Better late than never, Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi finally effectively hammered the governing United Conservative Party’s policy hot mess at a news conference yesterday morning marking the end of the fall sitting of the Alberta Legislature.
“The last six weeks have been a wild ride from a government pushed into the corner,” Mr. Nenshi began strongly. Premier Danielle Smith’s UCP, he said, is “a government worried about its own political future, a government that lashes out at any criticism, that subverts democracy, that subverts our institutions, that pushes 14 bills not one of which addresses the real concerns of Albertans.”
“What the heck was that?” he asked, rhetorically. “This is not a government any Albertan elected! They are doing things that no Albertan wants in this crazy, wild time.”
So far so good. Leastways, the former Calgary mayor and university business teacher started out bluntly before giving in to the temptation to digress with a professorial discourse about how often closure has been used in the history of the province’s Legislative Assembly. (All you need to know is: too much, and a lot more by the UCP than anyone else, ever.)
The Opposition entered the fall session focused on things they believe Albertans care about, Mr. Nenshi continued after getting himself back on track. “The cost of living, health care, public education, good jobs and a trustworthy government.”
By contrast, he said, “the UCP focused on none of those things with their make-it-up-as-you-go-along bills. They introduced massive changes to Alberta that nobody asked for. … And it became clear – now more than ever because the mask fell – that this government cares only about its own political survival, and Albertans be damned!
“Over the last six weeks, they’ve shown just how out of touch they are, and how self-serving they are and, quite frankly just how cruel they are when they think it suits them.”
This is all hard to argue with. But while Mr. Nenshi’s discourse was a long one, at times compelling and assertive, at times not so much, when he briefly handed the mic off to his deputy leader, Edmonton-Whitemud MLA Rakhi Pancholi, things livened up.
Ms. Pancholi quickly and entertainingly recapped the many sins of the UCP in just this session. “In the over six years that I’ve been in MLA, I’ve seen the UCP do a lot of damage, but never in so short of a time,” she began before ripping into the government’s antics point by point. “I’m gonna have to warn you, buckle up!”
“The personal impact of government’s choices in the past two months on so many Albertans is unprecedented,” she said. “There is not a person in this province who has not been affected by the government’s choices.”
“We’ve seen incredible overreach by the government into all areas of Albertans’ lives, into all aspects of civil society and the judicial system, into the homes, doctors’ offices, businesses, workplaces of Albertans, and into the very democratic processes of this province,” she asserted.
Look, I shouldn’t give in to the temptation to review the political equivalent of the warm-up act more enthusiastically than the main event. But you can read my transcript of Ms. Pancholi’s deconstruction of the UCP’s transgressive session here. It was a bravura performance. And you can watch the entire news conference on Facebook, although you’ll have to put up with an introduction that was a little too heartwarming for my taste before the video cuts to the chase.
Predictably, the government’s news release and press conference saw UCP House Leader Joseph Schow tout the session’s “robust legislative agenda” as proof “our government has successfully delivered on keeping Alberta the best place to live, work and play.” Don’t worry, he also insisted it made Alberta “the best place to invest and do business.”
The list of legislation touted by Mr. Schow, however, suggested the influence of the UPC’s MAGA-inspired, Alberta separatist base and its corporate donors more than keeping the province the best place to live, etc.
Held up for special notice by the government’s press-release writers: Energy- and water-sucking AI data centres, galloping health-care privatization, cuts in support for the disabled, restrictions on the powers of regulatory colleges to protect the public from quacks and frauds, and restrictions on naming political parties expressly intended to prevent politicians from calling themselves Progressive Conservatives.
In the unlikely event anyone was paying attention yesterday, the NDP won this argument.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: I expect this site to be migrating to a new online host this weekend. It is to be hoped that the change goes quickly and smoothly, but as a result, it may be impossible to post comments during some of this time. Please be patient if you encounter this difficulty. DJC
The NDP aren’t at fault at all for different reasons. First off, we have a media that is compliant and subservient to the UCP. They glorify the UCP and don’t care about their very pricey boondoggles and epic missteps. Postmedia is good at this. It is why Rachel Notley and the NDP were defeated to the UCP and Danielle Smith in the last provincial election, in 2023. Danielle Smith was lying in the provincial election debate, and was never challenged for it by the media, and we had columnists lying about Rachel Notley and the NDP. Also, the media doesn’t acknowledge Naheed Nenshi and the NDP. On top of this, Danielle Smith deliberately held off the by-election for the riding of Edmonton Strathcona, until the last possible moment, because she didn’t want to contend with Naheed Nenshi in the Alberta Legislature. In addition, Danielle Smith has made the number of Alberta Legislature sittings so low, that it hardly ever sits. When it does sit, it’s for the purpose of ramming the worst types of bills on through.
This past summer I attended the annual BBQ for our NDP riding and I mentioned to my NDP MLA, “where is your leader, we never hear from him in the media?” The reply I got was while he does speak out, the media doesn’t give him any coverage. My reply was: he just needs to call press conferences and speak out louder to the issues at hand and the media will have no choice but to cover his comments. I understand the problem is Smith is just like Trump, she blathers on every day about any garbage she can think of, and the biased media seems willing to hang on every word. It is really refreshing to hear realty rather than the mindless blathering of Dingy.
OA: I have heard this said by some of Mr. Nenshi’s aides and close supporters, but I do not believe it. The NDP does not have a good communications strategy. It’s messaging is low key, low volume, and about everything. It has never – under Ms. Notley or Mr. Nenshi – picked a limited number of key issues to hammer home repeatedly, as the UCP and CPC have done to good effect. In my opinion, Mr. Nenshi doesn’t understand the difference between being mayor, when media will come to you on any issue that has a remote connection to your city because you are city’s chosen spokesperson, and being leader of the Opposition, leader of a theoretical “government in waiting” without the power to implement policy. This requires more effort, and better strategic thinking, if an Opposition leader is to control the debate within his or her jurisdiction, often through the constant repetition of annoying slogans. “Axe the tax!” DJC
The fact is Nenshi is not up to the job and should leave and give someone else a chance, rather than staying around invisible.
The NDP for sure has heard comments like mine over and over but seems numb about it.
With all due respect to Mr. Nenshi, this is exactly the government that Albertans elected. Smith had been telling us for ten years before she was elected her world views.
Again, all due respect to Mr. Nenshi, they are doing things that Albertans want. Case in point, stripping Alberta teachers of their charter rights was hugely popular. As Mr. C. correctly pointed out, the UCP will very likely win the next election.
Jaundiced Eye: The UCP aren’t winning the next provincial election. They are done.
Migrating platforms? What could possibly go wrong? 😉
CX: Oh, I certainly agree with your sentiment. It is, however, an absolute necessity if this blog is to continue to be published, due to a change in the business model of the former provider. DJC
Ms. Pancholi’s speech is indeed a barn burner. Clear and easy to understand. Thank you for transcribing it.
I believe you may have missed the possessive in the sentence in the 4th paragraph on the second page: “The UCP is tacit support for separatism …”
Kang: Thanks, I have checked it against the audio, and you are correct. I have updated the PDF. DJC
There is a saying in politics that when a government is shooting itself in the foot, the opposition should just get out of the way and let them do that. Smith seems to be prosecuting the case against herself and the UCP more successfully than anyone in the opposition could.
All the recall campaigns did not start because someone in the opposition gave a rousing speech. Part of the strength of the recall campaign is it is not partisan led, but by Albertans in various constituencies who are upset with their local MLA’s. It seems to be a grassroots groundswell in response to various recent heavy handed and extreme actions by the UCP.
However, it probably also has been a challenging transition for Nenshi, who was used to and seemed to prefer the less partisan environment of municipal politics to the now very partisan provincial stage and prefers more reasoned discussion. Although sadly, few people pay much attention to the speeches given in the legislature, whether reasoned or rousing and they usually accomplish litte. Smith on the other hand seems to love the partisanship both in the legislature and outside of it, sort of like a pig enjoys rolling in the mud. Unfortunately for her, that and her ideological temperament, has led her to focus on appealing to the more extreme side of her party, which has become a turn off for many more moderate Albertans.
Rahki was my choice for leader before Naheed entered the race. She still has future leadership potential depending on the outcome of the next provincial election.
As always, you provide penetrating and provocative insight into the UCP agenda. I wonder what kind of person goes into politics to explicitly make things more difficult or impossible to lead a meaningful life? All UCP members joined the happy, clappy chorus to destroy AISH. The only dissenting voices for the disabled come from outside the UCP coven. I want to believe that Albertans are better than that, and that the UCP will be turned away at the polls by healthcare workers, teachers, and those living on the margins (only to mention a few). I hope for a saner, safer Alberta.
Wow! Rakhi Pancholi for premier! I absolutely loved her…”I’m gonna have to warn you, buckle up!” “We’re not done.” “Even more” “Let’s not forget”
An extremely well written speech, presented clear and concise. Makes me proud.
Nenshi was also very good on Prime Time.
I have renewed hope for Alberta New Democrats.
Totally agreed. The NDP leader appears less energetic or more is professorial like although he is super intelligent, eloquent and great debater.