Avi Lewis has been elected as the new leader of the federal NDP.

Lewis, one of five candidates, garnered about twice the number of votes of his nearest rival, Heather MacPherson.

He invited what remains of the elected caucus, and other leadership candidates on stage at the party convention in Winnipeg after after he was declared leader.

He addressed some of the factors he believes are adding to affordability concerns for average Canadians.

“There are five grocery giants who collude and price gouge on profits – they fixed the price of bread for 15 years, for heaven’s sake,” claimed Lewis in his victory speech.

“…three telecoms corporations with mobile data rates that can cost a thousand times more than what people pay in Finland, and yet deliver the worst customer service on Earth.”

Among Lewis’ top priorities will be to rebuild the party which has diminished to just 6 elected members in the House of Commons and trails well behind the governing Liberals and Opposition Conservatives in the polls.