic Party open-in-new

New Democratic Party