Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley announced today her intention to step down when a new leader is selected by party members. She has asked the party to prepare for a leadership race.
The party will hold a Provincial Council Meeting on January 27th in Red Deer.
A Notley government brought in the first $15 minimum wage in the country, and expanded affordable child care.
Shaun Fluker, who put his name forward to run with Notley in the last provincial election as the candidate for Airdrie-Cochrane, said she was instrumental in seeing the Calgary Cancer Centre project come to fruition after years of foot-dragging by the incumbent conservative government.
And she will be remembered for her work prior to 2015 and for the toppling of the long-serving conservative government that same year.
"Even in those days when the Alberta Legislature was heavily into (conservative) majority territory, Rachel brought a renewed sense of democratic participation into the legislature. It's hard to overstate the accomplishment, given the disparity in resources and the very uneven playing field,” Fluker said.
“Her integrity and commitment to the collective good and serving Albertans makes it really attractive to work with her. Certainly, when it came to my personal decision to seek the nomination, a large measure was that I was really proud to stand alongside Rachel."
An NDP news release today highlighted some of Notley’s accomplishments:
“Under the Alberta NDP, child poverty was cut in half. After a tough election in 2019 against a reunited right wing, Rachel stayed on and rebuilt an incredible team during a difficult time - as a party, we came out of the pandemic stronger than ever. In the last election, we saw more Albertans than ever before cast a ballot for the Alberta NDP. One of the biggest pieces of her legacy is the strength of our 38 member caucus - the largest official opposition in Alberta’s history.
“While the news of her departure is sad for many of us, there are lots of reasons to be excited, too. We are going to hold the most competitive leadership race in our party’s history. It is a fantastic time to get involved, become a member, and have your say in a renewed vision going into the next election. I encourage all Albertans to be a part of our next chapter.”
