OTTAWA—The NDP was limited by a lack of resources in the recent federal election and needs to bring in more money for the next one, says the veteran adviser who will help steer the party into the new minority parliament.Anne McGrath, a longtime strategist for New Democrats in Ottawa and Alberta, says the party needs to ensure it has enough money to avoid the obstacles of the last campaign and properly amplify the campaign skills of its leader, Jagmeet Singh, whenever the next vote comes. “The answer to a lot of the questions about what could have been done better comes down to resources,” McGrath said of the federal election that saw the NDP nearly wiped out in Quebec as it lost 15 seats—more than a third of what it had before the election—across the country. “There’s a lot of work to do to have a professional fundraising operation that can really find all those supporters and tap into them,” not only for their votes, but also their volunteer efforts and contributions, she said in an interview Friday.McGrath, an associate with Hill+Knowlton Strategies in Ottawa, said she is now helping the party transition to life in a minority parliament led by the Liberals. She said she is advising on the structure of the party, leader’s office and caucus, as well as on different scenarios in an unpredictable House of Commons where the Liberals can stay in power with the support of just one of three main opposition parties — the Conservatives, the Bloc Québécois or the NDP. McGrath said there will be some staffing changes to adjust to this new reality. “I don’t anticipate huge changes, but there will be some,” she said.On Thursday, NDP national director Melissa Bruno announced she would be stepping down after almost two years in the role. Singh thanked her in a statement Friday, saying Bruno is “an incredible woman” who “was integral to our team and our campaign.” Th ...
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