NDP announces appointment of François Picard as National Director

OTTAWA – The New Democratic Party of Canada has appointed long-time party activist and organizer, François Picard, as its new National Director.

Picard brings two decades of senior-level experience in the labour movement and in the NDP, where he worked as a campaign director, campaign manager, and organizer for elections across Quebec, Alberta, Ontario and the Yukon. He has been a member of the NDP’s Federal Executive and Council for the past decade.

With deep roots in Quebec, Picard first became involved in the NDP as a federal candidate in the province in 2004. He later served as Manager of Outreach in Quebec during Jack Layton’s term as Official Opposition Leader.

In 2013, he became Chief of Staff to the Yukon NDP Caucus and later served as a negotiator for two Confidence and Supply agreements after the party held the balance of power in 2021. In these agreements, he helped secure major progressive gains for Yukoners, including a rent cap, Canada’s first universal dental program, a 30% increase to the minimum wage, and ambitious environmental targets.

“After a lifetime of work in the movement, I’m honoured to take on this new role and help rebuild our party into a viable progressive choice for Canadians at the polls,” Picard says. “The election of Avi Lewis as leader has brought a welcome surge of grassroots energy to our party, and my first priority will be to harness and sustain that energy to help our party grow – and win.”

Outside the NDP, Picard has spent years in the labour movement. He oversaw the longest strike in Nunavut’s history as the Associate Director with the Public Service Alliance of Canada–North and served as the Labour Relations Advisor for the Nunavut Employees’ Union.

“I’m thrilled that François is joining our small but mighty team: his arrival marks another major milestone in the rebuild of Canada’s NDP,” says NDP Leader Avi Lewis. "His contributions to the party over more than 20 years are truly exceptional. As a Quebecker who has campaigned and organized across the length and breadth of this land, his experience encapsulates the truly national reach of our party.”
“Above all, François is a gifted organizer with a lifetime of relationships in the NDP and the broader left. He’s going to play a major role in our party at this pivotal moment in Canada."

Picard’s appointment was ratified by the party’s Federal Council yesterday, after a three-month term served by the Interim National Director, Matthew Green. He will start in the role on September 7.