Western Standard - Alberta NDP Leadership 2024

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00:15:00.000 Thank you.

00:15:30.000 Good day. Today is June 22, 2024, and I'm Derek Fulibrand, publisher of the Western Standard,

00:15:50.440 and you're joining us for a special broadcast covering the Alberta NDP leadership race.

00:15:57.000 Long-time NDP leader Rachel Notley gave her farewell address to NDP members yesterday as she goes out.

00:16:07.380 And NDP members are set to vote, actually have already been voting, on who their next leader will be.

00:16:13.680 Voting's actually already wrapped up.

00:16:15.920 And we're supposed to have those results fairly soon.

00:16:19.660 Technically, this will start around 2 o'clock.

00:16:22.860 We'll see how closely they stick to it.

00:16:24.820 uh hopefully they have a better this might be one thing that uh the adp might be better than

00:16:29.700 conservatives are at conservatives are not very good at sticking to the time on this

00:16:33.620 um but uh anyway you know we've got uh a great uh great crew uh for us today we've got uh in

00:16:40.740 studio western standard opinion editor and nigel hannaford who was pleased to come to an ndp

00:16:45.860 convention and uh uh we've also got uh western standard news editor dave baylor who uh experiences

00:16:52.900 This was on the Cory Morgan Show, but not too often with Nadal and I on the pipeline, but he's on the pipeline.

00:16:57.200 I'd just like to give a shake of the fist to the NDP for allowing us to work on the hottest Saturday of the year.

00:17:03.220 Whew, great news.

00:17:04.600 Lost your book, didn't I?

00:17:05.860 Well, we're in studio.

00:17:08.300 But it's kind of strangely hot in here today.

00:17:10.980 I think the building may have actually shut down the air conditioning assets this weekend.

00:17:14.460 We're probably the only ones in the entire building.

00:17:17.340 Climate change, climate emergency.

00:17:19.160 It's climate change.

00:17:20.900 We've also, on the floor of the NDP Leadership Convention,

00:17:25.020 we've got Western Standard reporter Sean Polzer,

00:17:29.180 who's going to be coming to us from the floor of the convention with regular updates.

00:17:33.220 And we've got some great guest analysts coming in.

00:17:37.280 We've got Elbrod Crowds, Lindsay Wilson.

00:17:42.020 We've got former Alberta Justice Minister and Solicitor General, Jonathan Dennis.

00:17:47.800 We've got the Alberta Institute's Josh Andrus and some others

00:17:53.700 who are going to provide analysis throughout the day.

00:17:56.700 And we're going to keep it fairly short, depending what the NDP do.

00:18:01.660 If the NDP give us results in a reasonable time, then, you know, it's Saturday.

00:18:10.380 As much as I enjoy your company, gentlemen, I'd rather be drinking a beer on my deck.

00:18:17.080 Okay, so, Dave, we expect the NEP's official event is supposed to start around 2 o'clock.

00:18:27.580 Yeah, the UCP one could be forgiven for going so long because there was, what, eight or nine candidates.

00:18:34.340 So there were many more candidates.

00:18:36.240 And while Daniel Smith was the frontrunner, probably not in as dominant a position as Nahid Menchie is going to today.

00:18:44.540 No, I fully expect this to be a one-ballot affair. I think former Calgary Mayor Mahit Menchie is going to sweep to victory. He's sold the most memberships, including thousands and thousands in Calgary alone. So it's going to be his day. It's end day, and it'll be interesting to see his speech. He's got some interesting decisions to make.

00:19:07.640 He's always said he's going to sabotage with the federal NDP, so that's going to be interesting to see how that goes with the rest of his colleagues, but hopefully the NDP is going to wrap together, and we can be out of here by 2.30.

00:19:19.740 What percentage for the NDP?

00:19:23.620 68.

00:19:24.800 That much? 0.90

00:19:25.820 That's a Polyev level blowout. 0.99

00:19:29.340 Fair to do. 0.97

00:19:30.520 All right.

00:19:31.280 Let it be noted.

00:19:31.860 Dave says 68.

00:19:33.440 I say 63.

00:19:34.340 All right, Nigel's 63. What are we wagering, gentlemen? We're going to make it interesting.

00:19:42.740 Oh, scotch. Oh, scotch.

00:19:47.780 Well, a case of beer. All right, a six-pack.

00:19:50.740 Do you know the company buys the free beer every Friday?

00:19:53.060 A six-pack of Bud Light.

00:19:55.460 We can't support that.

00:19:57.060 Get off with beer.

00:19:59.540 All right, I want a six-pack of Lillard and Brown.

00:20:03.380 Okay. Alright. I'm going, I'm going 60.

00:20:09.620 So everybody's giving it a fairly large. Fairly large, but a 68 would be a poly of

00:20:16.220 level super blowout, and I, maybe I'm wrong, but I'm not seeing that level of utter crushing.

00:20:22.760 I mean, I think he's gonna crush it, and he's gonna win, and handedly on first ballot. Not

00:20:27.740 that I have a particularly good insight. You know, I do worry sometimes, you know, from our side here

00:20:35.180 that it's like, you know, a panel of the CBC and CBC adjacents talking about inside the Conservative

00:20:42.280 Party. They don't even know any Conservatives. They have no insight into it. None of us are

00:20:47.400 particularly hardcore socialists. But, you know, we watch this pretty closely. So, but we, you know,

00:20:54.620 have to take it for what it is. None of us are particularly plugged in on the inside of the NDP,

00:20:59.580 but, you know, we've all got contacts in there, and we're talking to them.

00:21:03.660 Nigel, where are you, Aaron?

00:21:05.180 Oh, well, actually, that 63% was somebody I used to work for, work with, I should say,

00:21:11.580 50 years ago, back up north. And these days, he's quite a popular NDP commentator, and he said,

00:21:19.020 Watch Mr. Nenshi get to 63%.

00:21:22.300 Yeah, and I think Derek doesn't give us enough credit.

00:21:24.920 Remember, we were the ones that broke the story of race and all that.

00:21:27.760 Yeah, there are links into the NDS.

00:21:30.240 There's not so much links.

00:21:31.280 It's more deep penetration.

00:21:32.900 My source says it's not.

00:21:36.060 Well, we don't have Lindsay on yet, but when Lindsay's here, we'll do it.

00:21:42.540 Well, actually, to start, why don't we bring in former Alberta Minister of Justice

00:21:47.480 and solicitor general jonathan dennis uh coming to us uh thank you for joining us thank you

00:21:54.200 the pleasure is mine hi from west calgary uh so for one uh socialist uh union activist to another

00:22:01.560 uh what are your uh projections uh your your best guess from listen i'm going to go a little

00:22:06.920 bit off the limb and i'm going to go to the 70 mark and uh i'll tell you why is that the real

00:22:12.760 surgery that we've seen in ndp support in the membership numbers has been from calgary and

00:22:18.920 who is the most widely known at calgary it's not kathleen ganley it is the head nenshi lover

00:22:24.680 hated he has been very good at expanding the pie uh his political pie and i i think the ndp are

00:22:33.240 starting to attract a lot of people that would not be traditional ndp members and frankly people that

00:22:39.080 would support justin trudeau's liberals and there's a clear connection between nenshi and trudeau

00:22:47.720 um out of the candidates who are uh on offer on the ballot today uh do you think nenshi is uh

00:22:57.240 their best bet for being competitive in the the next alberto election or do you think they're

00:23:02.680 better off going with someone with you know deeper roots in the party like kathleen kenley

00:23:07.000 or sarah hoffman so if i were an ndp member and please know that i'm not and i never have been

00:23:14.760 uh i would probably have voted for hoffman uh she shares their core values but calgary has been the

00:23:21.320 battleground the last couple of months at least the last one probably will be again in 2027 so

00:23:26.520 i would think that they're looking for someone that can expand their base but they may be biting

00:23:31.480 off more than they can shoot when i was a cabinet minister a couple terms before you garrick

00:23:37.000 I had some dealings with Mr. Nanshee, and he has a very strong opinion of himself.

00:23:43.600 I would suggest that the biggest problem that he's going to have is playing on a team and managing that caucus.

00:23:49.780 It is a much different kettle of fish to play on a team sport in federal or provincial politics than municipal politics.

00:23:57.820 It is going to be interesting to see how he manages a party that has more people than just one person.

00:24:06.260 So I will tell you that I think that he's going to have significant challenges transitioning.

00:24:11.240 When I was in office, I always found that a municipal politician, with one exception, that was Rick McConaughey,

00:24:16.360 he was able to transition to a team sport very quickly.

00:24:19.000 A lot of municipal politicians have had that problem, and that's largely because we've never had a party system municipally.

00:24:26.180 And that may change with the advent of Bill 20.

00:24:28.420 um what do you think the chances of fracture are within the ndp if an outsider like like

00:24:39.900 nancy comes in um he's got no history really in the party itself yeah i think he had to get a

00:24:46.580 special exception exemption to be allowed to run because he didn't have a membership for long

00:24:51.180 enough before now that's not terribly uncommon especially you know if a journalist is running

00:24:56.100 journalists generally are considered to, you know, shouldn't hold a membership. None of us

00:24:59.720 standard hold political party memberships. You know, people are, it's not too uncommon that

00:25:06.480 an exception is granted, but he has no real history in the party. He has a history of

00:25:11.920 connection with the federal liberals, even though he was, yeah, he's never been a liberal MP or

00:25:15.960 elected politician, but he is coming at this as an outsider. And, you know, while I think he is

00:25:23.660 very firmly rooted on the center left. He's not rooted, I think, in the radical left. Although

00:25:29.360 he has, I think, a large measure brought into woke progressivism on a few things. He doesn't have

00:25:34.580 that kind of union and radical green history that a lot of people in the NDP do. Do you think it's

00:25:41.720 going to be difficult for him to manage the further left wing of the NDP when he's successful

00:25:47.040 today? So there's two things that I'm going to flag right away. He has an imminent, but may seem

00:25:53.500 minor challenge does he run in lethbridge when shannon phillips resigns in a week or so

00:25:58.540 uh i would suggest he probably does not but then he's going to face some criticism why are you

00:26:02.620 wasting taxpayers dollars and having somebody resign now i've been hearing unconfirmed reports

00:26:07.260 it might be urban severe i've heard that he might go to the senate which again would cement the

00:26:11.820 nancy trudeau connection that being said that's a small annoyance that'll be a flash in the pan

00:26:17.660 you you said it quite correctly the biggest problem that he's going to have

00:26:20.940 is can we keep this coalition together there are people in the ndp that have been there for

00:26:27.500 20 30 years like i'm told sarah hoffman was a researcher in the legislature at one point

00:26:31.740 she's paid her dues to the party there is a really hard left action of that party for example gil

00:26:37.020 mcgowan was briefly a leadership candidate till he couldn't come up with the uh the required

00:26:41.900 deposit how does he keep this wing at bay while still moving to the center and we're already

00:26:49.740 seeing the fractures happen a couple days ago i believe last night at not least retirement

00:26:54.620 she says we should stay with the federal ndp and of course she's going to stay that because

00:26:58.860 she grew up her father was ndp leader uh many years ago but then she wants to decouple and

00:27:04.300 i really think that would be his first test to see if there are any fishers in the in the in

00:27:10.300 the ndp and more importantly can you keep them together you know i'm um

00:27:19.740 You know, conservatives in Alberta are notoriously fractious.

00:27:23.340 Jonathan, you were actually serving in the PCE caucus and cabinet

00:27:26.120 when the big fracture started opening up between the PCs and Wildrose.

00:27:31.580 But, you know, the left has been constantly divided in Alberta

00:27:35.320 until not least when in 2015,

00:27:37.960 which he effectively wiped out the Liberals

00:27:40.220 and then finished them off in 2019.

00:27:41.680 I have a feeling the left is willing to put a lot more water in their wine because they're the

00:27:52.540 left in Alberta. They don't have the luxury of having, you know, 20 fault. The government and

00:27:59.640 the opposition were both nominally conservative. The PCs were, you know, had guys like Jonathan

00:28:04.720 Dennis that were conservative, but were increasingly a minority. It was still a

00:28:09.220 non-full leftist party

00:28:11.300 as government, and then you have the Wild Rose's

00:28:13.340 opposition. I think between the two, it was almost

00:28:14.860 75% of the vote between

00:28:17.240 those two parties. The left does not have

00:28:19.220 the luxury of breaking up

00:28:21.240 into multiple parties and having even a

00:28:23.340 prayer of forming government.

00:28:25.820 Do you think just the

00:28:26.900 sheer weight of their situation,

00:28:30.500 their kind of

00:28:31.120 natural disadvantage, this being Alberta, 0.98

00:28:33.580 is this enough to keep them together if Nancy 1.00

00:28:35.080 pulls them into the Senate? 1.00

00:28:36.520 Well, that's going to be Nancy's job.

00:28:38.440 If you look at the very far left of the left, there's some pretty radical people in there for, you know, they fight for stuff that the majority of Canadians are against, Nigel. And how is he going to bring those people into the fold will be the big question, I think.

00:28:58.240 Well, I think that, you know, part of the answer to that is where else are they going to go?

00:29:03.020 It's a little bit like in the conservative side of the thing.

00:29:05.440 You have a socially conservative group of people embedded in a party that sort of represents them,

00:29:11.120 but doesn't, isn't really interested in pushing their calls.

00:29:13.860 And you're going to have the radicals that you just referred to.

00:29:18.040 I mean, they could break away and form their own little super, you know, super radical party.

00:29:23.740 Yes, they could do that.

00:29:25.500 But who's going to vote for them?

00:29:27.320 and what's it worth to be intellectually pure 0.99

00:29:31.480 when Danielle Smith is going into a second term?

00:29:35.480 So that's a dilemma for them.

00:29:36.820 So my sense, remember I'm not a doctrinaire socialist,

00:29:42.340 so maybe they see things very differently,

00:29:44.080 but my sense is that if they have any maps,

00:29:46.780 they're going to stay together,

00:29:48.740 so hold their noses and get as much as they can

00:29:51.540 from the Nancy coalition and call that a win.

00:29:55.500 Yeah, and I think maybe too much credit has been given to Nenshi for his ability to get nomination papers or to get sell nominations in Calvary.

00:30:04.700 When you remember, when he left after a decade in office, he was not very popular.

00:30:10.020 And I think he left because he knew he wasn't going to win the next election.

00:30:12.760 It was nothing but soaring property tax iso, soaring business taxes, and his dream was for Calvary to host the Olympics.

00:30:22.700 and that was rejected in a referendum.

00:30:27.580 So he wasn't, you know, 10 years ago,

00:30:30.020 he couldn't have done no wrong,

00:30:31.240 but people in Calgary have some long memories.

00:30:34.200 Jonathan, last question for you for now.

00:30:39.200 I guess in a similar vein here.

00:30:43.100 You know, Nenshi, as mayor,

00:30:46.240 had a very difficult time trying to manage city council.

00:30:50.740 I think city councils are probably more difficult to manage than a caucus because they're not a team.

00:30:56.720 They're individuals acting more as a quasi-political board of directors.

00:31:03.380 But he had a very difficult time trying to corral council.

00:31:08.800 And politics, as you know, is very much a team sport.

00:31:11.340 But there is an incentive to stick together because you lose your job if you don't, generally.

00:31:18.500 how difficult the time do you think Nancy would have with caucus members so first off I think

00:31:25.500 you're entirely right and in Canada these days the local Canada really matter it doesn't matter

00:31:29.840 much at all I'd say less than five points it's the demograph of the right and the leader in the

00:31:33.540 party and as I mentioned it's a different kettle of fish playing on a team sport the NDP though

00:31:39.460 as the way they stand have always had a very strong tie with the organized formal labor

00:31:46.540 There are the Alberta Federation of Labour has actual seats on the NDP's board of directors.

00:31:54.540 So I'm going to tell you that if you're trying to move to the so-called centre, he's going to have increasingly a problem managing the people on the left.

00:32:04.720 And it'll be interesting to see, like we've already seen Shannon Phillips step down.

00:32:08.560 So are other people going to step down?

00:32:11.400 You're going to see a bunch of people saying they're not running in the next election.

00:32:14.520 but perhaps more importantly in 2027 the people that are on the hard left do they just stay home

00:32:20.380 all right Jonathan uh thank you very much uh if you have time we'd like to bring you back in

00:32:26.940 in uh in a little bit but uh thank you for joining us for now thank you all right uh we're going to

00:32:32.520 bring in Lindsay Wilson now she is uh I encourage you if I'm wrong Lindsay but uh president of

00:32:38.040 Alberta Proud coming to us. My best guess is from Cochrane.

00:32:44.280 Oh, we can't

00:32:46.080 one second, Lizzie. Got it, got it. There we go. You bet, Derek.

00:32:49.940 I'm outside in beautiful Cochrane. Sirens all around me, so I apologize for that.

00:32:53.960 Hopefully they pass them by. It's not too bad. We can hear you pretty well.

00:32:57.860 Thank you for joining us. I guess just from the start,

00:33:01.780 if you can put in a six pack of good German beer,

00:33:05.320 You can get into sweepstakes.

00:33:06.760 What's your prediction for tonight?

00:33:09.100 I think Nenshi's going to come out the victor, but I don't think people should underestimate Kathleen Ganley. 0.77

00:33:14.480 I think she's perceived as, you know, fairly centrist as well,

00:33:18.580 especially when you compare to somebody a little bit more, certainly quite a bit more extreme like Sarah Hoffman.

00:33:23.820 But Nenshi has, he's got a lot of work cut out for him.

00:33:26.760 Rachel Notley did, you know, unprecedented work with the party over the last decade.

00:33:32.620 Nenshi is a brilliant campaigner he didn't leave his mayorship in Calgary on a strong note

00:33:39.520 Calgarians seem to have a short memory uh he's he's definitely got his work cut out for him he's

00:33:46.200 perhaps a little bit more center I think we're going to see fracturing as well I agree with my

00:33:50.180 friend Jonathan Dennis I think we're going to see some fracturing from the party he's never been

00:33:54.560 popular with the unions he's not he's maybe perceived as not uh paying his dues with the

00:34:00.500 party. So I'm interested to see how this is going to play out and how he panders to some of the more

00:34:07.620 radical people that are involved with the NDP, which is certainly quite a growing number of them.

00:34:15.920 But I think if anybody can do it, it is Nahid Nenshi.

00:34:20.020 Nigel, previous guest Jonathan Dennis mentioned that, you know, if he doesn't run in Las

00:34:25.220 Bridge, he might, you know, he could receive some criticism for, you know, wasting taxpayers

00:34:30.000 money by triggering a different by-election, likely in Calgary, possibly Edmonton.

00:34:34.720 I'm not convinced of that, because it'd be pretty tough for the UCP to make that argument,

00:34:39.620 because Daniel Smith did not run in the open seat in Calgary Elbow when that was available.

00:34:45.560 That's even closer to home for her, but that was not. In fact, the NDP won it in the general

00:34:50.700 election. So that would have... I don't think the UCP can really make that criticism with

00:34:58.140 a straight face. As well, I mean, he's a Calgary guy. Well, they might make it just to give him a

00:35:04.060 dig, but speaking on the opinion desk of the Western Standard, I'm not going to make a big

00:35:09.500 case out of that, because you're right. A lot of the attraction of, you know, one of the reasons

00:35:16.780 why the ndp held that seat in the first place was the popularity of the local candidate i mean that's

00:35:22.700 a personal thing that could be worth 500 votes right there so without that without the uh without

00:35:29.180 a team in place i mean don't forget he built his whole uh the campaign really here in calgary now

00:35:36.620 who are you going to get in leftbridge somebody so i would actually say let's be real we know very

00:35:43.020 well that you if you're elected as the party leader and you don't hold a seat you're gonna

00:35:50.060 ask somebody with a safe one to step down anybody would do the same i have other clothes to pick

00:35:56.060 with mr nancy but that's not one yeah uh all right uh lindsay do you think uh do you think

00:36:05.500 there's really um any feasible shot that anyone besides denchy uh walks away with the crown tonight

00:36:13.020 oh lindsay we can't hear you hello me all right can you hear me oh yeah we can hear you now lindsay

00:36:24.580 i think balance uh you certainly come with their share of surprises uh my second guess would be

00:36:31.040 canley but i i do think just i mean it's pretty simple you see you know the 85 000 you see the

00:36:37.620 numbers you see the spike in calgary he was calgary's mayor that's where his base is that's

00:36:42.300 his support was i attended that debate and and the color and the energy in that room i think that was

00:36:48.620 about a month and change ago that was uh that was wild that was all that was all love for him so

00:36:54.620 i'm not really seeing how he can't come out of this but again rank ballots can can be surprising

00:37:01.900 all right well we're uh we're seven minutes over the event actually should have started seven

00:37:07.340 minutes ago i mean i won't hold them to it that long uh dave you i'm sure you cannot forget uh

00:37:15.260 the extremely painful experience i think of the first leadership we ever covered the western

00:37:19.420 standard which was the uh forget the exact year but the when erin o'toole was elected uh

00:37:24.540 conservative leader of the federal conservative party um it was something like 10 hours or

00:37:31.740 something i still get nightmares about it yeah at a long point we had to stop broadcasting because

00:37:36.380 it was going so long our camera and computers overheated yes exactly but so we've got better

00:37:42.700 computers now and uh better cameras and uh yeah i don't know what the hold up is now uh maybe we

00:37:49.740 can check in with sean the convention floor if he's on yeah that's a good point uh maybe you can uh

00:37:54.940 make contact with him and uh let's let's get sean from the convention floor as soon as soon as we

00:37:59.500 can. Now, in that case, it was bound to be a multiple ballot race, Nigel, and the Conservatives

00:38:13.220 actually already had all the results in, but they delayed it between releasing the results

00:38:17.440 of each ballot just to drag out the media cycle and give them as much free media airtime

00:38:22.880 as possible. Anybody would do the same, and it looks like they're doing it. Well, I wouldn't

00:38:31.260 say that yet. I mean, we're nine minutes over, and it's going to be one ballot. Now, how

00:38:38.300 long are they going to try and stretch this out? I don't know. I'm not going to judge

00:38:41.280 them yet, because this is the first Alberta NDP leadership race that anyone has ever paid

00:38:46.460 attention to. There's just never been a reason to pay attention to them, because the last

00:38:51.700 time the NDP selected a leader, 2014 that selected Rachel Notley, it was a few thousand people. I

00:38:58.640 don't recall off the top of my mind, but it was not more than four digits. It was a very small

00:39:05.360 number of people, Julian activists, hardcore NDP members. The NDP had only four seats in the

00:39:11.860 Alberta legislature at the time when Brian Mason was being replaced. It was only a step up. It was

00:39:18.240 It was not a fringe party, but it was a very, very minor party.

00:39:24.200 How do you think the sunshine that the NDP is getting now, with anyone caring about the

00:39:31.580 actual, of the election that the NDP leader had, how do you think that's going to affect

00:39:34.180 the party itself?

00:39:35.180 Well, nothing succeeds like excess, so I'm sure that the fanfare for Mr. Nenshi is going

00:39:44.440 to yield dividends.

00:39:45.440 You know, I think one of the things that's happened since 2014 is that you've got a lot of people moved into Calgary.

00:39:51.740 They weren't necessarily hardcore, you know, prairie conservatives.

00:39:57.920 They came from B.C., they came from Ontario, they came from Newfoundland in droves.

00:40:04.360 The newbies I find are the most hardcore conservatives you can find.

00:40:07.500 When I was in politics, I saw newbie flag outside of the house, I knew they were both in wild rows.

00:40:11.940 But they're all up in, mostly up in Fulton Quarry, you know, so I don't know whether Mr.

00:40:16.820 Kendenci campaigned up there, probably not. What I'm saying, I guess, is that to your question,

00:40:22.820 the demographics are quite different in Alberta today from what they were 10 years ago. I think

00:40:29.700 the population now is 4 million, and years ago it was probably two and a half. So, you know,

00:40:36.340 an extra million and a half people without that tradition of uh that came out of the immigration

00:40:42.980 of the americans in the 1960s or 1930s very different looking crowd so i you know they're

00:40:50.660 starting to look a lot more cosmopolitan and mr eventually is going to trade on that i think what

00:40:56.020 the other thing you need to remember at the moment is the ucp has kept their pelvic dry

00:41:00.340 but you know darn well that they've had sort of their own version of the war room going getting

00:41:05.540 all the dirt that they can on one day she's talking about this mayor of calvin and they'll

00:41:09.940 give them a bit of a honeymoon face even like on sunday and then they'll start their attack

00:41:13.860 ads on monday and you know people will see the other side you think it'll take them that long

00:41:20.420 i think they'll give them a day a day yes plus it's going to be nice tomorrow they're decent people

00:41:26.340 if i look unclassy to start the same day but i mean it'll uh i mean the end the ndp went after

00:41:33.540 Daniel Smith immediately.

00:41:37.600 But before she was even sworn as Premier, although she was sworn as Premier

00:41:40.620 mere days after winning the leadership, which was record time. But that was a weird set of

00:41:44.560 circumstances where you had kind of a hostile outgoing leader there.

00:41:48.160 Lindsay, you know, Necce did not

00:41:52.400 leave office on a high note, but he

00:41:56.240 knew it was time to go, that he would have a very difficult time with re-election.

00:42:00.280 uh but he's had he's had some time to cool off you know my sense in calgary is that you know

00:42:06.600 there's still a lot of people who don't like him but the anger is not white hot because he's been

00:42:11.020 out of office for actually not that long what a year and a half uh two years two years yeah oh

00:42:17.620 yeah okay yeah uh but he's been out of office for for a little while um do you think out of the

00:42:23.300 candidates on offer from the ndp nenshi is would be the most competitive or do you think someone

00:42:28.320 like Hoffman or Ganley, we'll give him a better run. 0.99

00:42:33.400 I think when it comes to Nenshi, Calgarians' memories are short, right?

00:42:42.120 We can't forget in the 10 years that he was in office there, spiking crime, soaring business

00:42:49.020 taxes, soaring residential taxes, fleeing out of the downtown core.

00:42:54.040 but what we but we we also can't discredit that he's a brilliant campaigner and he's a brilliant

00:43:00.120 charismatic public speaker so again i would encourage people to look back on that 10 years

00:43:05.220 and think you know if that's how we how he ended up with calgary is that is that how

00:43:09.940 how is he going to do with with the province with the rest of the province

00:43:14.260 well yeah that's that's a question uh i i've been asking a lot uh dave is how's this going

00:43:22.800 to play for the NDP in Edmonton. The NDP, until 2015, was more or less an exclusively Edmonton

00:43:32.020 party, with some notable exceptions like Rachel Motley's father, Grant Motley, he managed

00:43:36.580 to, you know, he was from an era before he even televised leadership debates when local

00:43:42.740 candidates actually mattered significantly more than just the party leader. I think he

00:43:47.740 even sat as the lone NDP MLA for much of his time. I think he may have been the leader

00:43:52.500 the opposition with two seats uh because there was another two seats at the time but they were

00:43:57.060 independents who have been formally stolen credit um the ndp with a few exceptions like that uh

00:44:04.900 until 2050 was an exclusively ndp party 2015 they won every single seat in edmonton

00:44:10.260 uh they repeated that this time around 2019 um some of that is the politics of edmonton that it

00:44:16.980 is on balance a less conservative city than calgary um do you think by losing

00:44:26.260 the leadership of that party from from edmonton to calgary though that that'll open up um

00:44:32.980 any openings for for conservative gains in edmonton that could offset potential ndp

00:44:38.020 gains of calgary being a being the capital city it's a heavily union town um a lot of union jobs

00:44:46.260 there so i think it all depends on how well menchie deals with the unions when he was mayor of calgary

00:44:51.620 then get along with you guys uh so it's going to be interesting to see how the gill mcgowan's of

00:44:56.820 the world uh and then she's uh co-inhabit you know get along um but uh yeah i mean it's it's

00:45:04.820 There's always the outer roadways of Edmonton, the deep suburbs, you know, are closely concerned with.

00:45:14.820 Any place that's not had its water cut off.

00:45:18.820 Yes, yes, yes, exactly.

00:45:20.820 Oh, see, I had to shave today, so I apologize, Joy.

00:45:24.820 Yeah, it all depends on what happens with the units, I think.

00:45:32.820 Lindsay, actually, I think Dave brought something up in passing here. The water

00:45:39.480 crisis in Calgary right now. I mean, there's going to be an inquiry into, you

00:45:45.120 know, what caused this. So, you know, presumably sometime in the next decade

00:45:49.500 we'll know. But clearly there's clearly some kind of failure to maintain and

00:45:59.360 monitor the infrastructure, the most fundamental infrastructure of any city is its roads, its

00:46:06.420 power, and its water. That's kind of the three core functions of a municipality, followed perhaps

00:46:12.760 by police in large urban areas. Those are the core functions of a municipality. If you can't do that,

00:46:18.960 you should probably unincorporate and just join a county at that point. And Calgary apparently

00:46:24.460 can't do that. So, do you think that the water crisis in Calgary has the potential to blow back

00:46:33.740 on Denshi? Because, I mean, I'm not sure it's fair to put it squarely on Gondek and the current

00:46:39.820 council. They've been there for, you know, two years. This kind of issue, these are long-term

00:46:45.820 issues that extend back. Do you think there's a political risk for Denshi coming from the water

00:46:52.540 crisis in county right now well i think it i think those people who are a little bit more

00:46:57.820 hyper engaged folks like you and i would would pinpoint that a little bit more on nenshi in

00:47:02.940 that past administration because what's happening is that and it really peaked during covid when we

00:47:09.020 had municipal councils that were voting out of their jurisdiction right voting on provincial

00:47:13.020 health matters and the like and and so that opened up such a can of worms so now we have municipal

00:47:18.860 councils who are focused on DEI and gender politics and ideology and federal

00:47:27.440 grandstanding and all these things and they forgot to do their job right which

00:47:31.100 is essential services water water main so this is really this this city council

00:47:37.460 in Calgary I mean Condick is is the least popular polling mayor in Canadian

00:47:44.140 history I mean what a title to rock walk around with I don't think there's any

00:47:47.900 coming back for her through this how much that's going to reflect on nenshi yet remains to be seen

00:47:57.980 sorry lindsay i'm going to cut you off there we're uh we're going to go now live to the

00:48:01.980 floor of the ndp convention where uh uh calgary um buffalo mla and former

00:48:09.020 uh alberta minister of finance joe cc is speaking okay

00:48:17.900 When Rachel asked me to run for MLA way back in 2015, I had already decided that I wanted

00:48:32.880 to run.

00:48:34.220 I didn't know anyone much in the NDP, and I considered that I might run as an independent.

00:48:44.600 Rachel said, good luck with that, Joe.

00:48:48.320 She convinced me that I should run as an NDP.

00:48:51.420 The second smartest political decision I've ever made. 0.98

00:48:54.840 First was to get my wife involved with my campaign manager back in 2015. 1.00

00:49:00.360 No. 0.99

00:49:01.220 Oh, God, it was 1995.

00:49:04.660 1995. 0.99

00:49:06.540 Rachel got me involved in 2015.

00:49:08.200 Working with Rachel was challenging and exciting.

00:49:11.880 as the premier, her and I, I was finance minister, her and I would always find it

00:49:18.640 difficult to make time to meet. So we'd try and get lunches together. And, you know, that can only

00:49:24.920 take you so far because you have to organize your security and all these sorts of people.

00:49:29.380 Anyway, we had a better idea. That's when we joined each other on morning runs in Edmonton

00:49:36.560 when she was down in calgary and every morning she would discuss decisions and we would talk about

00:49:43.840 decisions we wanted to make together and then she would give me my running or walking papers

00:49:50.720 as premier she was committed to her values she supported the vulnerable she lifted up women and 0.96

00:49:57.280 children with her policies no matter how difficult she stiffened all of our backs at the cabinet 0.87

00:50:03.840 table and made us do things that were in the best interests of Albertans throughout this problem.

00:50:17.680 When Rachel announced she was stepping down, I was truly saddened. I was hoping for some sort of

00:50:24.880 Hail Mary, you know, that fantastical way of thinking that puts you back in government and

00:50:30.480 at the cabinet table, I knew it was an extremely hard decision for Rachel.

00:50:37.460 Rachel, I wish you all the best on wherever your journey takes you.

00:50:43.000 Oh, there you are.

00:51:00.480 It's really hard to listen, eh, Rachel, to that, because it's not about me, it's about

00:51:20.100 you. Yeah. As we move on, I'm really excited to work with a new leader, whoever is elected

00:51:29.680 today. The candidates have worked so very hard

00:51:32.760 and I know our caucus will be behind the leader

00:51:35.820 100%, whoever is chosen.

00:51:39.120 Before we begin today's program, first I'd like to introduce

00:51:41.900 Elder Alice to the stage who will bring us greetings

00:51:44.380 from Treaty 7 territory where we stand today.

00:51:47.040 Elder Alice.

00:51:47.700 Thank you.

00:52:17.700 If you have thoughts or thoughts or thoughts or reaction,

00:52:23.340 then you will always be startling with the other mistakes.

00:52:29.580 If you future will understand yourself as it can roles you.

00:52:35.720 And in the same case,

00:52:40.260 then you will realize it will happen.

00:52:45.420 so

00:53:00.300 is

00:53:15.420 .

00:53:45.420 I want to read from this information, and I want to Mary that I provide.

00:53:53.620 I love you all.

00:53:56.620 Give it to Drink, I please go there.

00:54:01.800 So it's just a pity.

00:54:07.360 I prefer you.

00:54:09.060 mumma, mumma, theatre, Halewa,음, mumma.

00:54:16.580 Nozcee no��onda ahho papici eaw 這isi no

00:54:24.980 Nonunguse ni kokisi e hahaha

00:54:37.540 bewae chi um chos yamraw

00:54:40.180 Let's pray.

00:55:10.180 It's here, it's here, it's here, it's here.

00:55:29.460 Go elders.

00:55:35.740 Thank you, Elder Ellis.

00:55:40.180 .

00:56:10.180 ...work of running a political party.

00:56:18.700 Garrett, can you come forward and say a few words?

00:56:24.740 Thank you. It's an honour to stand before you today.

00:56:32.540 The Alberta New Democratic Party is the hope of Alberta.

00:56:40.740 today we stand at the precipice of change we just got the keys to a new house and we're walking in

00:56:50.980 through a threshold for the first time in a few short moments we'll be learning which of

00:56:56.580 the four leadership race candidates was selected leader in a history making vote taking up and

00:57:03.860 building upon the legacy of rachel notley and those that came before i'd like to personally

00:57:09.940 thank everyone that put their name forward for leadership political life is about sacrifice

00:57:15.940 and your contributions have made our party richer

00:57:23.780 and i would like to recognize the small but mighty team at the party office your commitment to our

00:57:30.500 cause is clear with every late night every weekend entering data and every answered phone call we

00:57:39.460 appreciate you so much thank you you know as a member of this party since I

00:57:49.420 first walked into Ray Martin's federal NDP campaign office in 2011 I'm mindful

00:57:55.780 today of what came before I'm mindful of what we celebrated last night at the

00:58:01.300 Rachel Notley Legacy Gala if you were able to make it last night you know there were

00:58:09.460 .

00:58:39.460 ...for moments where there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

00:58:49.080 ...make life better for every single Albertan.

00:58:56.620 Rachel proved that New Democrats could win in Alberta, and she helped...

00:59:01.580 Rachel proved that New Democrats could win in Alberta, and she helped people understand

00:59:07.460 that NDP values are Alberta values.

00:59:12.060 Taking care of one another, building each other up,

00:59:15.620 looking to the future, strong public services and healthcare

00:59:19.160 that is there for you when and where you need it.

00:59:23.040 Rachel showed us all what is really possible.

00:59:26.700 But she will be the first to tell you

00:59:28.500 that it's not just about her, it's about all of us.

00:59:33.140 It is about what people can accomplish

00:59:35.100 when they are working together with a common cause in the public interest.

00:59:40.140 She will tell you that we are not the authors of our movement, but the stewards.

00:59:45.560 And we stand on the shoulders of those that came before us that have fought across this country

00:59:50.720 for the rights of working people, the rights of women, of LGBTQ2S people, of Indigenous peoples,

00:59:57.460 and for equality and a better life for every one of us.

01:00:01.580 That, my friends, is the strength of our movement.

01:00:04.160 That is the house that Rachel helped build.

01:00:10.160 And that is the threshold that we walk through today.

01:00:17.160 The impact of all those years of work is starting to show today.

01:00:22.160 At the end of last year, our membership was roughly 16,000 people.

01:00:27.160 And today, we are 85,000 strong.

01:00:30.160 but my friends look at what we accomplished in the last 10 years with the members that we had

01:00:39.920 and imagine the potential for what we can do as the largest provincial political party in canada

01:00:47.200 today we are working from that position of strength because all albertans know

01:00:57.600 that this party represents the viable, credible, competent alternative to

01:01:03.520 Danielle Smith and the UCP. My friends, I can tell you're chomping at the bit. I

01:01:13.100 can tell that you're ready to roll up your sleeves, grab a clipboard and a

01:01:18.860 stack of leaflets and get out onto the hustings and start making a bigger

01:01:23.640 difference danielle smith has three years max today we put her on notice

01:01:36.120 this has been a long race we're all tired

01:01:42.200 remember when some of you wanted this to go to september

01:01:44.520 well when we leave this room we're one team we're united

01:01:53.900 and no matter who you voted for or what leadership campaign you're on we need all your help if we're

01:02:03.880 going to make change happen in the province of alberta so take a moment to think about the

01:02:08.760 candidate you're going to help and the constituency association you're going to join and hold fast to

01:02:15.020 that optimism and hope that we all feel today thank you and again it's an honor that you're

01:02:20.800 with us today to be part of this historic moment thank you

01:02:24.000 okay thank you very much Garrett now let me just see well that was your speech

01:02:41.900 don't want to do it again although it was brilliant I'm almost there oh please

01:02:55.180 welcome Nancy Janowiczek the president of the Alberta NDP to say a few words

01:03:00.200 Nancy hello fellow new Democrats I know that we're all excited to welcome our

01:03:12.440 new leader so I'm not going to take up too much of your time we're here to

01:03:15.980 look forward and imagine our future but these periods of transition are also

01:03:20.320 times for reflection and I want to reflect on 2015 when I walked into the

01:03:25.200 campaign office of Joe Cece's office to see what I could do to help out.

01:03:29.320 I also remember it was the growing excitement of that campaign under Rachel's

01:03:33.900 leadership. My partner and I were back on our way to the office.

01:03:38.060 We're watching a speech there.

01:03:40.880 Let's just keep the MVP up on the side of the screen.

01:03:42.920 We're watching a statement from the president of the Alberta New Democratic Party right

01:03:49.200 now. They're kind of just going through, I can't blame them, Nigel,

01:03:53.960 They've got the attention, they're going to use it, and I think because they know it's very unlikely to be a bunch of multiple ballots keeping the attention on them for very long, that, yeah, so they're filling out with this stuff. I think they have the longest land acknowledgments I've ever seen.

01:04:15.440 Yeah, well, I guess there's a lot I'll add.

01:04:18.460 You know, a remark that struck me, at the time, and that's what I meant to you,

01:04:23.620 was the preceding speaker thinking about being on the precipice of training.

01:04:31.440 In government and in opposition, we have given a word as a good choice.

01:04:37.880 Yeah, generally used as a warning term, we're on the precipice of disaster.

01:04:41.940 I just want to check with James here, make sure we're monitoring what the MVP president

01:04:58.380 is saying, making sure we don't actually miss the announcements here.

01:05:00.400 You're watching that?

01:05:02.060 Okay, very good.

01:05:02.740 We need to make public services instead of gunning them and attacking the hard workers 0.95

01:05:07.540 Yeah, let's bring in Lindsay Wilson, president of Alberta Pratt, coming to us from beautiful Cochrane, Alberta.

01:05:16.900 Lindsay, if things go as I think we all expect it to today and former programmer, now he's been she wins.

01:05:25.560 What do you think the first 48 hours of his leadership looks like?

01:05:30.420 Oh, I don't think they're going to waste any time on attacking Premier Smith and the UCP.

01:05:36.300 I just, I really want to emphasize to everybody who's listening to this right now, if you're concerned about this next chapter in the NDP, and you're concerned that you feel that this is going to be a viable threat in the next election, which I assure you it will, I encourage people to focus on one word only, which is unity.

01:05:54.520 Conservatives need to stay united. The left has always done it. They wrote the playbook on it. We need to take a page on other playbooks. We as a broader member of this party was when we supported an event.

01:06:06.300 If you believe in keeping a government at the provincial helm, who is going to take on the NDP, liberal, federal coalition, who is going to stand up to these eco-radical regulations in our face, the newest one, C-59, that's come forward, we need to take this seriously and we need to be united.

01:06:25.740 All right, although the question was about the first 48 hours of non-eventing what it was like.

01:06:33.420 I think the gloves are going to come off really quickly, and I think we're going to see who's going to be staying with the NDP party, and which MLPs are going to deflect, really depending on how this leadership race turns out.

01:06:45.180 I think we're going to see some of the extreme left. We'll see how they're going to go.

01:06:51.440 i think i think the left is pretty good at staying united though so i think it's despite a lot of

01:06:57.280 people maybe that wouldn't be happy with the nenshi outcome i think that they they will be able to

01:07:03.040 i guess suck it up and and um it's my pleasure now to invite uh amanda all right let's go back to the

01:07:11.520 the nvp uh state from the returning office perhaps this could bring us the open race amanda

01:07:28.640 thank you hello new democrats thank you so much what a crowd there must be something going on

01:07:35.600 today my name is amanda freistad i use she and her pronouns and i'm honored to be your chief

01:07:43.040 returning officer i'm really humbled to have served this party in many ways from tabled officer

01:07:49.200 to chair of the election planning committee and we did this thing in 2015

01:07:53.200 and to now, what is the biggest leadership race in the Alberta NDP history.

01:08:05.240 When Rachel Notley announced on January 16th, she was stepping down as leader.

01:08:10.320 That decision set into motion this leadership race.

01:08:14.120 And on January 27th, at a special provincial council meeting in Red Deer,

01:08:18.420 delegates from across Alberta gathered to set the rules of this race.

01:08:23.200 those rules our contestants needed to be vetted by the party and the race for

01:08:27.520 leader officially began on February 5th once announced each candidate needed to

01:08:34.480 raise about six we needed to raise $60,000 over a set period of time in

01:08:38.980 order to be considered in the race seven people put their name forward to run in

01:08:44.040 this leadership race seven strong wonderful leaders of the Alberta NDP

01:08:51.160 David Sheppard, Racky Pancholi, Gil McGowan, Jody Callahoo-Stonehouse, Sarah Hoffman, Nahed Nenshi, and Kathleen Gamley all put their name forward to be the leaders of this party.

01:09:13.380 Four of those candidates remained on the ballot today.

01:09:16.720 When the race began, the Alberta NDP had, here's some numbers, folks, 16,224 members.

01:09:26.540 And when membership sales ended on April the 22nd, there were 85,144 members eligible to vote.

01:09:37.880 We did a little bit of list cleanup, and that list was revised.

01:09:41.660 And at the end, there was 85,277 people who were eligible to cast a ballot.

01:09:52.640 Of all of those members eligible to vote, 72,930 members voted in the leadership race by noon today.

01:10:11.660 folks that is eighty five point six percent of the membership to win the

01:10:35.540 race today a candidate must receive 50% of the votes plus one or thirty six

01:10:41.840 thousand four hundred and sixty six votes a total of sixty four thousand two

01:10:48.920 hundred and eighty two votes were cast online eight thousand six hundred and

01:10:53.300 forty eight were cast by mail and 38 ballots were spoiled the votes have been

01:11:00.620 counted they've been audited and they have been affirmed by me as the chief

01:11:05.960 returning officer our auditor and all the candidate representatives but before

01:11:12.160 I announce the first round of counting I would like to it would be my honor to

01:11:20.140 for the very last time invite Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley to join me on the

01:11:25.800 stage.

01:11:35.940 Oh, I'm going to call it.

01:11:37.780 I'm going to call it.

01:11:42.460 You did such a good job.

01:11:55.800 okay you might as well stay on your feet so and the results are

01:12:24.020 votes for Jody Callahoe Stonehouse 1,222 votes votes for Kathleen Ganley 5,899 votes

01:12:54.020 for Sarah Hoffman 3,063 votes and for

01:13:14.480 Nahed Nenshi 62,746 votes please join me in welcoming the new leader of the

01:13:27.860 the Alberta NDP, Nahed Nenshi!

01:13:41.860 Oh my god!

01:13:43.860 They want the picture.

01:13:53.860 Here we go!

01:13:57.860 Thank you.

01:13:59.860 Thank you.

01:14:11.860 MVP!

01:14:13.860 MVP!

01:14:15.860 MVP!

01:14:17.860 MVP!

01:14:19.860 MVP!

01:14:21.860 MVP!

01:14:23.860 All right, folks, you're going to want to sit down, because I've got a lot to say.

01:14:34.140 First of all, everybody, one more time for Rachel Notley.

01:14:43.580 We'll have more to say about that once-in-a-lifetime leader in a few moments here.

01:14:50.040 Let's also start in gratitude.

01:14:52.900 Let's start in gratitude for all of you.

01:14:55.520 Let's start in gratitude for our movement.

01:14:57.900 But let's also start in gratitude

01:15:00.140 for the extraordinary staff and volunteers

01:15:03.120 who have run this extraordinary race,

01:15:05.160 starting with our great CRO.

01:15:16.820 Tansi,

01:15:18.320 Uju,

01:15:20.240 Amba Wastich,

01:15:22.380 Greetings to all my relations.

01:15:37.700 To my Blackfoot brothers and sisters, I am known as clan leader, he who moves camp and the others follow.

01:15:45.820 To my Soutena, brothers and sisters, I am known as Etiyah, always ready, which as you

01:15:53.980 already know from tonight does not mean always on time.

01:16:00.920 And it's important for us to begin in a good way that acknowledges this place, l'histoire

01:16:06.280 longue de notre Provence.

01:16:08.140 L'histoire longue, longue de notre Provence.

01:16:11.980 And over the last four months, I have been able to spend time with people in every corner

01:16:17.980 of this great place, from high level to high prairie to high river, from Fort Mackay and

01:16:25.440 Fort Chip to Fort McMurray to Fort McLeod, from Jasper to Lloydminster, in Calgary, in

01:16:33.160 Edmonton, in Lethbridge, in Medicine Hat and Grand Prairie.

01:16:38.320 And we've talked about this province, about this place, about this place that we call

01:16:44.500 home.

01:16:45.500 And people have been calling this place home for countless generations.

01:16:51.820 Since time immemorial, people have come here, drawn by the land, by the water, by the sky.

01:17:01.200 They've come to every part of this province, to hunt, and to fish, and to trade, to dance,

01:17:11.460 to dream, to love, to fight sometimes.

01:17:17.340 Sounds like an NDP caucus meeting, minus the dance, dream, and love parts, but ultimately

01:17:23.440 to engage in that very real act of building community.

01:17:28.000 And today, we start the beginning of a new chapter in building that community, in building

01:17:36.360 this home.

01:17:43.960 So, a few nights ago, a few nights ago, my sister, who's sitting in the front row here,

01:17:49.820 came over to my place, and she looked at the place and said, this is the messiest I have

01:17:56.700 ever seen your house.

01:17:58.000 You cannot live like this.

01:18:02.260 And I thought about it a little bit.

01:18:04.340 And I thought, you know what?

01:18:05.680 It is messy.

01:18:07.560 And it's not perfect.

01:18:09.460 In my defense, I've been a little busy.

01:18:11.760 But it's home.

01:18:17.900 And I've been thinking a lot about home.

01:18:22.260 I was lucky enough to choose this province as my home twice.

01:18:28.000 Once I was 18 months old, and I did my research and made the case and convinced my parents

01:18:36.840 that the future was in the West, and we packed all of our belongings up into a 1973 Dodge

01:18:42.380 Dart and moved across the country.

01:18:46.580 Now my mother says that in fact I'm telling that story wrong and that my briefing book

01:18:51.120 was not in fact all that compelling, mostly in crayon.

01:18:57.560 we made a home here. Whether in a small house in northeast Calgary, a motel room in Red

01:19:03.540 Deer County, we made home here. Later, just before I turned 30, after living and working

01:19:11.680 all around the world, I chose to come home. And to make my home here one more time. One

01:19:18.980 more time forever. Because Alberta has always been home. And it became a home for a poor

01:19:28.840 immigrant family from Africa, as it has become a home for people who have been here for thousands

01:19:35.020 of generations, as we continue to build a home for people who arrived here last week.

01:19:41.040 so five months ago

01:19:45.780 I was living a really good life

01:19:48.360 at home

01:19:51.780 that I like all of you

01:19:57.900 was increasingly troubled

01:20:00.320 by the direction of our government

01:20:03.160 by the direction of our province

01:20:05.360 by the direction of our home

01:20:07.820 the stories I was hearing

01:20:10.900 From our premier and our government, the place they were describing didn't feel like our home.

01:20:22.120 They were describing an Alberta that I didn't recognize.

01:20:27.120 They were describing an Alberta that is so very, very small.

01:20:34.800 And in Alberta, we are many things, but we are not small.

01:20:40.900 They were describing an Alberta where everyone is against us,

01:20:47.900 an Alberta where we need to fight outsiders all the time,

01:20:52.900 an Alberta where we should be scared of change

01:20:55.900 instead of embracing and leading the future.

01:20:59.900 That is not Alberta.

01:21:03.900 Alberta is not small.

01:21:05.900 Alberta is not small-minded.

01:21:08.900 Because, as we all know, it is impossible to think small under a sky that big.

01:21:22.920 But Danielle Smith and the UCP want us to be small.

01:21:27.360 They want us to be small because they think small.

01:21:32.580 They see Alberta as a fortress to be defended.

01:21:35.640 But what Alberta has always deemed is a wide-open door with a welcome mat, inviting the best people and the best ideas from every corner of this broken earth to live a great Alberta life right here.

01:21:52.600 You know, Danielle Smith recently said, in her way as she is, she gets carried away sometimes, and she claimed to be the most, I have to get this quote right, the most freedom-loving politician in Canada.

01:22:16.320 But friends, she hasn't done a blessed thing to protect anybody's freedoms.

01:22:28.600 In fact, what she does is she systematically takes them away. 0.99

01:22:38.260 Taking away the freedom for doctors, parents and kids to choose the best medical treatment 1.00

01:22:42.440 for themselves.

01:22:44.840 Taking away the freedom of landowners to decide what to build on their lands.

01:22:50.160 Taking away the freedom of citizens to choose local representatives to reflect local views.

01:22:57.480 Taking away the freedom of regulators to do their jobs without political interference

01:23:02.420 and appointing cronies and lobbyists.

01:23:07.480 She's taking away the freedom to disagree with the Premier on anything. 0.94

01:23:12.960 And she's taking away the freedom for teachers and doctors and nurses to do their jobs without

01:23:18.280 fear, to do their jobs with hope, and to do their jobs with adequate funding.

01:23:26.560 She's taking away the freedom for the brilliant researchers of Alberta to do any kind of research

01:23:31.820 that might make her uncomfortable.

01:23:37.140 So I think she misspoke.

01:23:40.000 I think when she said she's the most freedom-loving politician in Canada, she meant to say she's

01:23:46.660 the most power-loving politician in Canada.

01:23:55.900 But Albertans have shown over and over and over and over and over again, we have shown

01:24:04.780 that we are better than our premier,

01:24:08.040 that we are better than her government.

01:24:16.560 And this extraordinary movement that we've created together

01:24:20.760 is an example of what is possible

01:24:24.180 when you stop thinking small and you start dreaming big.

01:24:34.780 If you've ever heard me speak before, you know one word in Sanskrit that I talk about all the time.

01:24:43.020 And that word is seva.

01:24:45.320 Seva means service.

01:24:47.920 It means selfless service.

01:24:51.020 It means service beyond oneself and service to build the community and make it better. 1.00

01:24:57.840 There's no room for seva.

01:24:59.540 There's no room for seva or service in Danielle Smith's tiny Alberta.

01:25:04.780 But there is room for service in our hearts, in our hands, in our minds, and especially

01:25:12.720 in our voices.

01:25:15.020 And we will use those voices to fight for the Alberta that we want, the Alberta we need,

01:25:21.620 and the Alberta that future generations deserve.

01:25:25.740 So you've heard that number many times today, 85,000 members.

01:25:43.020 The Alberta NDP today is the largest provincial political party in Canada.

01:25:53.740 Now, I'm going to be self-indulgent for one second, though.

01:26:10.060 Just one.

01:26:11.080 Just before I got on stage, I was told that that number that you heard is, in fact, the largest number of votes for any provincial party leader in Canadian history.

01:26:23.740 Look, you're not cheering for me.

01:26:47.520 I have no preconceptions.

01:26:50.300 I know that's not about this handsome face.

01:26:53.700 But what I know that's about is the need for every one of us to make a statement about our movement.

01:26:59.860 The other important number that I want to share with you is the number you heard right at the end.

01:27:04.620 And I think it might have slipped by because we were getting a lot of numbers when Amanda was saying it.

01:27:09.060 Did you hear what the voter turnout number was in this election?

01:27:13.440 So let me tell you something.

01:27:14.880 Most leadership races, for example, the recent Ontario Liberal leadership race got about 30%.

01:27:22.120 Our friends across the aisle and their leadership got between 50% and 60%.

01:27:27.280 No one has ever heard of an 85% voter turnout in a leadership race before.

01:27:34.220 and what that means what that means is that all of you and all the people

01:27:45.080 watching online and all of our friends and neighbors who took out a membership

01:27:49.220 are here to stay we are here to stay and we're here to continue building this

01:27:59.220 movement together forever. So what does that look like? What do we do now with

01:28:04.920 this movement? Well first of all I've been given permission that tomorrow I

01:28:09.480 can take a half day off. So tomorrow evening the work starts again. We'll also

01:28:17.720 take a break on Monday night for a hockey game.

01:28:21.620 Actually, we will not take a night off on Monday for the hockey game, because this is

01:28:30.540 precisely what we need to do now.

01:28:33.260 At one of the recent events, I think it was at the Calgary debate, a young man came up

01:28:38.420 to me, and he said, something I hear every day, I've never joined a political party before.

01:28:45.540 But then he kept going, and he said, so now you have to make it worth my while.

01:28:52.620 And I said, what do you mean by that?

01:28:55.380 And he said, listen, it was a big decision for me to join a political party.

01:29:00.620 It was a big decision for me to identify myself with this group.

01:29:05.020 But now I need your help.

01:29:07.020 Because now that you've got me, you've got me.

01:29:11.120 So he lives in the community of Cranston in southeast Calgary.

01:29:13.980 And he said, my job is to talk to my neighbors.

01:29:21.620 My job is to go door-to-door, block-by-block, street-by-street.

01:29:28.180 And over the next three years, my job is to flip Cranston to the NDP.

01:29:35.920 And when I'm done, he said, when I'm done, my job is to go door-by-door, street-by-street, block-by-block, next-door in Mahogany.

01:29:47.120 And that is exactly how we need to be thinking now.

01:29:54.560 We need to convert this movement into something that is going to build and build and build

01:30:00.580 and build.

01:30:02.000 We need to co-create a vision for Alberta with our neighbours in big cities, in mid-sized

01:30:08.260 towns, in small rural communities, everywhere in this province.

01:30:13.020 We need to work with them together to create the vision of the Alberta that we all want,

01:30:17.980 the home that we all need to build together.

01:30:23.080 And friends, that's our job.

01:30:25.200 That's our work.

01:30:28.200 So, even at that hockey game, I want you to watch it in community, I want you to watch

01:30:35.860 it with friends and neighbours, and during the stoppages in play.

01:30:42.440 Just like last night, Rachel.

01:30:45.300 They had big plans last night for those who couldn't come to the gala, which is Rachel

01:30:48.720 was going to speak in the intermissions.

01:30:52.500 Rachel and I have many, many things in common.

01:30:55.660 I'm a little bit taller than she is, but one of the things that we really have in common

01:31:00.720 is are you seriously kidding me?

01:31:02.280 You want me to speak during the intermission and you think I'll speak that long?

01:31:06.760 These are the conversations we need to continue having with Albertans, with all of our neighbours.

01:31:13.760 Yes, we need to build the party infrastructure.

01:31:15.760 Yes, we need to build on the magnificent work we've already done

01:31:18.760 to help Albertans, our neighbours, see ourselves as an alternative.

01:31:22.760 But we need to do more, empowering leaders within our movement,

01:31:26.760 working with volunteers in every corner of our movement,

01:31:29.760 ensuring that we are not just building a campaign-ready machine,

01:31:34.760 but ensuring that as we move forward, that NDP victory in 2027 becomes inevitable.

01:31:42.200 People see us as the government coming.

01:31:48.060 It will not be easy.

01:31:52.920 It will not be easy at all.

01:31:55.980 We are going against a well-funded, a well-oiled political machine on the other side.

01:32:01.800 We're going against a machine that, unlike us, is not based on values and ethics and morals and what is best for the province.

01:32:14.080 Because remember, friends, winning that election in 2027, inshallah, as you all have been hearing me say, God willing,

01:32:22.120 winning that election in 2027 is not the end result.

01:32:26.800 It is the means to the end.

01:32:28.980 That's what makes us different than our opponents.

01:32:31.800 For them, winning the election is the end.

01:32:34.620 Power for power's sake.

01:32:36.880 For us, winning that election means having the opportunity to build that home for all Albertans now and all Albertans to come.

01:32:51.740 The work, the work, friends, is only beginning.

01:32:56.560 It's only beginning.

01:32:57.860 And I know this sounds hard.

01:33:00.040 And guess what?

01:33:00.600 It's going to be hard.

01:33:01.800 But I want you to know something else, that in the struggle, in the service, together

01:33:10.180 we will find extraordinary joy, because we're going to be together.

01:33:18.080 We're going to be together with like-minded people.

01:33:21.340 We will find joy in the struggle.

01:33:23.720 We will find joy and fun and happiness in the work that we're doing.

01:33:28.140 But the real joy, the real joy comes with knowing we are on the side of building that better home for everyone.

01:33:37.580 And I tell you, friends, the work that we are about to go through together is going to make victory in 2027 so much sweeter.

01:33:46.320 and the other thing to remember the other thing to remember about the joy of the work that we're

01:33:59.740 doing right now is that it is both a duty and an important legacy because as we continue to build

01:34:09.420 this movement. We do so in the names of those who started this movement. We do so

01:34:16.140 in the names of Tommy Douglas, and Ed Broadbent, and Jack Layton, and together we

01:34:27.300 do so in the names of Neil Reimer, of Grant Notley, of Ray Martin and Ross

01:34:34.040 Harvey, of Pam Barrett, and of Raj Panu, and of Brian Mason. And we do so building

01:34:48.680 on a home that all of you have worked so hard in building, but none of you would

01:34:54.260 begrudge understanding that the architect, the craftsperson, the master

01:34:59.480 builder of that home was a once-in-a-lifetime politician that we are so grateful to have had

01:35:06.120 as our leader, Rachel Notley.

01:35:17.320 Rachel!

01:35:18.120 Rachel!

01:35:29.480 Thank you, Rachel.

01:35:39.340 Thank you for everything.

01:35:42.160 So we've talked a lot on family.

01:35:44.700 We've talked a lot in the family in this room today.

01:35:48.280 But I want to talk to some people who aren't in this room.

01:35:52.860 And I want to say to all of our Albertan neighbors,

01:35:56.180 all of our Albertan friends,

01:35:57.420 you have a home here.

01:36:01.200 Now let me tell you my story.

01:36:04.500 I've been out on the sidelines for a while.

01:36:07.800 I have been out living a good life.

01:36:12.320 You know in Hamilton they say you want to be in the room where it happens?

01:36:15.540 I was perfectly happy being in the room adjacent to where it happens.

01:36:20.800 But like all of you, I was increasingly troubled,

01:36:23.380 increasingly troubled by this indulgent provincial government.

01:36:26.640 but also being told by so many people, the stakes are too high right now.

01:36:33.800 This is no time for bystanders.

01:36:36.760 Every single one of us is called upon to do every single thing we can do to build this home.

01:36:46.600 So I don't have a lot of skills.

01:36:49.100 There's not a lot of things I'm good at.

01:36:51.320 Do not ask me to help you fix your car or patch your drywall.

01:36:56.040 Bad things will happen.

01:36:58.840 But so many people said to me, as they said to all of you, as you have all said to so many folks,

01:37:04.940 and I'm now talking to the people not in the room today,

01:37:07.880 let's all dream bigger.

01:37:10.640 Let's dream of a better Alberta for everyone.

01:37:13.340 And for me, I was wondering what that meant.

01:37:18.480 Do I do more political commentary?

01:37:20.820 Do I help out others who want to run for office?

01:37:23.360 Because you know me, I'm still wearing the purple.

01:37:30.360 The purple is an invitation, it's an invitation to people to say, set aside who you think

01:37:38.360 you are and let's define ourselves by our common humanity.

01:37:43.360 And I thought to myself, well I got no political home.

01:37:47.360 But then I talked to so many of you, to members of this party in every corner of this province,

01:37:55.820 and I realized I do have a political home.

01:37:59.980 My political home is here, in the Alberta NDP.

01:38:07.020 And now 85,000 of our friends have found a home here.

01:38:15.420 Three quarters of a million people voted for Rachel Notley in this party in the last election.

01:38:21.620 So we have built that home and our job and our challenge is to ensure that all Albertans

01:38:30.800 see their home in this party.

01:38:34.200 You know what?

01:38:35.200 When we think about what we stand for, strong publicly delivered healthcare and education,

01:38:41.760 up for the rights and the dignity and the opportunity for every single human being

01:38:45.920 who shares this earth with us to live that life of dignity.

01:38:52.240 Not being bystanders to environmental crisis, but leading the world in climate change.

01:38:58.800 Creating an economy that is prosperous for everyone.

01:39:04.000 Ensuring that Alberta is affordable and inclusive and everyone is welcome here.

01:39:11.760 You've heard me say many, many times over the years.

01:39:15.540 You've heard me say many, many times over the years

01:39:18.400 that the promise of this place is a simple promise made under that giant blue sky.

01:39:24.640 It is a promise that regardless of what you look like,

01:39:29.200 regardless of where you come from,

01:39:31.620 regardless of how you worship,

01:39:33.800 regardless of whom you love,

01:39:36.120 regardless of your level of ability,

01:39:38.620 regardless of how much money is in your pocket,

01:39:41.760 You belong here.

01:39:45.360 You belong here.

01:40:11.760 ...are welcome here.

01:40:28.860 So we started today, we started today in gratitude, and I'd like to wrap up this part of the day.

01:40:35.580 we started today in gratitude and I'd like to wrap up this part of the day in

01:40:40.740 gratitude as well so first of all I like to live my life in gratitude you know I

01:40:46.260 like to wake up every morning and say what's good today and this morning I

01:40:50.040 woke up and said what's good today and I said I might have to make a speech

01:40:55.420 but first of all I'm grateful for every one of you I'm grateful for those of

01:41:02.700 Actually, I'll ask the question, how many of you have been long-time members of the NDP, more than in two years?

01:41:07.600 So I'm deeply grateful to every one of you.

01:41:10.920 I'm deeply grateful to you for building this home.

01:41:14.580 This home where you will always have a home.

01:41:22.900 For those of you who took the risk, for those of you who took the risk and put down your $10,

01:41:27.520 dollars. And like me said, oh boy, it's time to identify. And Rachel said last night, something

01:41:35.060 that I wish she had warned me about four and a half months ago, once the NDP gets their fingers

01:41:40.120 in you, they never let go. So, welcome. Welcome to your new political home.

01:41:57.520 One more time, let's hear it for the people who put on this race, the hardworking staff

01:42:04.380 and volunteers of the Alberta NDP and our brilliant CRO.

01:42:11.400 But now, I'm going to invite some people on stage that I'm deeply grateful for.

01:42:20.280 So let's begin with these extraordinary women who I've been able to learn so much from and be inspired by and wowed every single day on this campaign trail.

01:42:34.900 Let's say thank you to Gil McGowan, who could not be with us today, for his extraordinary contribution.

01:42:41.260 And if they could please join me on stage, ladies and gentlemen, Sarah Hoffman.

01:42:50.280 Kathleen Ganley.

01:43:04.380 Jody Callahoo Stonehouse!

01:43:20.220 Now, one of the things I was nervous about when we first started all of this is I didn't

01:43:36.580 know how the NDP politicians would take me.

01:43:40.140 I'm a lot to take.

01:43:42.440 And so I especially want to thank my NDP caucus colleagues who worked hard on this campaign.

01:43:47.880 So please join me in welcoming our executive chair, Raki Pancholi, our campaign co-chairs,

01:43:54.900 our campaign co-chairs, Port Ellingston and Parmeet Singh Bhoprai.

01:44:06.700 Parmeet Singh Bhoprai, of course, being my MLA.

01:44:10.860 So he had no choice in the matter.

01:44:14.660 rest of our group techs to the Team Nenshi endorsers. Come on up.

01:44:24.900 Samir Kayande, Rhiannon Doyle, Rod Loyola, David Shepard, Marie Renaud, Najwan El-Junaid, everyone.

01:44:33.460 folks last year you elected the largest opposition in alberta history let's bring them on up your ndp

01:44:50.020 the MLA's everybody thank you Laurie

01:45:20.020 This stage is getting very crowded.

01:45:39.280 But folks, your Alberta MVP team, we're going to continue to work hard to build this home

01:45:46.680 every day for all of you.

01:45:49.140 And I know I speak on behalf of my fellow candidates up here.

01:45:52.980 A special thank you to all the volunteers who worked so hard on all the leadership races.

01:45:58.400 And a special thank you to all my colleagues.

01:46:00.680 We may have taken different paths in this leadership race, but we are a completely unified

01:46:05.720 team.

01:46:06.720 But it's not just about politicians, friends.

01:46:18.860 So if I may, first of all, I want to thank the most important people to me, without whom

01:46:25.100 I would be nowhere.

01:46:26.820 My dad passed away in June of 2012, and I know he's up there today, keeping an eye on

01:46:34.380 all of us, wondering why my speech is so long.

01:46:39.780 But of course, he leaves behind him an extraordinary legacy, and folks, I want you to meet my family.

01:46:45.020 So I would love to invite my family up on stage with us right now.

01:47:02.780 My mother, Nurja.

01:47:07.440 My sister, Shaheen, who promises to stay off social media from now on.

01:47:10.980 And my amazing nieces, Asha and Sophia.

01:47:25.980 And you can all say happy 21st birthday to Asha.

01:47:35.980 I need to tell you something political now.

01:47:41.540 This campaign that we've just run, I'm a political guy, right? I've been a politician

01:47:46.980 for a long time. I have been studying politics my whole life. I have never seen a campaign like this

01:47:53.940 before. It is the most extraordinary group of people who came together to talk to their neighbors

01:48:00.180 and make it happen. And I want to invite some of our campaign volunteers, just a tiny smidge

01:48:05.300 of the number of people across this province who helped us here. So starting with our campaign

01:48:10.260 directors, Devery Corbin, Zane Velji, Chima and Kemdurim, and all the rest of the Team

01:48:18.660 Nenshi volunteers, come on up.

01:48:29.380 Now we're going to see how many of them we can fit on stage.

01:48:33.500 So Team Nenshi volunteers, come join us.

01:48:40.260 I wanted these folks to come up because I want all of us to see not just what the Alberta

01:48:57.840 ndp looks like squeeze in squeeze in i want you to see not just what our party looks like

01:49:12.880 not just what our home looks like but what alberta looks like

01:49:16.320 So folks, let's finish off today by remembering those immortal words of Dr. King, of Dr. Martin

01:49:35.920 Luther King Jr. when he said, now let us begin. Now, now let us rededicate ourselves. Now let us

01:49:51.660 rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter but beautiful struggle for a new world.

01:49:58.820 these this is the calling of the children of god and our brothers and sisters await eagerly

01:50:08.020 our response so folks we have a response for them and that response is that we will work hard for

01:50:17.080 this alberta that we will work hard under this endless sky for those big dreams that we will

01:50:24.320 work hard so that every single person who's lucky enough to share this land

01:50:29.720 has that life of dignity. Folks, this is what we're gonna do for Alberta, for all

01:50:38.840 of us, for our home! Thank you all.

01:51:03.600 All righty.

01:51:08.840 Thank you.

Western Standard - June 23, 2024

Alberta NDP Leadership 2024

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