Dylan Short - Calgary Herald
Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley speaks at the NDP provincial convention in downtown Calgary on Saturday, October 22, 2022.
Promises to fix health care and quell the rising cost of living were part of NDP Leader Rachel Notley’s speech at her party’s AGM Saturday as she also took the chance to take shots at the governing UCP party.
Speaking to a packed room in the Imperial Ballroom at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Calgary, Notley called Alberta’s largest municipality an “NDP stronghold” during a campaign-style speech ahead of a spring general election in which her party will look to form government.
Notley said she would be releasing her party’s platform over a number of stages over the next several weeks. On Saturday, she unveiled a number of policy planks, including plans to build “hundreds of schools” and introduce a number of caps on everything from tuition costs to utility bills.
Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley speaks at the NDP provincial convention in downtown Calgary on Saturday, October 22, 2022.
“We will get prices under control,” said Notley. “We’ll put a rate cap back onto your utility bills, we will freeze auto insurance rates, we will keep the gas tax off the price of the pump until inflation has returned to more normal levels.”
Notley said her government would work with other levels of lawmakers to increase rental housing and would “restart the most aggressive affordable housing construction program” the province has ever seen. She also said they would have the most aggressive hiring campaign for health-care workers in Alberta’s history.
Notley stressed the fact that oil and gas prices would ebb and flow and stressed the importance of expanding other sectors of the economy to protect from when prices aren’t as rosy as they currently are.
While pointing to a number of initiatives that her party introduced while in power, Notley also said she did not get everything right while she was premier.
“I get that and I take responsibility for that,” said Notley. “But I will not be deterred from this work.”
The 2022 NDP AGM was held Friday and Saturday with more than 1,300 people registered to attend. Notley said it was the biggest convention in the party’s history and urged members to carry that energy and momentum forward into the new year.
The AGM also served as an opportunity for grassroots members of the party to have their say in helping to shape the party’s policy positions moving forward. The attendees debated a number of policy resolutions that ranged from the party supporting the creation of a senior’s advocate and accessibility legislation to supporting the re-indexing of AISH and increasing other supports for Albertans with disabilities.
RACHEL ,UNLIKE SMITH AND UCP, TALKS TO THE MEDIA
Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley speaks to media at the NDP provincial convention in downtown Calgary on Saturday, October 22, 2022.
Party members also debated resolutions around class sizes, eliminating the Kananaskis Conservation Pass and a number of policy directions around boosting health care.
“(Members) are very concerned about health care, the state of our health care, education, what it looks like for kids in our classes, post-secondary. They want to see an economic recovery that includes everybody — not just a few at the top,” said Notley. “They’re talking about those things, and then they’re also talking about how can we help. They’re at the point now just rolling up their sleeves and saying, ‘What can we do?'”
The AGM was held at the same time the UCP held its annual meeting at the River Cree Casino near Edmonton.
Notley used her Saturday speech to take a shot or two at the governing party and their new leader. Speaking to media after her speech, Notley said she has no ill will towards the new premier personally but that she is worried about “the hurtfulness” of some of her policies.
“I do worry about the hurtfulness of some of her statements and some of her policies with respect to real Albertans with the consequences of those decisions will be,” said Notley.
Notley said she has never declared victory until the votes are counted but that she is optimistic ahead of the general election based on what she is hearing from Albertans.
dshort@postmedia.com
Notley-led NDP to focus on economic diversification, healthcare measures for next election campaign
Elise von Scheel - Yesterday - CBC
NDP Leader Rachel Notley says a government led by her would cap and freeze taxes and fees in a number of areas in an effort to combat the high cost of living.
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley unveiled some of her party's plans during their annual convention on Saturday. They will focus predominantly on healthcare and economic measures as they take on the United Conservative Party in next spring's election.© NDP
In a speech to party members Saturday, she said part of her economic platform includes a cap on utility rates, freezing auto insurance rates, continuing to hold off on collecting a gasoline tax and putting a cap on post-secondary tuition fees.
Alberta's New Democrats are holding their annual convention in Calgary this weekend. In her address to the approximately 1,400 members in attendance, Notley unveiled the thrust of the party's election platform — meant, as she says, to position them as the alternative to the current governing party.
Her party plans to focus predominantly on healthcare and economic measures as it takes on the United Conservative Party in next spring's election.
"We will get prices under control for the things you don't have a choice about paying for," Notley vowed.
"We will defend and repair and rebuild public healthcare in Alberta, stronger than ever."
The current UCP government is providing utility rebates this fall to households. They also suspended the gas tax earlier this year, but reintroduced a portion of it at the start of October.
Notley offered few specific policies, but outlined the broader direction for the platform the party intends to adopt for the campaign — which she says will be rolled out in stages starting in a few weeks.
The NDP is committing to replenishing supports for seniors, families and those receiving income assistance. Notley says they would launch a massive healthcare worker recruitment campaign.
She also said the NDP would build hundreds of new schools and would move on an "aggressive" affordable housing construction program.
If elected, the party intends to orient the provincial economy around industries like geothermal, hydrogen, digital media, agri-food and renewable energies.
"Our determined drive to diversification is critical to strengthen our economy and to effectively respond to climate change," Notley said.
"We will not pit these two issues against each other. If we do, we will fail at both."
But Notley also acknowledged that not all decisions her government made when they were in office from 2015 to 2019 were well received by Albertans.
"We didn't get it all right. I get that and I take responsibility for that."
Notley also committed an NDP cabinet would have gender parity.
Members at the convention are also debating policy proposals that could be incorporated into the NDP's election platform. Saturday morning members passed resolutions on things like repealing the UCP's K-6 curriculum and repealing a handful of labour laws brought in by the UCP.
Elise von Scheel - Yesterday - CBC
NDP Leader Rachel Notley says a government led by her would cap and freeze taxes and fees in a number of areas in an effort to combat the high cost of living.
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley unveiled some of her party's plans during their annual convention on Saturday. They will focus predominantly on healthcare and economic measures as they take on the United Conservative Party in next spring's election.© NDP
In a speech to party members Saturday, she said part of her economic platform includes a cap on utility rates, freezing auto insurance rates, continuing to hold off on collecting a gasoline tax and putting a cap on post-secondary tuition fees.
Alberta's New Democrats are holding their annual convention in Calgary this weekend. In her address to the approximately 1,400 members in attendance, Notley unveiled the thrust of the party's election platform — meant, as she says, to position them as the alternative to the current governing party.
Her party plans to focus predominantly on healthcare and economic measures as it takes on the United Conservative Party in next spring's election.
"We will get prices under control for the things you don't have a choice about paying for," Notley vowed.
"We will defend and repair and rebuild public healthcare in Alberta, stronger than ever."
The current UCP government is providing utility rebates this fall to households. They also suspended the gas tax earlier this year, but reintroduced a portion of it at the start of October.
Notley offered few specific policies, but outlined the broader direction for the platform the party intends to adopt for the campaign — which she says will be rolled out in stages starting in a few weeks.
The NDP is committing to replenishing supports for seniors, families and those receiving income assistance. Notley says they would launch a massive healthcare worker recruitment campaign.
She also said the NDP would build hundreds of new schools and would move on an "aggressive" affordable housing construction program.
If elected, the party intends to orient the provincial economy around industries like geothermal, hydrogen, digital media, agri-food and renewable energies.
"Our determined drive to diversification is critical to strengthen our economy and to effectively respond to climate change," Notley said.
"We will not pit these two issues against each other. If we do, we will fail at both."
But Notley also acknowledged that not all decisions her government made when they were in office from 2015 to 2019 were well received by Albertans.
"We didn't get it all right. I get that and I take responsibility for that."
Notley also committed an NDP cabinet would have gender parity.
Members at the convention are also debating policy proposals that could be incorporated into the NDP's election platform. Saturday morning members passed resolutions on things like repealing the UCP's K-6 curriculum and repealing a handful of labour laws brought in by the UCP.
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