The Paikin Podcast Why Heather McPherson Thinks She Can Save the NDP
Feb 2, 2026
Heather McPherson, MP for Edmonton Strathcona and NDP leadership contender known for progressive foreign policy work, lays out why she thinks the party must rebuild. She discusses reconnecting with voters on housing, healthcare and cost-of-living. She tackles pipelines and a just transition, Canada’s stance on Palestine and foreign policy, and shares personal stories including her cancer journey.
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Mix Short And Long Grocery Reforms
- Use short-term interventions like capping grocery prices and removing GST on essentials to ease costs.
- Combine these with longer-term actions like breaking monopolies and taxing excess profits for lasting impact.
Advocate A Stronger, Independent Foreign Policy
- McPherson criticizes appeasing Donald Trump and calls for a bolder Canadian foreign policy that defends international law.
- She urges diversified trade, stronger defense of human rights, and domestic manufacturing to reduce U.S. dependence.
Support Recognition Of Palestine Now
- McPherson supported recognizing a Palestinian state and says Canada should have acted earlier.
- She criticizes conditional recognition lines as potentially dishonest and difficult to meet.
