Alberta’s United Conservatives are accusing Naheed Nenshi of trying to distance himself from a federal NDP leadership result they say exposes deep anti-energy roots within his party.The criticism follows the election of Avi Lewis as leader of the federal New Democratic Party at a weekend convention in Winnipeg, where members selected the self-described “eco-socialist” on the first ballot after a race marked by ideological clashes and activist rhetoric.While Lewis told the CBC he is “utterly devoted” to seeing Nenshi become Alberta’s next premier, the Alberta NDP leader issued a social media statement widely seen as an attempt to put distance between himself and the federal party’s new direction..United Conservative Party officials say that effort won’t hold.“Nenshi’s new boss has called for an all-out ban on new pipelines in this country — at a time when the world needs more Alberta energy,” said Chief Government Whip Justin Wright. “Make no mistake, Nenshi and the Alberta NDP might say they’re not affiliated with Avi Lewis, but Article 1.02 of their own constitution clearly says otherwise.”Wright argued the leadership result confirms the Alberta NDP remains tied to federal policies that would undermine the province’s resource economy, adding that “they’re now the party of Avi Lewis.”The UCP also pointed to the presence of several Alberta NDP MLAs at the Winnipeg convention as further evidence of alignment, including Janis Irwin, Brooks Arcand-Paul, Julia Hayter and Kyle Kasawski, who were in attendance as Lewis secured the leadership.Lewis has long been associated with aggressive climate policies and was a prominent supporter of the Leap Manifesto, a controversial platform that called for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels and a restructuring of Canada’s economy. Critics have argued such proposals would devastate Alberta’s energy sector and cost thousands of jobs..United Conservatives say those ideas are not new within the Alberta NDP.They cited past statements and actions by party members, including Irwin’s support for environmental activism in classrooms and attendance at rallies inspired by Greta Thunberg, as well as opposition to major pipeline projects such as Coastal GasLink and Trans Mountain by various caucus members.Former environment minister Shannon Phillips was also singled out for her opposition to the Northern Gateway pipeline during the previous NDP government under Rachel Notley.“Albertans won’t forget the Alberta NDP’s woke left environmentalist agenda,” Wright said. “No amount of spin will erase the past.”The escalating war of words highlights the political challenge facing Nenshi as he attempts to broaden his party’s appeal ahead of the next provincial election while managing renewed scrutiny over its relationship with the federal NDP.For the UCP, the strategy is clear: tie Nenshi as closely as possible to Lewis and a federal agenda they argue is fundamentally at odds with Alberta’s economic interests.For Nenshi, the task may be more difficult — convincing voters that his party can chart an independent course even as its federal counterpart moves further toward policies critics say threaten the province’s energy future.
