Alberta’s Opposition NDP is set to announce its new leader on Saturday.
In her farewell speech as leader of Alberta’s New Democratic Party, Rachel Notley praised the party’s supporters on Friday night for helping to create the legacy of the Alberta NDP.
She says the party is the strongest it’s been in its history.
Notley was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2008 before becoming NDP leader in 2014. She is currently the longest-serving MLA in Alberta’s Legislature.
The New Democrats swept to power as a majority government in 2015, ending a four-decade Progressive Conservative dynasty.
Lori Williams, associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, said Notley changed the political landscape in Alberta.
“She went from four seats to 54 in 2015. She now has led the NDP to the biggest opposition in Alberta history. She’s grown the party in Edmonton, where it was already strong, grown it in Calgary and in some areas around Calgary and Edmonton,” Williams said.
“A lot of things have been accomplished by Rachel Notley that are still with the province, and the vision that she offered, that balance between energy and the environment is one that is more appealing to some Albertans than the current government’s position.”
Her biggest mistake, according to Williams, was with Bill 6, which introduced workplace safety measures and compensation for farm workers.
“It was not messaged well, there wasn’t enough consultation and that alienated a lot of rural Albertans.”
She announced in January she was leaving the job, after the party lost its second consecutive election to the United Conservative Party.
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Notley will remain as MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona for the current term.
A record 85,000 members are set to pick a new leader out of four candidates on Saturday, with the NDP hosting their Leadership Premiere event at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Calgary.
Four candidates are running to replace Notley as party leader: former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, former cabinet ministers Sarah Hoffman and Kathleen Ganley and rookie legislature member Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse.
Williams said Nenshi appears to be the favourite to win.
“Even if somebody else has a first choice, if this was to go to a second ballot, a lot of people think because he’s got name recognition and he’s a good communicator that he would probably be a good second choice for them,” she said.
Williams said if Nenshi wins, “his job is going to be to try to use his connections within the party, the folks he was up against in this leadership race, and try to bring those folks into the fold.”
“His other task is going to be to enlarge the tent — to generate a little bit more support for his party and for his vision, something that will be more appealing to a broader range of Albertans.”
Voting for the preferential ballot will close at noon, with the first results being revealed at 2 p.m.
— with files from The Canadian Press and Cameron Green, Global News
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