When the five NDP leadership candidates take the debate stage on Thursday, they will face two challenges — convincing Canadians the party is still relevant, and then rebuilding it. "​​We don't know when the next election will be, it could be a few months away, it could be a couple of years away," said former NDP MP Peter Julian. Watch the final NDP leadership debate on CBCNews.ca, CBC Gem, the CBC News App or the CBC News YouTube page. WATCH | Candidates weigh in on struggling with French: NDP leadership candidates weigh in on their struggle to answer questions in French | Duration 4:12 Following the NDP's bilingual leadership debate on Thursday in Montreal, the bench of candidates, none of whom are fully bilingual, were asked by reporters if their French is good enough to become the party’s next leader. WATCH | McQuail talks of need for 'regeneration': Tony McQuail runs through his platform ahead of the final NDP leadership debate | Duration 8:34 Before next month's vote, NDP delegates are still learning about what the leadership candidates are offering, particularly as they prepare for their final debate on Thursday.

Source: CBC News February 19, 2026 18:03 UTC