THE CANADIAN PRESS Jagmeet Singh, Charlie Angus and Guy Caron pose for a photograph as Niki Ashton is seen on a television screen via satellite from Ottawa before the NDP leadership debate in Vancouver on Sept. 1, 2017.

The outgoing leader of the federal New Democrats thinks his successor should "ideally" have a seat in Parliament — a remark seemingly directed at leadership hopeful Jagmeet Singh.

Thomas Mulcair was asked by reporters Monday to weigh in on the last stretch of his party's leadership contest, which features Ontario MPP Singh and three sitting MPs: Ontario's Charlie Angus, Manitoba's Niki Ashton and Quebec's Guy Caron.

Singh, a perceived front-runner, has already hinted that if elected leader he will not seek a seat in the House of Commons until the 2019 election. He has also ducked questions about whether he will run federally if he does not win the leadership race, telling Angus at a recent debate: "I will not lose."

It'll be a heck of a lot better to have that person crossing swords on a daily basis with the prime minister.

Mulcair did not mention Singh by name in his remarks Monday but suggested he wouldn't be pleased if the next NDP leader isn't directly taking on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the House.

"I think it's important to have a seat in the House of Commons if we're leading a political party," Mulcair said. "I think that ideally, you know, you should be there."

Mulcair, who served in the Quebec legislature before making the jump to federal politics, referenced how he became former NDP leader Jack Layton's Quebec lieutenant in 2007 before he held a seat in the Commons.

When a byelection was called that year in the Montreal riding of Outremont, an "ultimate Liberal stronghold," Mulcair said there was a "lot of trepidation" among Quebec organizers about him running.

"But Jack said, 'Look, we can't back down from taking the first opportunity to put you in there,'" Mulcair said.