Alberta NDP MLA Shannon Phillips (Lethbridge-West) confirmed she will be resigning from her position. CityNews Calgary reported Monday Phillips was first elected MLA for Lethbridge-West in 2015. Phillips served as Alberta environment and parks minister from 2015 to 2019. She was re-elected in 2019 and 2023. She said in an interview with the Globe and Mail her resignation will take effect July 1, admitting she felt “worn out by the polarization and disinformation infecting today’s politics.”“Jesus Christ himself couldn’t have kept me,” she said to the Globe and Mail. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) said in May it would not lay charges against the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) officers who engaged in inappropriate behaviour when surveilling her. Phillips called for an out-of-province investigation into the LPS in 2020, accusing it of intimidation for political purposes. READ MORE: NDP MLA calls for investigation into Lethbridge police after cops demoted for stalking her.NDP MLA calls for investigation into Lethbridge police after cops demoted for stalking her.She made the call after media reports said two LPS officers had been demoted for following and photographing her before distributing the photos on Facebook.“The Lethbridge Police Service illegally put me under surveillance and harassed me in public,” she said. Phillips said on May 27 she was unsurprised the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS) had not acted on ASIRT’s recommendation to charge the three LPS officers. READ MORE: UPDATED: Alberta NDP MLA denounces Crown for not charging Lethbridge police officers.UPDATED: Alberta NDP MLA denounces Crown for not charging Lethbridge police officers .“This happens frequently when ASIRT recommends charges, to the point where it appears there may be a systemic issue related to resources, expertise, or other solveable problem,” she said. .To her, she said the Crown declining to proceed is not the main issue. Rather, she pointed out the real issue she has is ASIRT undertaking a full investigation and confirming her records were accessed in 2018 for no lawful purpose other than political intimidation. Phillips' resignation comes as the Alberta NDP leadership race finishes up. Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley said in January she would be resigning from her position after 10 years at the top. NDP leadership candidate Naheed Nenshi is viewed as the frontrunner, but he does not have a seat in the Alberta Legislature. Phillips’ resignation opens up a seat for Nenshi if he wins the NDP leadership race.
