Raise the Bar: Introducing Leadnow’s Federal Election Campaign
This February, over 450 of us joined our Election Campaign Launch Call, committing to take action to fight the far-right and Raise the Bar for progressive politicians in the next election.
The power in the room was palpable. And our collective power is our best hope forward. There’s no doubt that things feel difficult right now: we’re facing an empowered far-right, an affordability crisis fuelled by a handful of billionaires, an intensifying climate crisis, and an impending trade war. But nothing about this election — or the future — is set in stone.
And the Leadnow community is showing up. Together, we are refusing to give up or stop fighting for the version of Canada that we want to live in: one in which every person in Canada has a safe, affordable place to call home; where we take the climate crisis seriously and build a self-reliant, job-rich clean energy economy, and bring Canada’s billionaire class to heel.
So we have a plan. We’re going to expose the Conservative’s real agenda, elect progressive champions, and organize our communities to take action with us for this election — and beyond.
Pierre Poilevre and the far-right’s version of Canada will pit our communities against each other, to keep us distracted so they can roll out the red carpet for the rich and powerful. He’s made no secret of his plans to slash social services, gut climate policies, and support handouts for the corporate class.
We can’t accept that: in the face of far-right populism, our response needs to be to double down on our vision for Canada’s future. Here’s how:
We need to keep hitting the Conservatives where they’re weakest: their public image and reputation. We’ll flood social media and the streets with content that will expose Poilievre and those who prop him up as a dangerous phony who would make life harder for the rest of us.
Instead of settling for any candidate just because they’re better than the alternative, we will demand more from progressive politicians. We’re going to make sure those parties understand they only stand a shot at winning our support if they trash their old rulebook of settling for solutions that tinker at the edges — and start championing solutions that will make a real difference in our lives for a fair and just Canada.
Already, hundreds of people have joined Leadnow’s “Raise the Bar” Election Squads: local volunteer groups working together until election day to expose the Conservatives’ real agenda, build support for candidates who aren’t afraid to take a stand for working people, and bring our communities together to fight for affordable housing, real climate action, and corporate accountability this election — and beyond.
We don’t have to accept a future where corporations get richer while the rest of us struggle. Together, we can fight back against Poilievre’s Conservatives and build a Canada that works for all of us.
Every voice matters in this fight. Whether you can volunteer, donate, or spread the word, there’s a crucial role for you to play. Let’s show Poilievre and his corporate backers that we won’t be pushed around.
With determination and gratitude,
The Leadnow team.