Will Tom Mulcair still be the leader of the NDP on Monday?
Tom Mulcair knows he has to fight to keep his job.
"A lot of pressure for Sunday's speech. It's probably going to be the most important speech of my political career," the NDP leader told Chris Hall in an interview on CBC Radio's The House.
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Mulcair faces a divided party, with some members calling for his departure while others stand behind him as he heads into a convention this weekend in Edmonton.
More than 1,700 delegates will review his performance after a disappointing third-place finish in the 2015 federal election.
Mulcair continued to stay mum about how much support he feels he needs to stay on as leader. According to the party constitution, 50 per cent plus one of the secret ballots cast would trigger an automatic leadership race.
"There's a reason I've been prudent about not giving a number," he said. "I know that tons of numbers have been put out there. The members are going to be pronouncing on Sunday and I'm going to respect their will."
'I've learned to become a much better listener'
Mulcair outlined three points he's hoping to make in his speech Sunday morning.
"I'm going to tell [members] how energized I feel, and how confident I feel with the depth of the experience and the expertise we have in every single riding," he said.
He will also address how the party can continue to hold the governing Liberals to account.
"They mimicked a lot of our promises, but it wasn't there in their budget," Mulcair said.
Thirdly, he'll look ahead to what comes next for the party, saying that the NDP has "no option" but to come out of the convention united.
"We've always been that party that wants to remove inequality in our society, to create opportunities. What form is that going to take? We've got to chart ourselves a path forward for the next two, three years."
Mulcair was emphatic that he hopes to be the leader charting that path, if Sunday's vote goes his way. He added that the 2015 campaign taught him valuable lessons.
"I have learned how to become a much better listener," he said. "It wasn't a criticism so much leveled at me, as much as it was a realization for me."
Mulcair open to taking a leap
One of the big topics of debate at the convention continues to be what role the Leap Manifesto may play in NDP policy.
Unveiled in September during the election campaign, the Leap Manifesto has supporters inside the NDP, but Mulcair has yet to endorse the document.
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But if directed to do so by party members, Mulcair said he would support their will.
He added it's important to discuss the ideas expressed within the manifesto, which include working towards a carbon-free economy by 2050 and instating a universal guaranteed income.
"I am thrilled, honoured and pleased that we're having this debate in the NDP," he said.
"Those ideas would never get discussed in the Liberal Party, they would never get discussed in the Conservative Party.
"That's why we talk about these big issues. Would I love to work towards a carbon-free economy by 2050? You bet. Do I think that's a good plan? You bet. But I also know that we live in the real world and we have to give answers for the next 30 years before we can get there."
Support for Alberta
Mulcair reiterated his strong support of the provincial NDP government in Alberta, pointing to Rachel Notley as an example for popular socialist politicians Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn to emulate.
"If I were going to talk to you about a success for socialists, I'd talk to you about the success of the NDP getting elected here in Alberta," he said.
"Because as much as there are exciting ideas from Mr. Sanders and Mr. Corbyn, here in Alberta we've actually got a social democratic government."
Mulcair said Notley has been able to do "two things at the same time that people often found contradictory" — wedding environmental goals with economic ones.
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"They're saying we have to protect good jobs here in Alberta, that we have a gift of resources, but we have to do that responsibly.
"It's not a question of 'you can't have a pipe from here to there,' it's a question of 'are you adding value to your natural resources, are you doing everything you can to create those jobs in Canada, and once you've done that, what else can you do to meet those international [climate] obligations?'
"Rachel Notley's NDP government is always going to have my full support in that," he added.