OTTAWA – CTV News has learned former federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is being considered for an appointment as the new chief executive officer of Destination Canada, the country’s national tourism marketing organization. The possible appointment is expected to be met with harsh criticism from the opposition. It is not clear if Singh has any experience in the tourism industry. One tourism industry source who spoke to CTV News criticized the prospect of Singh’s appointment. “This is an insult, both to the industry and to the organization itself,” said the senior industry source, who was not authorized to speak on the record. “This is not a roving diplomatic appointment. This is a marketing organization that is responsible for a billion dollars’ worth of economic activity in Canada.” Singh was instrumental in keeping former prime minister Justin Trudeau in power for years after the 2021 federal election through a confidence-and-supply agreement. The deal, reached in March 2022, saw New Democrats support the Liberals on key confidence votes and budget measures in exchange for some NDP priorities. It allowed the Trudeau government to remain in power until the agreement ended in 2024. The compensation range for the chief executive of a federal Crown corporation can be as much as $350,000 a year. The potential appointment comes after Singh became eligible for his federal parliamentary pension following years as an MP. Singh, who previously worked as a lawyer, served as leader of the NDP from 2017 to 2025 and as the MP for the B.C. riding of Burnaby South from 2019 to 2025. In the 2025 federal election, Singh led the NDP to its worst election result in party history, after which he resigned as leader. Singh did not respond to requests for comment from CTV News on Wednesday evening.
