Alberta NDP will focus on policy not personalities in 2023 provincial election campaign, says Notley

Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley says her party plans to campaign differently against the United Conservatives in next May's provincial election and make it about policy and not the UCP leader like they did against Jason Kenney in 2019.

Danielle Smith became party leader and premier in October after winning the campaign to replace Kenney, who resigned after receiving 51 per cent support in a spring leadership review. 

Like Kenney, Smith has a record of public statements thanks to her time as a radio host, newspaper columnist, Wildrose leader and school board trustee. 

In a year-end interview with CBC News, Notley says her candidates will propose fully developed policy ideas and highlight the record of the UCP government. 

"We're going to try not to make it personal," she said. 

"We're going to try to talk about their vision for the future of Alberta and our vision for the future of Alberta and … which one reflects the mainstream aspirations of Albertans."

The vow not to make it personal is a change from 2019 election when the NDP focused its messaging on how they felt Kenney, then opposition leader, was unsuitable to be premier. 

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The NDP created websites devoted to Kenney's past views on abortion and same-sex marriage and the party jumped on the fact several UCP candidates shared racist and anti-LGBTQ views in the past.

Then there was the news that Kenney's 2017 leadership campaign had provided materials to Jeff Callaway's campaign in the so-called kamikaze effort against his rival Brian Jean. 

In contrast, the UCP defined its campaign with the simple catchphrase: "Jobs, Economy, Pipelines" and it presented Albertans with a campaign document with detailed, specific actions they would take if they formed government. 

The message clearly resonated with voters. Kenney and the UCP won 63 of 87 seats in the April 2019 election. 

The change in strategy from four years ago is due in part to that result, Notley said.

Notley said the focus will be on the internal conflict and chaos of the UCP's time in government and how the party has failed to listen to the Albertans' concerns about affordability, the economy and health care.

They will propose solutions to those issues that polls suggest are more top-of-mind with voters. 

Notley believes the UCP under Smith still isn't in tune with the concerns of Alberta voters by devoting much of her attention on asserting Alberta's place in Confederation through the Alberta Sovereignty Act and retooling the structure of Alberta Health Services. 

"It is not rocket science what Albertans want to see from their government," Notley said.

"Even Danielle Smith talks about those things even though she's entirely focused on other issues.

"We'll be focused on the policies and the record. We'll be focusing on how we'll be different."

Policy focused 

The NDP has spent its time in opposition crafting detailed policy proposals, Notley said. They enlisted the help of former ATB chief economist Todd Hirsch who will advise the campaign on issues, which include how to best use the province's current surplus. 

The NDP has compiled its policies on a website that Notley and her MLAs relentlessly promote in speeches, news conferences and news releases. 

Notley pointed to the Public Health Care Delivery Standards Act, a private members bill on health-care she introduced in December, as an example of how the party is trying to come up with thoughtful solutions to problems.  The bill was defeated in second reading by the UCP in the legislature. 

"We have been more propositional than probably any opposition party has been certainly in Alberta and I would argue across pretty much the whole country," she said. 

The NDP has also pushed to get candidates nominated. Unlike 2015 and 2019, the party is seeing competitive nomination races even in rural areas. 

The win in 2015 marked the first time the Alberta NDP formed a majority government and many of Notley's new MLAs had never run for public office and likely didn't expect to win. 

Notley admits they made some mistakes. 

If the NDP wins in the spring, Notley, the first premier since Ralph Klein to serve an entire term in in office, says she would return as an experienced leader.

Many candidate nominations have been competitive and the people stepping up are experienced and come from a wide range of backgrounds, Notley said. 

She said a second NDP government would have the confidence that was lacking in the early days of the first one. 

"We have the confidence that comes from understanding how the system works internally and how to make it work faster," she said. 

"At the same time we also know now the importance of ensuring that our team as a whole our elected team spends as much time as it can engaging with Albertans."