New Democrat MPs not panicking in face of slump in polls, Trudeau popularity

SASKATOON – Don’t panic, stay the course.

That’s the advice of New Democrat MPs as they gather to plot strategy for the resumption of Parliament later this fall.

NDP members of Parliament say they’re not worried about the resurgence of the Liberals under Justin Trudeau or their own slumping poll numbers.

Hamilton MP David Christopherson says Trudeau — eldest son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau — is benefiting from his name.

And while fighting dynasties can be difficult, he and other New Democrat MPs say they’ve got plenty of time until the next election in 2015 to turn things around.

The MPs say they’ll do that by staying focused on their real adversary — Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives — and the bread-and-butter issues that matter to Canadians.