Leadnow’s 2025 Raise the Bar Champions

Everyday people are getting a crap deal, and we all know it. The cost of living keeps on going up, but our wages stay the same. Rents keep on rising, and many of us are locked out of owning a home. Between rising energy bills, skyrocketing insurance rates, and disaster relief, the climate crisis keeps costing us. This is all because, for decades, Canada’s economic elite have gotten rich — at our expense.

Our politicians should act in the interests of working people — in our interests. But too many of them are failing us, and bowing to the interests of big corporations instead. 

This election, we’re done with politicians who talk big, but deliver little. That’s why we’re excited to announce our Raise the Bar champions — candidates who aren’t afraid to stand with us and commit to delivering affordable housing for all, taking action to build the clean energy economy we need, and fighting to ensure corporations are paying their fair share.

Our endorsed candidates:

Niki Ashton

From the fight for clean water to housing and infrastructure, to the need for better healthcare services, and good jobs in the north, Niki Ashton has been a strong voice for Indigenous and northern communities. An MP since 2008, Niki’s proven her mettle as a champion who’s willing to fight in solidarity with Indigenous peoples, labour, women, the LGBTQI2S+ community, and youth in the pursuit of justice. Visit Niki’s website here.

Alexandre Boulerice

Born and raised in Montreal, Alexandre worked as a journalist and then for the labour movement before getting elected in 2011. Since then, he has fought for better transparency and accountability in our democracy, working for concrete solutions to the housing crisis, and ensuring a just transition to the renewable energy economy. Visit Alexandre’s website here.

Laurel Collins

Since her election in 2019, Laurel has been fiercely advocating for urgent action on the climate and affordability crises. Her efforts have strengthened Canada’s first climate accountability legislation, helped eliminate international fossil fuel subsidies, and ensured stronger environmental protections. We need a courageous champion like Laurel in Ottawa. Visit Laurel’s website here.

Don Davies

Before winning his seat in 2008, Don worked as a lawyer for the labour movement. A longtime resident in his Vancouver-Kingsway riding, and a tireless community champion, Don’s committed to fighting to ensure everyone in Canada has access to healthcare, an affordable home, and a safe climate. Visit Don’s website here.

Blake Desjarlais

Born in Edmonton and raised on the Fishing Lake Métis Settlement, Blake worked as a community activist and the National Director of the Métis Settlements General Council before making history during the 2021 election as the first openly Two-Spirit person ever elected to Parliament, and the first Indigenous representative from Edmonton. A committed community builder, Blake is dedicated to fighting for a better future for all. Visit Blake’s website here.

Leah Gazan

In her six years as MP, Leah has consistently put people first—fighting for affordable housing, better healthcare, fair wages, and a brighter future for all. She has been leading a cross-partisan national campaign for a Basic Income and introduced Motion 46 to support this effort and ensure all Canadians have what they need to live with dignity. Visit Leah’s website here.

Matthew Green

Matthew Green cut his teeth as a community organizer before becoming a city councillor for Hamilton. Since becoming MP in 2019, he’s used his voice to fight for human rights, democratic economies and workplaces, climate justice, and to demand safe and dignified housing for all. Visit Matthew’s website here.

Joel Harden

With a long history working in the student and labour movement, Joel is a fierce believer in the power of community organizing. As MPP for Ottawa Centre from 2018-2025, he fought for disability and seniors’ rights, improving public transportation, and better support for Ontarians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Joel will be a strong voice for social, economic, and climate justice in Ottawa. Visit Joel’s website here.

Gord Johns

A born and raised Vancouver Islander, Gord’s worn many hats — as a small business owner, municipal councillor, and environmental advocate. Since becoming an MP in 2015, Gord’s championed Indigenous rights, affordable healthcare and housing, and stronger environmental protections. Visit Gord’s website here.

Tanille Johnston

Tanille Johnston is Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ from the WeWaiKai First Nation, a healthcare worker and parent, born and raised in Campbell River. Bringing years of experience in municipal politics and health advocacy, with a deep commitment to building a society where everyone gets to thrive, Tanille is up against a residential school denier, Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn. Visit Tanille’s website here.

Peter Julian

Peter Julian was born and raised in the Burnaby and New Westminster area, where his family has called home for four generations. First elected as MP in 2004, he’s been a fierce advocate for a stronger social safety net and healthcare system we can all rely on, affordable housing, and climate action to ensure more fairness and a better future for all. Visit Peter’s website here.

Bhutila Karpoche

A trained epidemiologist, public health researcher and community organizer, Bhutila was most recently an MPP in Queen’s Park. She’s now making the jump to representing her community in Parliament Hill, to continue her fight for affordable housing and a dignified life for everyone in Canada. Visit Bhutila’s website here.

Jenny Kwan

An immigrant to Canada, Jenny Kwan is a dedicated community organizer who’s been a strong voice for economic, environmental, and social justice since becoming an MP in 2015. With her long history of advocacy, Jenny has proven herself to be a fighter who’s not afraid to speak truth to power to ensure that everyone, no matter who they are and where they come from, has the opportunity to succeed. Visit Jenny’s website here.

Avi Lewis

Born and raised in a deeply politically active family, Avi has been confronting the climate emergency and fighting for social justice as an activist, teacher, journalist and documentary filmmaker. Avi isn’t afraid to stand up to power – and continues to inspire the progressive movement to fight for the transformational changes that our moment demands. Visit Avi’s website here.

Heather McPherson

Bringing over 20 years of experience fighting for human rights and sustainability in the non-profit sector, Heather has been serving Edmonton-Strathcona as MP since 2019. As Foreign Affairs critic for the NDP, Heather has proven herself to be courageous in her advocacy for peace and Palestinian human rights – as well as in fighting for seniors and marginalized communities.  Visit Heather’s website here.

Mike Morrice

With a background in sustainable enterprise, Mike Morrice made history when he was elected Ontario’s first Green MP in 2021. As a proven community builder, Mike has worked with cross-party coalitions to push to build non-market, affordable housing, ending legislated poverty for people with disabilities, and making polluters pay their fair share. Visit Mike’s website here. 

Lisa Roberts

First elected to the Nova Scotia Legislature in 2017, Lisa Roberts is gearing up for a second run at the federal seat in Halifax after a narrow loss in the last federal election. Lisa’s proven herself to be a skilled community builder –  with direct experience building up the non-profit housing sector and advocating for creative solutions to tackle the climate crisis and affordability. Visit Lisa’s website here.

Sandra Sousa

Sandra is a data engineer, proud Portuguese Canadian, and grassroots organizer – whose organized hundreds of her neighbours in Davenport to demand a ceasefire and arms embargo in response to the ongoing violence in Palestine, inspiring others across Toronto to do the same. Her deep commitment to community, climate action and economic justice has propelled her to make an exciting run for office. Visit Sandra’s website here. 

What’s Next?

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1. Ensure every person in Canada has a safe, affordable place to call home. More specifically, we called on candidates to support:

a. A historic expansion of non-profit, non-market affordable housing, with a focus on building units for low to moderate-income families, ensuring a minimum of 4 million new units for households on low to moderate incomes by 2034.

b. Federal rent control and vacancy control, more specifically: using all federal levers to uphold rent control and vacancy control from coast to coast.

2. Tackle the climate crisis and build a renewable energy economy worthy of working people. More specifically, we called on candidates to support meeting Canada’s 2030 climate targets, and work to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable by ensuring:

a. No further public dollars are directed to the fossil fuel industry, including subsidies,

b. And that we have a robust plan so workers in Canada benefit from the transition to a sustainable energy economy.

3. Make Canada’s billionaire class pay their fair share with a tax on record-high corporate profits and wealth. More specifically, we called on candidates to support:

a. A super-profits tax of at least 5% applied to corporate profits above a specific threshold, and/or a progressive wealth tax on the richest 1% of Canadians.