MP Sana Hassainia Leaves NDP over its Position on Mideast

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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NDP MP for Quebec riding of Verchères-Les Patriotes, Sana Hassainia, has announced to relinquish her position in the party and has decided to sit as an Independent Member of Parliament until the next federal election in 2015 due to unavoidable and irreconcilable differences with the party’s position on the conflict in the Middle East.

According to a blog post published on her website, Hassainia alleged that “it was not an easy decision to make, even if I have been thinking about it for months. My decision to leave the NDP was precipitated, among other things, by the party’s positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Whereas on the other hand, Mr. Mulcair mentioned just last week that he was proud of the “NDP’s principled and balanced approach” to the Middle East and that “it’s what Canadians want to see.” Quite noticeably, the NDP leader has numerously criticized the Conservatives and the Liberals for their “one-sided” approach, asserting that he unambiguously supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas but also underlined that the federal government should help Palestinian casualties injured by Israeli missile attacks.

Hassainia has now become the fourth MP to leave the NDP since the last federal election in 2011, under the orange wave that swept la belle province under the late Jack Layton.  Among the MPs who have left NDP are Bruce Hyerm, who left for the Greens, Claude Patry for the Bloc Québécois, and Lise St-Denis for the Liberals. Meanwhile, the party has also suspended MP from Quebec, Manon Perreault, earlier this summer after criminal charges were laid against her.