So where’s Naheed?
Alberta’s New Democrats need to know!
Since June 22, when Naheed Nenshi posted his crushing 86-per-cent victory on the first ballot in the race to replace former premier Rachel Notley as leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party, we’ve hardly seen the guy.
The moment the former mayor of Calgary announced his intention to seek the NDP leadership on March 11, the race was all over but the crying. Mr. Nenshi surfed to victory on a great wave of hope that with his track record as a three-term Calgary mayor he had the formula required to beat Danielle Smith or anyone else the United Conservative Government might run in her place.
So what if he didn’t have a history with the NDP?
Alberta New Democrats, even many long-time party supporters who knew and respected candidates with a track record inside the party like former health minister Sarah Hoffman and former justice minister Kathleen Ganley, were relieved NDP members had chosen a leader who they expected would aggressively promote an alternative to the Smith Government’s determination to dismantle pubic health care and education and its full-throated adoption of MAGA weirdness from south of the Medicine Line.
Instead, it’s been unnervingly quiet.
I know, I know, it’s not been that long. Less than two months.
Plus, there’s been the occasional cricket chirp from Mr. Nenshi – a Stampede breakfast here, a video defence of his policies in civic government there. His record in Calgary, after all, came under immediate attack by the UCP’s well-oiled online bot machine the minute he was named leader of the NDP.
But there have also been precious few attacks by the NDP on the most egregious policies of the UCP government, which most of Mr. Nenshi’s supporters expected, and even many backers of his opponents in the leadership race trusted him to deliver.
Not only has Mr. Nenshi, who is yet to seek a seat in the Legislature, been troublingly quiet, but so have his caucus critics on major files where Premier Smith and her government are pushing ahead with their most dangerous and unpopular policies – health care, education, the pension grab, renewable energy, and the environment.
A few hours ago, a commenter on this blog addressed Ms. Smith’s obvious support for the anti-vaccine craziness of Calgary-Lougheed MLA Eric Bouchard, who appears to believe not only that no one should ever have to receive a vaccination but that those of us who want them shouldn’t be allowed to get what one of his pals calls “the murder shot”!
“Where is the NDP in all this?” the commenter asked. “Where is Nenshi? Where is the health critic? I saw some NDP MLAs at the Calgary and Edmonton folk fests. Which is perfectly fine, but don’t they have time to play their role as His Majesty’s official Opposition? After all the leadership hoopla they completely lost all momentum. Disappointing!”
For his part, Mr. Nenshi finally surfaced yesterday in an interview with CTV to say he’s been “travelling all over Alberta, visiting communities large and small, meeting Albertans, sensing the excitement that they’ve got.”
Describing himself as “hitting the ground running,” Mr. Nenshi said “there has been a lot of organizational work, the sort of less sexy stuff. Figuring out how things work, how they have worked, how they could work better, bringing some of my expertise to the table, getting to know my colleagues, my caucus team, a little bit better, all 37 of them, and getting ready for an upcoming by-election in Lethbridge West. So it’s been a busy, busy summer.”
Well, OK. But this is the first news story about Mr. Nenshi that Google could find in the past two weeks, and the previous one was a column about the former mayor arguing with former UCP Premier Jason Kenney about who was responsible for cost overruns on the Green Line LRT system in Calgary.
Other than that, it’s been about a month since he was mentioned in a news story published by a respectable news outlet.
Meanwhile, we’ve been seeing a terrific example of what hitting the ground running really looks like in the United States presidential campaign.
Premier Smith has been providing plenty of excellent targets for attack by an Opposition party doing its job – yes, even when the Legislature isn’t sitting. (Indeed, attacks outside the Legislature are always going to be more effective than performative Question Period nonsense that most voters immediately tune out.)
Where were the NDP attacks on the Sky Box Scandal and general UCP corruption? Why isn’t the NDP producing and publishing research about what the UCP is getting up to? We’ve heard nada about that from the Opposition party.
Where’s the background information about how bad the UCP’s seniors’ and children’s dental supports are? Did the NDP give its researchers the summer off?
Are Mr. Nenshi and his core staff such policy wonks that they can’t see it was the public’s perception of Progressive Conservatives’ entitlement, privilege and arrogance – combined with a whiff of corruption – that brought down premier Alison Redford in 2014 and left Jim Prentice holding her handbag full of troubles in 2015?
They’re missing a huge opportunity, because Ms. Redford was practically Saint Joan of Arc compared to the crowd of UCP Orcs we’re being governed by now!
As for the Green Line, fine Calgary issue though it may be, why has Mr. Nenshi allowed the UCP to put him on the defensive? Maybe it’s time to link Ms. Smith to Calgary’s Sprawl Cabal, the developers and Manning Centre bagmen who have declared war on public transit, safe streets, and a liveable inner city.
Unsexy organizational work is all very well. But the time has come to saddle up and take the fight to the UCP.
What a study in contrasts.
In the US, President Biden, finally, decided that he needed to take that long walk to his garage, get into his Corvette, and drive off into the sunset. Political career, for the sake of the nation, done. VP Kamala Harris steps into the top of the ticket and resets the whole tone of the Dem’s initiative. This not only about stopping Donald J. Trump, Agenda 2025, and the onset of Gilead; it’s about reinventing America. At last, the great nation that lives in perpetual fear, can look to a hopeful future, a saved future. With her selection of VP running mate, Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, helps set the jovial tone of this new campaign. Walz said the quiet part out loud: MAGA Republicans are ‘weird’. Weird. Plain weird. Maybe even outright nuts. And then there are the rallies, the massive Trump-sized rallies. Rallies so big, even Trump is obsessing over them. Racism has reared it’s ugly head and the insults are flying fast and furiously. What does Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance have three aliases? His military record is, well, weird. And then there’s the matter of that pic of Vance in drag — George Santos redux? If this political season in the US doesn’t end in a civil war, I will be very surprised.
Now, in Alberta, the UCP is weird, and they are doing and saying weird shite. But where’s the outrage? The attacks and demands for responsible behaviour from the government? Maybe the ABNDP is waiting for the whole thing to collapse, and Smith runs away in disgust? Or, maybe the ABNDP are … being indecisive again? Old habits are hard to break, I guess.
The last para. looks like a good game plan.
In B.C. the Conservatives are on t.v. at least once a week taking a bat to the NDP. Rustad has stopped doing the clips but the former RCMP spokesperson is doing a good job of attacking the NDP, so if the new leader of the Alberta NDP needs to know how to do it, just watch the BCTV Global and CTV news. She is a regular as clock work. She doesn’t offer solutions or alternatives, just outlines the problem. People are buying into it. The leader of the Alberta NDP just needs to the press in or issue a press release or something. I realize its summer and visiting the constituencies is important but taking a wack out of the UPC is more important. Without the NDP speaking out, the voters will think things are just fine with Smith & gang.
Surely there is some one in the NDP who can handle P.R or have something to say about closing the clinics and a few other things.
e.a.f.: I’ve thought for years that the NDP would really have a “moral victory” (that is, an electoral loss with principles unsullied) and an electoral one. If there’s way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, the NDP has a knack for finding it. I think Albertan New Democrats hoped they would get a leader like John Horgan when they went overwhelmingly for Mr. Nenshi. I would say the jury is still out on that. DJC
Leaders like John Horgan don’t come by very often. It was hard for people to actually dislike him. Sometimes its not how many people like you but how many don’t dislike you. The day Horgan rolled up with the leader of the B.C. Greens in an electric car, you knew he had it in the bag.
Had to laugh when Trudeau appointed Horgan to be Ambassador to Germany. Horgan will be fine over there. If it hadn’t been for having cancer 3 times, he might have stayed in politics, but as it was, he made the right decision for him and his family.
At first, even as his policies disgusted me (LNG, Site C, clearcutting old-growth forest), I found Horgan as a public figure so exceptionally dull that it’s true I had trouble disliking him, but eventually, he convinced me.
Horgan understood that we’re all in this together. You, me and Larry Fink. Clearcutting, Site C, and LNG were instruments that the NDP used to put the exploitation of the indigenous and climate change on double secret probation. Truly, a great Prog.
Is it possible that the well heeled media is simply not publishing anything regarding Nenshi? Or perhaps he is choosing a slow rollout? Perhaps they know the UCP will inevitably self destruct and why interrupt them when in the process? Or maybe the NDP aren’t the UCP and we all need to stop “attacking”?
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/the-momentum-has-been-extraordinary-nenshi-on-taking-the-ndp-reins-1.6997666
UCP Orcs, love it. More importantly, where is Nenshi?
I have said it before about the Alberta NDP, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss”. Smith and her UCP Confederacy of Dunces are coming up with idiotic and dangerous ideas on a daily basis and we hear nothing from the NDP. It would appear that someone from head office has told the NDP MLA’s to remain silent. How else can you explain this?
To quote Winston S. Churchill on his disappointment with the Anzio Beach landings, “I had hoped we were hurling a wildcat into the shore, but all we got was a stranded whale.”
Thank you for saying this, DC. Totally agree!
I hope he’s doing three things:
A: Listening to Constituencies, listening to interest groups – private, public and business. Nenshi will get a feel for what the majority of Albertans want and that future they want.
B: Planning a comprehensive vision and strategy for Albertans. I am tired of the UCP /Smith flip flop approach.
C: Taking time to recharge his batteries. When it start it will be grueling. I imagine lots of 60+ hour work weeks.
I agree. I also think the hand wringing is ….odd
Cheers to that.
I saw an attack ad last night by the UCP mispronouncing Naheed Nenshi’s name on purpose. The UCP’s campaign for the 2027 election has begun. I was hoping to see a response on X: “If you can’t pronounce his name, try “Mr. Premier”. Maybe the UCP will attack female cat owners next, and someone in the UCP will admire living room furniture, if only in our imaginations. If they want to play Trump, give them Harris.
Of course, there’s plenty of ammunition in the proposed Alberta Bill of Rights amendments alone.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/bill-rights-danielle-smith-alberta-inside-1.7291123
Totally MIA.
The “opposition” could at least post about the news on every issue. Every morning. Even simply “Don’t worry we will fix this” “Vote NDP.”
The endless government changes that repaint the locomotive in their colors and never slow the eventual train wreck are the source of conspiracy theories and the elected clowns that preform whose only distinguishing difference is the color of their nose is the essence of low voter turn out.
David, calm down. It’s the summer silly season with the media. People are on holiday. The election is three years away. This is a long distance race. Nenshi is quietly working with the party to build a good foundation. Maybe he’s taking a holiday too.The UC P outrages continue. But the NDP must be strategic in how they respond to them. The sky is not falling __ yet!
AndyM. I disagree entirely. The battle for the election in 2027 began the day Nenshi was elected to lead the NDP. He is MIA in my opinion, along with his MLA’s.
the party spent three and a half years preparing for the 2023 election. Good fundraising numbers, volunteer engagement and candidate recruitment doesn’t just happen. It takes time and hard work. Because of the leadership, we lost a year. The ability to capitalize on momentum is almost at the point of becoming a missed opportunity.
Ok, so it may not be exciting folks but I suspect Nenshi and his organization are now going around the province in an orange RV to meet his new to him party and get those members to introduce him to other voters. This is the time to grow deep roots and expand the party further. Whilst considering the UCP weaknesses, and which ones matter to the voters. A considered approach to social media would be the next step I think, and using a positive approach for a year, but making it short on specific details. The UCP are doing well enough to burn themselves.
Shut up and keep paying out the rope!
I’m not sure how much more dyed-in-the-wool Dippers expected Nenshi to lurch into the breech since being coronated NDP leader on the first full day of summer than any average citizen expects to hear about any other politician during cottage/barbecue/tourism/music festival season. Politicians generally elect to avoid holding general elections in summer because prospective proselytes have largely vacated the ridings in which they live, happily going after riding boats, bikes, horses, inner-tubes and other holiday distractions from the usual rat-race the rest of the year, enjoying the usually subconscious appreciation of relief from politically partisan racket that pervades the rest of the year at home, at work, or at school, and most moments in between.
Even if there were an approaching fall election in Alberta, candidates would be out on the hustings trying to track down somewhat disinterested and, to be polite, sincerely uncommitted eligible voter-constituents partly dispersed beyond riding frontiers where they are ineligible to vote. Fall elections are common and offer candidates a month or two for citizens to settle back into the post-vacation sectarian din of routine. That’s when they’re more receptive to partisan proselytizing.
Nenshi is out on a hustling-like sojourn when it doesn’t matter if he meets and listens to vacationers outside their own riding precisely because there isn’t a scheduled fall election (although not impossible, it’s very unlikely an opportunity to vote non-confidence in the governing party —as much as they deserve it—will arise in the next few months). One gets the impression he is compiling a sort of Doomsday inventory which he, the Duke of Nenshi, will use to anticipate the conquest of the Bitumenarchy of Albetar—the reverse approach of the more famous Conquerer, the Duke of Normandy. It’s good to know what you have to work with.
“Getting away with murder” is a figurative way of weighing the figurehead of the Ununited Conservative party government. Whatever the Smith&Parker Gang do this summer—short of real murder—can be added to the growing list of stupidly impolitic things it has already done, and then raised in good enough time to raze the Reform-TUBCRAP-a-Con playhouse where these perfidies it will keep well enough in the meantime.
Their new leader’s style is something trigger-itchy Dippers will have to get used to. Nenshi is, after all, a product of civic politics which, as he used to point out before applying to the forum of adversarial party-politics, made him a natural non-partisan (he even presumed to wear purple before applying to assume it) and, judging from his successes and popularity as Mayor of stolidly Tory-Blue Calgary, he took very seriously the budgetary management of the municipality, any of which charter governments is very strictly limited by law.
Since there’s no fall election likely and UCP perfidies can for now keep (and probably ferment advantageously for the NDP), Nenshi need hurry neither his media serialization nor his election to the Legislative Assembly. That will have to change, of course, but in the meantime he’s doing what he said he would do—and most Alberta voters don’t really care one way or the other, at least not until holidays are over, school has started, and numbing political hyper-partisanship once again affords relief from the more visceral arts of domestic politics.
I get the impression Nenshi is, typical of civic politicians, more efficiently practical than most sovereign-government politicians normally are. And that might go double for the NDP. (As far as I’m aware, the NDP has no official affiliation with charter, or commissioned, or non-sovereign governments except, since 1978, in Yukon, the most populous Territory. However, in April, 2024, the UCP tabled amendments to the Municipal Affairs Act which would allow political parties to form in the province’s civic governments.) Moreover, living within municipal means was only sharpened by the former 3-year term which Alberta didn’t lengthen to 4 years until 2013, three years after Nenshi became Mayor. This experience requires any mayor to prepare budgets more carefully and have them completed on time, on-dime, no deficits allowed. I suspect Nenshi is—at least for now—continuing this more-disciplined and efficient style of planning. And I also suspect he’s not particularly perturbed by criticism, whencesoever it comes, if he feels he’s doing his groundwork diligently.
No points for guessing what it is he’s planning.
There’s a big difference between the small pond of municipal politics and the lake of fire that is Alberta politics. Nenshi has to commit to being the face of the party in opposition. He should take lunch with Thomas Mulcair. What we’re for is not as important as what we’re against, until 2026. That is the long slug he signed up for! Build your offence first then your platform. The fact that a grand opportunity to use his momentum to build an attacking team has been likely squandered? Political malpractice I say!
There’s a big difference between the small pond of municipal politics and the lake of fire that is Alberta politics. Nenshi has to commit to being the face of the party in opposition. He should take lunch with Thomas Mulcair. What we’re for is not as important as what we’re against, until 2026. That is the long slug he signed up for! Build your offence first then your platform. The fact that a grand opportunity to use his momentum to build an attacking team has been likely squandered? Political malpractice I say! Hey! Why didn’t he ask for equal time on Corus. Maybe call it “your premier and a better alternative” the day after he won the leadership?
FWIW— Naheed Nenshi on X
June 27– It seems like the UCP are scared of something….
weird. ** While they’re out there attacking me, I’ll be here with my NDP colleagues focusing on how to make Alberta better for you.
** way ahead on the weird..LOL
July 19–The revelations about multiple ministers, staff & the Premier herself attending hockey games on lobbyists dimes…….
At the very least the Premier must now
>disclose all staff and politicians who have accepted tickets and from whom, as well as who paid for all travel
>commit to an all party process to strengthen ethics rules and disclosures including removing the care blanche for the Premiers chief of staff to approve any gift of any amount.
>Finally give us a full disclosure of the Turkish Tylenol fiasco, including which lobbyists met with which politicians and staff.
Also Xweets about the Jasper wildfires and the hailstorm in Calgary.
Latest post, updated photo of colleagues…
(out talking to Albertans )
As for media —
Top stories…
CTV news–The momentum has been extraordinary’. Nenshi on taking the…
Western Standard– Morgan: Nenshi’s history of untruths….
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IMHO , news coverage of UCP/Alberta is on the same page as coverage of Skippy (ala Tom Cruise wannabe) .
Mis/disinformation, creating spectacle headlines for campaign funding and doing everything they can to “break Canada ” ,so they can sweep in and say we are the heroes.
You can fool some of the people, ALL of the time.
My pet peeve is people complaining about the carbon tax while Skippy is being paid $299,900 @yr., lives in a taxpayer funded 19 room mansion, has a private chef&chauffeur, travels back & forth across the country- billing taxpayers for expenses and then gets these same people to buy his merchandise* to boost his ego . Common sense???
*I wonder if he’s claiming proceeds of sales as part of his & his wife’s income. Hmmm, where’s the CRA when you need them ?.
PS…David Parker is at it again/ still…on X……sigh!!!
Just like the Liberals biggest failing over the past 8 years was not bothering to address their PR needs and non-existent messaging for the most part, I think the NDP have gone into hibernation instead of following what the UCP are doing every last day. The NDP need to take a lesson from Mr. PP’s methods over the past few years and do the same. Hound the UCP with questions (even if they aren’t going to answer them), press conferences for days whenever the TBA/UCP party make a bad decision and look for journalists haunting the halls of the legislature to remind them, that the NDP thinks the Premier is absolutely failing the people of Alberta and how she’s failing them. And while all that is going on, in the back ground, running their own workshops on what they’ll be doing different so that they’ve actually got a plan in mind when the time comes.
Frankly, I get the impression that half the commenters on this blog and other sources are doing a better job of countering the lies and misinformation of the TBA/UCP bunch, better than the NDP.
Maybe Naheed Nenshi is like a jungle cat, waiting for the right opportunity to jump on their prey? Given how Danielle Smith does so many missteps, along with the UCP, that’s likely that she will fall. If the media doesn’t do anything to stand up to the UCP, Naheed Nenshi certainly will.
Alberta voters in the next provincial election have several options when it occurs in 2027.
We Albertans can do lots of things before the next election and I look forward to voters doing some of these things:
1. Don’t like any Alberta provincial political party?
Form a new party! Anyone can form a new provincial political party. Contact the Elections Alberta website and legal professionals to learn how. Currently, there are about 18 or so registered Alberta political parties. What’s one more in the mix?
Getting a voter to even be aware of your party is a tough climb, getting a voter to understand your policy is a tough climb, but getting a voter to have trust and an open mind to even think about voting for you is the toughest climb of all.
If your new Alberta provincial political party gets the attention of voters, who knows?
The convicted criminal Arthur Pavlawski has his own political party, hundreds of people voted for it in 2023 – do your own research, honey I aint your teacher
2. We can send emails, letters, whatever communication method works for you, to our current elected public officials telling them why we support or object to various policies and laws.
Monitor the results but please don’t expect results overnight. Having always worked in private sector, it’s a given that government is slow. There are lots of competing ideas. Deal with the delay and politely, but forcefully demand answers. And be prepared to wait. I’m thinking about renewable energy here.
3. Resolve to not vote in the next election.
Didn’t get absolutely all the policies and laws you wanted in the last election? Think all your fellow Albertans are a bunch of dumb fucks?
Well, then, give up and move to another country! Oh, wait, all you potential movers. Did you fail the online U.S. federal immigration (desirability points) test? Or, did you lack the millions of dollars in net free cash necessary to move to the U.S.?
Do not despair.
Just be like the child like UCP influencer named Vince By-something. This Vince person published a piece about Alberta becoming a territory of the United States?
This Vince person reeks of “daddy has all the money so I must suck up and obey the old asshole to stay in the will”.
Honey, this insecure fraud is so middle school, even I could out shoot him in a handgun contest, and I learned to shoot a handgun at 11 years of age.
I am a citizen of two countries. I hold two valid passports.Two of the most amazing, wonderful countries on earth.
With both a Canada and a United States passport, I can move between the countries. But more important, I can legally work in both countries.
But the details matter. And the way we see ourselves, as Canadians, as Albertans matters.
I like that Canada is a fair country. That things like health and education and firearms restrictions are important. That religion is kept out of laws. That women get to decide their own bodily autonomy. It helps that all Canadians understand that in a big screwed up world, we in Canada have lots to offer to good people and they have lots to offer to us and strict laws will prevail.
Some childish oddballs in Alberta have envy for what they see in some fantasy land online movie version of the United States.
My vote for the next president of the United States is to be cast in Louisiana.
There will be no Democrat vote cast by me. It would be irrelevant anyway and possibly illegal given the dubious language in the the newest (anti voting) voter laws; plus the ever present Electoral College – details, always the legal crap, it gets in the way, again I’m not the history ethics teacher
Please pay attention far leftys/libertarians in alberta. The United States MAGA Republicans think you are coddled arrogant intellectual communists. And they just love the UCP. Just ripe for the pickins.
Totally agree with you, David. I’ve been wondering why we’ve seen no comments from Nenshi apart from the dreary happy talk all politicians must spew about the festivals they have to drag themselves to. Naheed has tremendous talent for using plain language to talk about Stupid Smith, and his timing with wit is impeccable. Why isn’t he talking tough about Trash Can Dan and her idiocies?
I disagree, it’s been less than two months. He did say, he’s out meeting Members including the Rurals. Like the “CONs” tell everyone, “give DS a chance, it takes time” to turn things around. I’m an active Member, I’m not hearing any unusual grumblings from Members, Caucus or MLAs. Yeah, DS/UCP are on the attack, so what’s new about that? No need to panic, I’m confident in the fall sitting of Legislature we will hear more of the NDP/Nenshi strategy. I’m willing to wait for a good plan vs just lashing out, every time DS/UCP spout out constant misinformation. DS and the UCP are a distraction, to the real work that needs to be done by the NDP. Remember what Nenshi said, “what can we do better for all Albertans”, not more attacks. Attacks never worked previously for voters, nothing has changed. We need more positives, not negatives. We are not the UCP!
A large Sovereign North poll (yes, they are the far right but there’s no great reason to think that they want to make the NDP look good) in July showed that Albertans trust Nenshi far more than Smith on most things. He needs however to be talking to lots of people who aren’t already committed NDP voters to be sure that his focus and that of his caucus is on the pocketbook issues that motivate the swing voters and past non-voters. Do they care about the Skybox corruption or unbearable rents for shitty units that need lots of maintenance? Are they worried as most of us are about climate change and about a collapsing healthcare system or are they up to their eyeballs in debt and waiting (with justified skepticism) about whether any politician recognizes how precarious their lives are? I can’t say that I know. But I hope that Nenshi and his caucus are talking to the “little people” and not just those of us who are well off enough to be high-minded about things the UCP is doing that a majority aren’t aware of and don’t particularly care to learn much about.
If Nenshi is truly all over the province, local medias should be licking it up. His X should be ablaze with small town scenes and anecdotes about what rural Albertans really want. I check his X frequently. It’s kinda limping along with Nensh informing us about the Green Line but few friendly Albertan scenes like Queen Black Hat has. And the Canada Reads plug. Meh.
Where’s his lashout about the Black Hat gang any way?
Not being an MLA doesn’t help.
He came out guns blazing but has been roasting his chestnuts too long. I get the travelling road show, but use the footage and the interactions to forward an NDP agenda at the very least.
More than a few folks around are noticing the lack of action to counter the UCP destruction.
https://daveberta.substack.com/p/the-stakes-are-high-for-nenshis-ndp?publication_id=863616&post_id=147685166&isFreemail=true&r=d1t0e&triedRedirect=true
The problem is not Nenshi, it’s the party. For months now (I’m a newcomer, so it could well be years) some nefarious braintrust in the party treats ordinary members like sheep who need only be herded and “fleeced”. As for Nenshi, c’mon folks! it’s been weeks, not months, and it’s not that he hasn’t been doing the leg work. Nenshi is nothing if not organized and meticulous. Do you really want someone who comes in with guns blazing and zero idea what to shoot at?