Naheed Nenshi has a problem and it’s not Premier Danielle Smith. It’s Jagmeet Singh.
That’s because the new head honcho of the Alberta NDP has never shown the slightest inclination to play second fiddle to any other politician. And being forced to do so now puts him in a very awkward spot when it comes to taking on the UCP government.
Nenshi’s first success in politics came when he successfully rolled the dice and topped the poll in a tight, three-way race to become Calgary’s mayor back in 2010. It was his ‘go big or go home’ moment. It proved a valuable lesson.
So, Nenshi didn’t even bother joining the NDP once his time as mayor was done. It wasn’t until Rachel Notley announced she was stepping down as leader earlier this year that he decided to throw his hat into the race to replace her. Coming up through the party ranks, maybe one day nabbing a cabinet spot in a future Dipper government, held no appeal for Nenshi. Only the premier’s job will do.
Except the NDP has a much different set up than either the Conservative or Liberal parties operating in our country. Unlike the Grits and Tories, a member of the Alberta NDP is formally also a member of the federal party. Therefore, the person sitting atop this collective pyramid is Singh.
And it is Singh who has been propping up Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority regime in Ottawa for the past few years, much to the chagrin of a vast majority of Albertans.
So, when the UCP rolled out its much-ballyhooed Sovereignty Act in the legislature earlier this month, seeking to neuter Trudeau’s plans for an emissions cap on Alberta energy, it put Nenshi in a bind.
Not being entirely innocent regarding how the political game is played, the premier poured on the rhetoric, calling upon the whole of the legislature to back her in this fight, regardless of party affiliations.
“I would love to see the NDP finally stand up for Alberta and be on Team Alberta rather than Team Trudeau,” said Smith.
“There’s no margin, I don’t think, in a party that represents Alberta and Albertan interests and stewards this resource on behalf of all taxpayers, to side with Trudeau on this,” she added.
Ouch. Was Nenshi supposed to back such a move when his boss, Singh, was still playing occasional footsie with the federal Liberals?
Of course not: the Alberta Dippers instead voted no.
Sometimes in politics you come across a rare two-for-one deal. This was such a time for the UCP.
Not only could Smith and her cohorts once again ride to Alberta’s rescue against the federal Liberals – a winning strategy for many a premier before her – but the move also allowed Smith to position her arch rival as someone who’d eagerly take Ottawa’s side in any such face-off.
This proved the Achilles heel for Notley when she was premier. Trying to deal with Trudeau in what she believed was a fair and reasonable manner to secure a deal in everyone’s best interest was a salutary lesson.
All she got was a nice shout out from visiting U.S. President Barack Obama – then best buddies with Trudeau - for her willingness to work towards a greener planet. Oh, and the boot from the premier’s office when the next provincial election came around.
Maybe that’s why, when talking with reporters after grabbing the NDP leadership this past summer, Nenshi suggested it was perhaps time for the strings binding his provincial party with the federal one to be loosened.
This recent experience will have done little to change his mind.