12.14.2016 07:03 PM

The future of the Alberta NDP

…Alberta Liberal brothers and sisters, here we go!


18 Comments

  1. dave constable says:

    He and a couple other feds contributed to the BC NDP election campaign last time around. Article says he will not work in our upcoming spring campaign. Is there a way that he can persuade a few of his fed colleagues in Ontario to join him and do the same?

  2. Charlie says:

    The NDP, more-so than any other party, has a problem with recycling the same brain-trust across Canada. The same people behind NDP-related election disasters are just shuffled into different regions; from Queens Park to Ottawa, from Manitoba’s Leg to Alberta’s Leg, from BC’s NDP to Alberta’s Leg. If things are failing more often than they’re working, then you need new people with new ideas. Political parties can reinvent themselves with new leaders, but if the people behind the scenes never change then you’ve got a problem.

    The NDP is suffering from major brain-drain and even within this article is a particular piece of info that is so symptomatic of the NDP’s current woes. Anne McGrath appears to be getting an even more key role within the party. While she may be a lauded strategist for the Dippers, her time as a leading operative should be over after last year’s federal election.

    If the Alberta NDP lose their next election, its not because of Brian Topp’s absence, its because the war-room talent is so scarce for New Democrats that the same two/three people run all their campaigns in Canada.

  3. MgS says:

    Or he’s setting the stage to make a run for the Federal NDP leadership …

    • Matt says:

      First thing I thought as well.

    • bluegreenblogger says:

      I dunno, I have had to live away from home because of work before. Never for years though, I would not keep a job that held me where I did not want to live for more than a few weeks at a time. He’s been hopping around for years now, maybe, like the article says, he is going home to re-build his family now.

  4. Greyapple says:

    I don’t know; oil prices are going up, work may start on two major pipelines by the time the next vote rolls around (bringing the promise of jobs and investment), the right shows no signs of uniting, and Notley is a far more likeable person than either Kenny or Jean (or Levant). I wouldn’t rule out the Dippers chances just yet. Plus, given how….”passionate” the more ardent right-wingers are, it doesn’t take much imagination to see them doing or saying stupid (i.e. nutty, violent, and sexist) things during the course of a campaign that could turn people off voting PC or WR and give Notley some sympathy votes. You can already see them doing it now.

    In any event the polls show a tight three way race and the next vote is two and a half years away, a lot can happen, especially in a political environment as volatile as this. I’d keep the crystal ball in storage until 2019 (and given how your US election prognostications turned out, I’d also suggest looking for a new model).

    And Warren, I know first loves die hard, but the Alberta Liberals! That, sir, is what I call a dead parrot.

    • Michael Bluth says:

      The right shows no signs of uniting?

      Seems like the right is on a pretty stable path to uniting. Kenney will first win the PC leadership then merger talks begin.

      • Greyapple says:

        From what I’ve read Jean and most of the WR membership have no interest in pursuing a union, so any talks are dead in the water. WR is (slightly) ahead in the most recent opinion polls, and many of its supporters loath the PCs, so why would they want to merge? They probably think they can get rid of the NDP themselves. Kenny will likely win and take it as a mandate to pursue a merger, but I would be surprised if it happened. We shall see.

  5. gyor says:

    The Alberta NDP will be fine, Premier Notley by far is the most competent Premier in Canada, whose already achieving things. Minor hiccups here and there, but she has alot going for her, even without Topp.

    And if Rebel Media keeps doing stupid things, it will solidify her position as Alberta’s Premier.

    • monkey says:

      Depends on your political point of view, but I would hardly say so. Yes its true she was dealt a bad hand, but her policies are making things worse not better. As Bob Rae found out 25 years ago you cannot spend your way to prosperity. What made Alberta successful was in part the luck of having oil, but also its pro free enterprise policies which is why Saskatchewan despite having resources for many years lagged as its government had higher taxes and was less attractive to business. As for what will happen, who knows and yes the Rebel Media is pretty far right even for Alberta, but a lot of people in Alberta don’t like her policies and Alberta is still a centre-right province meaning your median voter isn’t as extreme as the Rebel, but not as left wing as the NDP either. The NDP has a strong base in Edmonton, but in Calgary it relies heavily on a divided right and Rural Alberta they are largely irrelevant.

      • lance m says:

        Exactly and even if oil prices are rising, alot of that re-investment is going to Saskatchewan. Husky alone announced a billion more next year for 3 thermal oil facilities with another 14 (4.6 billion) in the coming years. Other major oil companies are also pushing investment to Sk. Alberta will get some but not the lions share of investment dollars.

      • Kelly says:

        Alberta would be much much better off if it had used it’s oil wealth wisely and saved it and ditched the free enterprise crap and. It pissed it’s oil wealth up a wall with Ralph bucks. Almost 30% of its budget was funded with oil royalties instead of sales and I come taxes as in Norway. Now Alberta is struggling and Norway has a Trillion dollars in the bank. Notley is building for the future when Alberta’s neat worthless oil really is worthless.

        • don says:

          As the old saying goes “You cannot have representation without taxation”. he who pays for it, owns it. Ralph broke Alberta when he decided that the Oil industry would pay for 30% of the running of general revenue (and thus, own the government). Prosperity is only insured by using 50% to build infrastructure for the industry paying the royalties, and 50% to a sovereign fund. But no, Ralph wanted Alberta to have the lowest taxes in Canada, and thus insure his re-election campaigns.

          P.S. the world is getting very weary of oil politics, and the West in particular of their dependence on some very despicable regimes. Oil has at most one 30 year cycle left, then it will be relegated to history like the Horse and Buggy. We can invest in the future, or become an oil rust belt; our choice.

  6. P. Brenn says:

    he’s a Toronto guy ..maybe just wants to come home

  7. Doris says:

    “Or he’s setting the stage to make a run for the Federal NDP leadership …”…………….. Hmm

    I will not be sad to see this guy leave politics, but unfortunately as his ego precedes him the think tank had better have big doors. The backroom whiz who can’t run campaigns will now, in his own mind contemplate a run at the leadership. If this is the best that emerges then God help us all.

  8. Eric Weiss says:

    The Alberta NDP was always going to be a one term government. It was a protest vote against the conservatives, not an ideology shift. Plenty of natural conservatives voted for Notley because she cleaned the clocks of everyone at the leader debates.

    Notley has a tough job dealing with a recession that was not caused by the NDP, but there is no doubt her policies scared away and delayed much needed investment. I agree with a lot of what’s he wanted to do (raising the minimum wage, Bill 6), but the timing of others like the royalty review, carbon taxes, and pthers has worsened the recession and will slow recovery. And the vast majority of her cabin ate and caucus are just I experienced and/or incompetent.

    The only thing that could possibly keep her in power is the continued WRP/Con split on the right. But Kenney’s profile and economic desperation will drive people back to the Conservatives next election. Watch WRP support swing back to the PCs.

  9. Tim says:

    The biggest problem as I see it with the NDP is they seem to want to rerun Roy Romanow’s 1992 campaign against Grant Devine over and over and over again. I suspect this is largely because a lot of NDP backroomers worked on that campaign. The problem is that Dalton McGuinty, Kathleen Wynne, John Tory et all aren’t Grant Devine despite the distant policy linkages in terms of Devine’s support for the HST, Hydro privatization and road tolls. Plus 1992 was a much different era in Canadian politics than today it was even before Chretien’s 1993 election.

    Just because McGuinty and Devine support the HST and toll roads doesn’t make them the same.

  10. other one says:

    If they lose, it would be shame. Notley is doing good things.

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