The race to choose a new leader for Alberta’s Opposition NDP has sparked a broader debate on whether being provincially orange should always link you to the federal brand.
Party constitutions dictate that members of a provincial NDP are automatically members of the federal party.
This connection caused problems for Alberta’s NDP during its time in government from 2015 to 2019 and continues to be politically difficult as it aims to win power from Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservatives in 2027.
The NDP received a significant boost in attention, and reportedly gained more members, earlier this month when former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi entered the race.
Rakhi Pancholi, a two-term member of the Edmonton legislature and a leadership candidate, immediately withdrew from the race to support him.
Nenshi believes it’s time for the Alberta NDP to sever ties with the federal party.
Nenshi stated in an interview, “I think the membership needs to seriously discuss its connection with the federal NDP.”
“I think that our links to the federal NDP are remnants of a party that lacked confidence, a party that wasn’t mature enough and relied on a higher authority to take care of us.
“Now, this party is self-assured and modern, and I don’t think we need that anymore.
“The disadvantages of aligning with people whom we don’t control, whose values and ethics may not align with ours, far outweigh the advantages.”
Nenshi is not the only one who shares this opinion. Pancholi initially questioned the connection at the start of her now-abandoned campaign.
“Belonging to one political party should not necessitate belonging to another,” she stated.
“Albertans who wish to join the Alberta NDP should be able to decide whether they also want to become a member of the federal NDP.”
Kathleen Ganley, a former Alberta justice minister and current member of the Calgary legislature, has expressed that she is not closing the door on this debate.
“I think the concerns of members, especially when you hear them repeatedly, are very valid,” Ganley said.
Collaborating with their federal counterparts has compelled Alberta New Democrats to navigate a fine line on energy and environmental policies in a province heavily reliant on non-renewable resources like the oilsands.
The two factions clashed openly in 2018 when Notley’s government celebrated Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government spending billions to acquire the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which aimed to transport more Alberta oil to the B.C. coast.
This move angered environmental advocates, including those within the NDP. Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh criticized the purchase as a poor deal for everyone involved.
During last year’s provincial election, Smith’s UCP capitalized on anti-Trudeau sentiment among voters by portraying the Alberta NDP as either enthusiastic partners or powerless followers in the federal power-sharing agreement between Trudeau and Singh.
In an interview, former Alberta NDP leader Ray Martin opposed severing the ties, stating that there is strength and pride in a shared history.
Martin said that Nenshi's comments about the federal party were not well-received.
In reality, when you look at the history of the party, from Tommy Douglas to the present, it has been the NDP at both provincial and federal levels.
Douglas, the former premier of Saskatchewan, is widely known as the father of medicare. He was also the first federal leader of the newly formed NDP in 1961 when it changed its name from the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation.
Martin supports Sarah Hoffman, an Edmonton legislature member and former deputy premier in Notley’s government.
Hoffman stated that the party does not need to sever ties to promote itself.
She believes that the party should not try to deceive people into voting for it, but should instead clearly communicate its values.
I have never avoided discussing our values, and I never will.
She emphasized that the party will not become a rehashed version of the Liberal Party.
Political scientist Lori Williams mentioned that while cutting ties may be controversial, the debate is not only coming from outside sources.
The suggestion is causing anger because it's coming from Nenshi, who is not seen as an insider in this matter,
Pancholi said it, and Kathleen Ganley expressed openness to the idea.
Williams suggested that distancing from the federal NDP might make the provincial party more acceptable to those alienated by Alberta's shift further to the right under the UCP.
She pointed out that many former Progressive Conservatives do not see their conservatism in the current UCP government but are reluctant to vote NDP.
The new Alberta leader is set to be announced on June 22.
The other two leadership candidates, Gil McGowan and Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, did not respond to requests for comment.
