‘I didn’t really expect to get this far’: Could a Huron County farmer be the next leader of the federal NDP?

CTV’s Scott Miller speaks to Tony McQuail, a Huron County farmer still in the race for the federal NDP leadership.

Tony McQuail is back home and hard at work on his family’s organic farm near Lucknow. It’s a far cry from what he was doing last week, sharing the stage at the NDP leadership’s English debate in New Westminster, B.C.

“I felt both blessed and humbled to be there, because I didn’t really expect to get this far,” said McQuail.

The 72-year-old McQuail, an organic farmer from the Lucknow area, is one of five Canadians still in the running to lead the federal New Democratic Party.

“You know, when I first sent out my email, most of my friends said, ‘Are you crazy? But you know, your ideas give us hope and I’m feeling despair.’ I had no idea I’d get to this stage, but because of the wonderful support, and the fact that some of these ideas resonate across Canada, we’re here now. Let’s go forward with some hope,” said McQuail during last Thursday’s leadership debate.

McQuail, who has run seven times, both federally and provincially for the NDP, is running on a “green progressive” platform, centred on things like universal basic income, proportional representation, and redistribution of wealth.

“When I first got involved 45 years ago, growth is going to solve our problems. No, growth has become our problem. Growth and wealth inequity, and growth and activities that are destroying the planet. So, we’ve got to change,” said McQuail.

McQuail conducted holistic management workshops for NDP riding associations while in B.C. for the leadership debate, providing lasting added value to the party, win or lose, he believes.

Nationally, while he does not believe in giving into U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, he doesn’t believe Canada is going about “nation building” the right way either.

“We should take the money that we’re subsidizing and giving to the fossil fuel companies, and that’s $30 billion a year. If you put that in $1 million grants to community groups across the country, that could be $1 million grants to 30,000 communities across Canada. That to me would be nation building, and it would also be youth employment, and it would also be regeneration and redesign because those are the kind of projects I’d want to fund,” he said.

At last Thursday’s debate, McQuail was the only candidate who said they are running to eventually become prime minister. While it may seem like a lofty goal for an organic farmer from Huron County, McQuail believes there is a path for him to lead the NDP, and eventually, Canada.

“I mean, with a ranked ballot, an underdog could show up as the leader. I don’t expect to be the leader, but if I am, I’ll certainly be working with the other candidates that I’ve gotten to know through this process,” he said.

The federal NDP will announce their new leader on March 29, 2026. Voting by members begins on March 9, 2026.

McQuail is running against Avi Lewis, Heather McPherson, Rob Ashton and Tanille Johnston.