Out with the purple, in with the orange. Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi confirmed he will enter the Alberta NDP leadership race. “We need a government that we can trust,” said Nenshi in a Monday video..At the moment, Nenshi said Alberta does not have a government it can trust. While Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and her government are incompetent, Nenshi added they are immoral and dangerous and the few skills they have are picking fights and wasting money. He said while Smith and her government indulge themselves and their friends, life becomes harder for everyone else, but it does not have to be this way and the Alberta NDP is the better alternative. The former mayor went on to say they “can build on the tremendous legacy of Rachel Notley and all those who worked hard for this party.” By voting for the NDP, he said they can beat Smith and the Alberta United Conservative Party. He pledged to restore public education. He said he would improve public healthcare. If he is elected NDP leader, he would focus on strengthening the economy. He said he would bringing in policies to make life more affordable. His government would safeguard seniors and vulnerable people. He predicted he would save lives. He said these policies are possible if people work together. To support him, he said they should go to Nenshi.ca to buy an NDP membership. Nenshi concluded by saying people can do this. “For Alberta,” he said. “For all of us.” Alberta NDP leadership candidate Rakhi Pancholi welcomed Nenshi to the race. “I’m excited to be on the same team, and I look forward to a strong exchange of ideas on how we can build opportunities for all Albertans,” said Pancholi. “It’s going to be a great race.”.Pancholi joked about the best woman winning. Alberta NDP leadership candidate Sarah Hoffman said she was excited for Nenshi’s entrance. “Welcome to the race @nenshi!” said Hoffman..While Nenshi was entering the race, Alberta NDP leadership candidate Gil McGowan pointed out he was going to fill a prescription for Paxlovid. “He and I have had several pleasant conversations — outsider to inside-outsider,” said McGowan.“We agree that Smith is the ultimate threat to our province; we disagree on how best to get rid of her.”.McGowan welcomed him to the race. He called it “of critical importance to the future of our province.”The other Alberta NDP leadership candidates are MLA Kathleen Ganley (Calgary-Mountain View) and MLA Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse (Edmonton-Rutherford).Nenshi was floated as a potential Alberta NDP leadership candidate when Notley announced she would be resigning from her position in January. READ MORE: Potential contenders to replace Notley as Alberta NDP leaderNenshi has been out of elected office for a few years, but that did not stop him from campaigning for the NDP in the last election. He served as Calgary mayor from 2010 to 2021, where he led the city through four states of emergency. In recognition of his leadership, he was awarded the World Mayor Prize by the City Mayors Foundation in 2014.Ganley and Calahoo Stonehouse could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
