The Other Side: Stories Emanating from the Opposition Side of the Aisle
With the Calgary Stampede now appearing in our collective rear-view mirrors, now is the time to get back to our regularly scheduled political programming. Well, sort of.
Things in provincial politics tend to slow down a bit once things wrap up on the rodeo grounds as MLAs, staff, and stakeholders begin taking their much-deserved summer vacations and hit the barbeque circuit across the province. As we’ve covered some of the major stories from the government side of the house with respect to the Alberta Next Panel (Issue 226) and the recently signed memorandums of understanding with Ontario (later this issue), this is an opportunity to take a moment and look at some of the things happening with the elected officials not in government.
Alberta NDP Launch Counter-Panels
As you may have read in last issue’s article by Michaela Frey, the provincial government is moving forward with what they call the Alberta Next Panel. According to the panel’s website, they are described as leading “a province-wide consultation to chart our path, secure our economy, and assert our sovereignty within a united Canada.”
Ultimately, the goal of the panel is to determine which questions should be put to a referendum in 2026 (which could very well occur in tandem with an early election call if rumours are to be believed).
On Monday, the Alberta NDP launched their own round of public consultation townhalls – the day before the Alberta Government’s tour kicked off in Red Deer.
Entitled the “Better Together Summer” (notably sharing a press launch location with the now infamous “best summer ever” announcement in 2021), the party has said it will have MLAs travel across the province to connect with Albertans and hold a number of formal events like townhalls. However, the tour will include other grassroots opportunities to connect.
Leader of the Alberta NDP Naheed Nenshi indicated that “we will be at community festivals and at parades, and we actually have a very, very big plan this summer of knocking on people’s doors and being out in neighbourhoods and playgrounds and dog parks talking to Albertans.”
Although registrations have yet to open, the dates for the tour are:
· August 18 – Lethbridge
· August 27 – Red Deer
· August 28 – Edmonton
· September 9 – Calgary
· September 11 – Airdrie
“This summer is all about listening, connecting, and showing Albertans that they’re not alone,” said Nenshi. “Because when we lead with hope, and when we show up for one another, that’s when Alberta is at its best. That’s what it means to be Better Together.”
Both Nenshi and MLA Gurtej Singh Brar were sworn in as MLAs on Monday for the NDP. The UCP’s Tara Sawyer was also sworn in during a separate event.
Nenshi targeted the Premier directly in the party’s press release, saying that “Danielle Smith’s separatist agenda puts everything at risk — investments, jobs, and the everyday systems we rely on like health care.”
It did not take long for the Premier’s Office to issue an official response.
“The Premier has repeatedly demonstrated she wants a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada. She has also shown she will always put Albertans first without apology.” The response would go onto call Nenshi a “lifelong Liberal”, despite a lack of evidence he has ever held a party membership.
MLAs Hope to Revive the Progressive Conservative Brand
In the midst of the annual Calgary Stampede, where the line between rodeo showmanship and political theatre is often blurred, two recently ousted members of Alberta's United Conservative Party are attempting to lasso a political comeback story.
Independent MLAs Pete Guthrie and Scott Sinclair held a press conference in Calgary announcing that they intend to revive the old Progressive Conservative brand. They framed their effort as a response to the current state of political polarization in the province.
In their view, Alberta has been left with two choices: a UCP that leans heavily to the right, and an NDP that sits to the centre-left. The duo sees a revived PC brand as a centre-right alternative — a potential home for disaffected small-c conservatives and moderates who feel politically orphaned in today’s political climate.
For MLA Sinclair, he argues that "the parties in the province have taken it too far one way or another, and we just don't have a mainstream party that in Pete and my belief really forms a snapshot of what Albertans are looking for, which is a government that is balanced and has a steady hand."
There has been no formal confirmation of additional support from other former or current MLAs, and party registration is still pending. There have also been questions raised about whether or not the Progressive Conservative name could be revived. The path forward will require significant organizational effort: under Elections Alberta rules, the group must collect a minimum of 8,819 verified signatures by late November in order to register a new political party.
This tight timeline could prove a major hurdle — especially given long-standing rumours that a snap provincial election could be called within the next year. If that speculation proves true, the new party may have only a few months to organize, build infrastructure, and field candidates before heading to the polls.
However, political momentum is a funny thing. Sometimes it can generate mountainous amounts of support in a very short period when the stars align just right. For now, MLAs Guthrie and Sinclair must first pass the first test while they simulateously try and build an operational party aparatus.