VANCOUVER—If federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announces and wins a seat in the Burnaby South riding, it could be the start of a potential rebrand for the party at one of its most beleaguered times, says the man Singh would replace if he won.

After visiting several spots in Metro Vancouver last Friday, speculation ramped up that Singh might run in Burnaby South — a position previously held by Kennedy Stewart, who is now seeking to be mayor of Vancouver.

British Columbia is essential to rebuilding the New Democrats federally, Stewart said in an interview, noting that donors from the province give the most money to the federal party.

Singh does not have a seat in the House of Commons and has never committed to running before the 2019 election. The 39-year-old criminal lawyer was a star Ontario MPP from 2011 until last October, when he resigned his seat after winning the federal NDP leadership.

Observers say Singh may be the best person to capitalize on the backlash surrounding the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion from Alberta to B.C.

“There’s a real cause for the Liberals to worry with the (Trans Mountain) pipeline,” Stewart said. “If Jagmeet heeds the local call for him to run when a byelection is called, then I think he could win it.”

Galvanized opposition to the pipeline in the Lower Mainland plays a role in the strategic decision, said Stewart Prest, a political science professor at Capilano University.

“It’s possible it can work out in his favour,” he said. “But there are several layers of complexities to work out for a new leader still trying to find his feet.”

And it’s not clear the byelection must be called by the Liberal government before the next general election, Prest added. That’s because the prime minister can choose to “delay” it within the regulatory framework.

On the one hand, if the Liberals push too far, that would be undemocratic, he explained.

But they can argue it’s a waste of time and money to hold a byelection six months before a slated federal election, Prest said. In addition, denying Singh the opportunity to build his experience in the House of Commons would make “things more difficult for him.”

The NDP has been struggling with its finances, and Singh opted not to take a salary from the party until cash flow significantly improves, the Star reported. Part of his strength during last year’s leadership campaign was his record of bringing in money.

During the race, Singh raked in $1.04 million in donations — almost as much as his three opponents combined, according to their campaign returns filed with Elections Canada.

With Singh as leader, the party raised almost $1.4 million in the first quarter of this year, compared with roughly $910,000 for the same period in 2017.

Prest warned that if Singh ran in Burnaby South, he would have to learn about a “completely different side of the country,” in addition to competing in a federal race.

“We’ve seen Singh get caught between two provincial NDPs” he said — Alberta, which backs Trans Mountain expansion, and B.C., which is opposed. He noted that a hardline stance against pipeline expansion would be necessary.

“He would have to be investing time and energy about as far away from Ottawa as he can get,” Prest said.

There aren’t many options left for Singh to get into the House of Commons, he said, with party unity becoming increasingly important in the upcoming election. Singh faced heavy criticism earlier this year that not having a seat was holding him back from leading the NDP caucus.

The party suffered disappointing losses in byelections this year, including in Quebec, despite the “orange wave” that swept across the province in 2011, when Jack Layton was leader.

An “orange wave” can sweep across British Columbia, Stewart said, adding that there’s a sense in the province that the Liberal government has “left them out.”

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He questioned whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would even be able to campaign in Burnaby, and said any Liberal would have to defend pipeline decisions in the riding.

But Stewart also said there may not be a byelection called at all. “They might run away from it here,” he said. “If you think about the negatives for the Liberals, they have to fight on Trans Mountain. And they’ll probably lose.”

The notion of a federal leader in a riding out West has happened before. In the 1960s, Tommy Douglas was a federal leader who won a byelection in Burnaby. Douglas refreshed the “brand,” Stewart said.

“The parallels are striking,” he said, noting Singh has received support from other municipalities to run, such as Surrey. “The membership is really keen.”

So far, Singh has not announced where he’ll seek a seat, but he said he was being courted by residents and NDP members alike.

“I was walking in Port Moody and I was stopped by some Burnaby South residents, who jumped out of their truck and said, ‘Listen, we want to make sure that our riding is continued to be served by a New Democrat, so that’s why we stopped you,’” he said.

The next federal election is set for Oct. 21, 2019.

With files from Alex Ballingall and Cherise Seucharan

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