NDP Leadership Kicks Off (or at least the rules are set)
The Alberta NDP met in Red Deer over the weekend where members finalized the rules that will govern the race to replace Rachel Notley.
Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming leadership race, and some of the key issues delegates wrestled with in Red Deer.
Timelines and Fees
The race will officially kick off on February 5th with a winner to be announced on June 22nd. To vote in the leadership, Albertans will have to be members or buy a membership in the Alberta NDP prior to April 22nd, 2024. The issue of membership timelines and balloting period length was an issue in hot contention at the NDP’s gathering, with some delegates preferring a longer period for membership sales, and others wishing for a longer balloting period in order to avoid concerns around mail disruptions and natural disasters. In the end, NDP members approved the timelines recommended by the Party’s Executive.
It will cost $60,000 in total to run for Alberta NDP leadership as members approved a series of fees to offset the party’s cost of running the leadership race. Potential candidates will also have to be members of the Party prior to August 5th, 2023, though there is an exemption process to allow outsider candidates to run for leadership race.
Balloting Process
The vote will take place under a one-member, one-vote system, with no weighting by constituency. This election will not have a carve-out for affiliated labour unions, which was the case in the 2014 leadership race that selected Notley when affiliate unions had 25 per cent of the say in who would become leader.
The vote will be held online, by phone, and by mail as per the Alberta NDP Constitution, with voters being mailed unique PINs that they can then use to log in to the online or phone platforms being offered by the party.
Membership Fees
One of the most intensely debated issues in Red Deer was whether the Party should allow membership fees to be paid in cash. Early drafts of the rules put together by NDP officials all-but barred cash membership payments to increase the security of the membership rolls and alleviate concerns that bad faith actors and others may be able to sign up members in bulk without the added paper trail. Delegates to the Provincial Council significantly amended these rules, with many feeling that a wider range of cash-based options will improve access to the process for older Albertans, youth, and newcomers who often face challenges accessing credit cards.
Preventing a Take Back Takeover
After public comments by Take Back Alberta leader David Parker, the NDP put in place several mechanisms to ensure that anyone participating in the race to become the next leader (both as a candidate and a voter), are approaching the Party in good faith, and in ways that are broadly in line with the NDP’s values. Toward that goal, the Party has established a Leadership Approvals Committee that will vet potential contestants and monitor new membership sales to try to weed out those who may be engaging with the process to undermine its stated goals.
The Referee
One of the most important figures during the leadership race (aside from the contestants themselves) will be the Chief Returning Officer, who has been tasked with administering the rules. The NDP has named Amanda Freistadt, a long-time member who has served on the Party’s executive and who completed the post-mortem of the 2023 general election campaign, as the referee of the process. Freistadt is widely respected within NDP circles and will help to validate the process as fair and open.
Who’s Who (or who wants to be someone)
With the rules of the race now finalized, much of the internal conversation will turn to the individuals who have been not-so-subtly kicking the tires. These include:
Kathleen Ganley, MLA for Calgary-Mountain View, critic for Energy and Climate with a focus on conventional fuels and minerals. Ganley served as Alberta Minister of Justice and Solicitor General from 2015-19, and is widely seen as the most centrist of the leadership candidates, as well as the candidate best-positioned internal candidate to consolidate the ANDP’s 2023 gains in the city of Calgary.
Sarah Hoffman, MLA for Edmonton-Glenora, former Deputy Leader and former critic for Municipal Affairs with a focus on Calgary and Edmonton. Hoffman served as Minister of Health from 2015-19, and as Deputy Premier during that time. She will likely rely on the support of traditional NDP constituencies including organized labour and the Party’s Edmonton base during her leadership bid should she choose to participate.
Rakhi Pancholi, MLA for Edmonton-Whitemud, critic for Education. Pancholi was elected in 2019 as one of the few non-incumbents to stave off the Blue Wave that year, and served previously as the caucus critic for community and family services. She has strong connections with Janis Irwin, MLA for Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood who is broadly seen as the leader of the Pary’s left wing with wide influence among its younger membership.
David Shepherd, MLA for Edmonton-Centre, critic for Primary and Rural Healthcare. Shepherd was first elected in 2015, and has been re-elected twice. He has served primarily as the health critic in the opposition caucus. While he does not have the profile of other potential candidates, he has been committed to engaging Black and African communities in the province.
Naheed Nenshi, Former Mayor of Calgary. While he has been publicly undecided, the former Mayor of Calgary from 2010-2021 has not ruled out running in the Alberta NDP leadership election. Many within the ANDP feel as though he may bring a level of name recognition in opposing Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s UCP, particularly in the crucial battleground of Calgary.