Avi Lewis

Early life and political lineage

Avram David Lewis was born in May 1967 in Toronto, Ontario, into a family deeply embedded in Canadian social democracy and activism. His political heritage is formidable, tracing back to his great-grandfather Morris Lewis, a Polish-Jewish Bundist who fled political persecution in Europe. His grandfather was David Lewis, the federal NDP leader from 1971 to 1975, and his father was Stephen Lewis, who led the Ontario NDP and later served as Canada's ambassador to the United Nations. His mother is journalist and author Michele Landsberg, and his siblings are casting director Jenny Lewis and human rights activist Ilana Landsberg-Lewis. He was educated at Jarvis Collegiate Institute and Upper Canada College before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from University College at the University of Toronto in 1988.

Broadcasting and journalism career

From 1996 to 1998, he hosted the music magazine show The NewMusic on MuchMusic and Citytv, while also serving as the channel's political specialist. In this role, he provided extensive coverage of major national events, including the 1993 federal election and the 1995 Quebec referendum, winning a Gemini Award for Best Event Coverage. His transition to more formal current affairs began in 1998 when he started hosting CBC Newsworld's debate program CounterSpin, presiding over 500 episodes. He later hosted The Big Picture with Avi Lewis and, in 2007, launched the daily international news commentary show On the Map with Avi Lewis, which aired Monday to Thursday. His work for the CBC also included serving as a panellist on Canada Reads in 2009, where he successfully championed Lawrence Hill's novel The Book of Negroes to victory.

In 2008, Lewis expanded his international reach by joining Al Jazeera English, first hosting Inside USA, a series examining issues in the United States presidential election. Following the election, he became a co-host of the investigative program Fault Lines in 2009, known for its in-depth storytelling about the United States and its global role. Throughout his broadcasting tenure, Lewis interviewed a wide range of figures, from activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali to former US diplomat John Bolton. He also worked for Bell Media's CP24 early in his career.

Documentary filmmaking and activism

Parallel to his broadcast work, Lewis developed a career as a documentary filmmaker, often in collaboration with his wife, author and activist Naomi Klein. Their first major project was the 2004 film The Take, which documented the movement of Argentine workers to recover control of bankrupt factories and won the International Jury Prize at the American Film Institute festival. This work led to the creation of The Working World foundation, a non-profit microcredit organization supporting cooperatives in the United States and Argentina. Lewis directed the 2015 feature documentary This Changes Everything, based on Klein's book, which examined the climate crisis through the lens of economic conflict and placed second in audience voting for documentaries at the Toronto International Film Festival. His activist filmmaking continued with The Leap, an organization he helped launch in 2017 to promote the vision of the Leap Manifesto. With The Leap, he co-wrote the short film A Message from the Future with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2019, which was nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy Award, and a sequel released in 2020. Lewis also maintained an academic career, serving as a lecturer at Rutgers University in New Jersey and an associate professor in the geography department at the University of British Columbia, where he taught courses on social change, communication, and documentary filmmaking.

Political beginnings and the Leap Manifesto

Lewis's formal entry into politics was closely tied to the Leap Manifesto, a policy framework he helped launch with Naomi Klein and other activists in September 2015. The manifesto called for a radical economic and social transformation to address climate change, inequality, and colonialism, aiming to influence the policy debate during the 2015 federal election. Its provisions, particularly those calling for an end to fossil fuel infrastructure, sparked immediate controversy, drawing criticism from Alberta's NDP Premier Rachel Notley. At the 2016 federal NDP convention in Edmonton, Lewis spearheaded a motion for the party to endorse the manifesto, though it was ultimately amended to refer the document to local constituency associations for discussion. The Leap organization operated until 2021.

Lewis first sought elected office as the NDP candidate in the riding of West Vancouver, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky Country in the 2021 federal election, endorsed by figures like David Suzuki and Jane Fonda. He achieved 25.63 percent of the vote, the NDP's best result in that riding, but still placed third behind Liberal Patrick Weiler and Conservative John Weston. He ran again in the 2025 election, this time in Vancouver Centre, where he was acclaimed as the candidate in September 2024. The 2025 election was disastrous for the NDP, which lost the majority of its seats and official party status, and Lewis placed third again behind Liberal Hedy Fry and Conservative Elaine Allan.

2026 NDP leadership campaign and election

Lewis launched his campaign for the NDP leadership on September 19, 2025, becoming the first officially approved candidate with a launch event in Toronto. His campaign slogan was "for the many, not the money," and he laid out a comprehensive platform anchored by a Canadian Green New Deal. Key policy proposals included implementing a wealth tax on the top one percent, creating public options for groceries and telecommunications, building a million units of public housing, expanding Medicare to include dental and mental health care, and imposing a moratorium on new AI data centre construction. By the end of January 2026, his campaign had raised over one million dollars. At the party's convention in Winnipeg on March 29, 2026, Lewis was elected leader on the first ballot, capturing 56.02 percent of the vote, or 39,734 ballots. His victory speech was delivered alongside Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and other caucus members. Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi distanced his provincial party from the federal wing, criticizing its oil and gas policies, while Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck refused to meet with Lewis until he reversed his opposition to new fossil fuel projects. In contrast, leaders like BC's David Eby and Ontario's Marit Stiles offered congratulations.

Leadership tenure and political positions

Upon becoming leader, Lewis moved quickly to organize his parliamentary team, appointing Don Davies as parliamentary leader and Heather McPherson as House leader in an April 2026 shadow cabinet shuffle. He chose not to immediately seek a seat in the House of Commons via a by-election in 2026, focusing instead on rebuilding the party from outside Parliament. In late April 2026, the party's deputy leader Alexandre Boulerice announced his resignation to run for Québec solidaire. Lewis defines himself as a socialist, and his policy framework represents a comprehensive left-wing platform. His major policy positions include a wealth tax of 1% to 3% on the top 1%, a corporate profits tax, cracking down on tax havens, and ending fossil fuel subsidies. He advocates for creating public options for groceries, telecommunications, postal banking, and pharmaceutical manufacturing, and for building a million public housing units with a national rent cap. On healthcare, he aims to expand Medicare to include universal pharmacare, and dental, vision, hearing, and mental health care, while also supporting public long-term care options. He is pro-choice and advocates for equal abortion access across Canada.

Views on Israel, Palestine, and antisemitism

Lewis's stance on Israel and Palestine has generated intense debate and criticism from mainstream Jewish organizations in Canada. In his victory speech, he stated, "When Israel commits a genocide in Gaza, we call it by its name, and we do everything in our power to bring it to an end." He has also said he sought to "unlearn and unpack the Zionist myths" he was raised with and described Zionism as "linked inextricably to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine," positions that have drawn strong condemnation from groups like the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA). The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) responded to his election with "a deep sense of sadness," arguing his statements told Jewish Canadians "that a core part of their identity is illegitimate." Former BC NDP cabinet minister Selina Robinson accused him of demonizing Jews and Zionists, while Lewis has co-authored reports accusing CIJA of anti-Palestinian racism and genocide denial. A significant controversy erupted in September 2026 when, on the eve of Yom Kippur, Lewis posted on social media that he was "reflecting on the fact that we failed to do our part to stop an ongoing genocide committed in our name." Liberal MPs Anthony Housefather and Ben Carr condemned the statement as holding Jews collectively responsible for Israel's actions, with Housefather calling it "despicable," but Lewis rejected the criticism as partisan, stating that collective blame is antisemitic and not what he intended. Lewis is a member of Independent Jewish Voices Canada.

Personal life

Avi Lewis is married to journalist and author Naomi Klein, and the couple have one son named Toma. He was featured on the November 20, 2001, Life & Times episode of "The Lewis Family". His genealogical search was featured on the January 31, 2008, episode of the CBC's Who Do You Think You Are? His father Stephen Lewis died on March 31, 2026, two days following Avi's election as federal NDP leader.

Electoral record

Questions about Avi Lewis

Who is Avi Lewis?

Avi Lewis is the leader of Canada's federal New Democratic Party (NDP), elected in March 2026. Before entering politics, he was a well-known journalist and documentary filmmaker, hosting programs for CBC, Citytv, and Al Jazeera English. He is the grandson of former NDP leader David Lewis and the son of former Ontario NDP leader and UN ambassador Stephen Lewis. He is married to author and activist Naomi Klein.

What are Avi Lewis's main political policies?

Lewis advocates for a socialist-inspired platform centred on a Canadian Green New Deal. His key policies include implementing a wealth tax on the top one percent, creating public options for groceries and telecommunications, and building a million units of public housing. He aims to expand Medicare to cover dental, vision, and mental health care. On climate, he proposes investing two percent of GDP in climate action and ending subsidies for the oil and gas sector.

Why is Avi Lewis controversial?

Lewis's views on Israel and Palestine are a major source of controversy. He identifies as an anti-Zionist, has called Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide, and has made statements describing Zionism as linked to ethnic cleansing. These positions have drawn strong criticism from organizations like the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and some within his own party's provincial wings. His economic policies, particularly opposition to new fossil fuel projects, have also created tension with NDP leaders in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Did Avi Lewis ever win an election?

No, Avi Lewis has never won an election to the House of Commons. He ran as an NDP candidate in the 2021 and 2025 federal elections, placing third on both occasions. When he was elected NDP leader in 2026, he became the first person to assume that role without previously holding elected office. As of late 2026, he has chosen not to seek immediate entry to Parliament via a by-election.

What was Avi Lewis's career before politics?

Before politics, Lewis had a long career in media and academia. He was a television host for MuchMusic, CBC Newsworld, and Al Jazeera English on shows like CounterSpin, On the Map, and Fault Lines. He is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, co-directing The Take with Naomi Klein and directing This Changes Everything. He also worked as an associate professor at the University of British Columbia and a lecturer at Rutgers University.

What is the Leap Manifesto?

The Leap Manifesto is a policy framework launched in 2015 by Avi Lewis, Naomi Klein, and other activists. It calls for a rapid, justice-based transition off fossil fuels, alongside addressing economic inequality and colonialism. Lewis spearheaded an effort to have the NDP adopt the manifesto at its 2016 convention. While not formally adopted, it significantly influenced the party's left wing and led to the creation of The Leap organization, which Lewis helped run until 2021.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Nosy Mag desk. Last updated 2026-10-19.