Mulcair says NDP losses in N.S., B.C. provide lessons for federal party

OTTAWA – The crushing defeat of Nova Scotia’s NDP government has dealt a blow to federal NDP Leader Tom Mulcair just as Parliament is poised to resume.

Mulcair likes to point to the success of provincial New Democrat governments to bolster his argument that the NDP can do the same federally.

But that’s a harder case to make after the NDP’s drubbing in Nova Scotia on Tuesday, which followed another disappointing loss in British Columbia last May.

Mulcair says there are lessons to be learned from both defeats on everything from organizing on a riding-by-riding basis to maintaining a consistent message.

He doubts the Liberal victory in Nova Scotia had anything to do with federal Grit Leader Justin Trudeau.

Trudeau was the only federal leader to campaign in the province’s election.