The NDP and the 11th Commandment

It makes sense for a front-runner to make a virtue of cordial campaigning and to shame opponents who decide to go on the attack. In other words, while pushing the 11th commandment might seem idealistic, it’s often self-serving.

NDP leadership candidates Rob Ashton, left, Heather McPherson, and Avi Lewis, pictured in Ottawa on Oct. 28, 2025. Ashton came under fire from within his own party's ranks because he publicly criticized Lewis, the NDP's perceived leadership front-runner, writes Gerry Nicholls. The Hill Times photograph by Stuart Benson

Opinion

BY GERRY NICHOLLS

January 19, 2026

OAKVILLE, ONT.—Former U.S. president Ronald Reagan is credited with popularizing an unwritten political rule, commonly known as the “Republican 11th commandment.”

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