(Edmonton, AB) March 29, 2026: This weekend, NDP members gathered in Manitoba for their national convention. It had all the makings of a South Park skit: squabbles about “equity cards” and the use of pronouns, NDP leadership candidate Rob Ashton screaming “Eat the rich” to raucous applause, and the election of radical self-declared “eco socialist” Avi Lewis as their party’s new leader.
While Lewis was telling the CBC after his first-ballot win that he wants “Naheed Nenshi to be the next Premier of Alberta…I’m utterly devoted to Naheed’s victory,” Nenshi was issuing a statement on social media, desperately trying to distance himself from his new anti-pipeline boss.
“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. Nenshi can dress up the Alberta NDP all he wants, but they’re now the party of Avi Lewis.”
These strong ties were further cemented by Nenshi’s own caucus members making the trek to fete Lewis, who Albertans may remember as the author of the radical socialist Leap Manifesto that promised to destroy our province’s energy sector and leave tens of thousands of Alberta energy workers unable to feed their families. A minimum of four Alberta NDP MLAs celebrated in Winnipeg:
- Janis Irwin, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood
- Brooks Arcand-Paul, Edmonton-West Henday
- Julia Hayter, Calgary-Edgemont
- Kyle Kasawski, Sherwood Park
Their celebrations build on a legacy of anti-Alberta energy rhetoric and advocacy from the Alberta NDP under Nenshi and former leader Rachel Notley:
- Janis Irwin advocating to have Extinction Rebellion in Alberta classrooms and attending the Greta Thunberg anti-energy development rally
- Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse opposing the Coastal GasLink pipeline and siding with B.C. NDP Premier David Eby against an Alberta pipeline to the northwest coast.
- Brooks Arcand-Paul opposing the Trans Mountain Pipeline.
- Former Notley Environment Minister Shannon Phillips who was vehemently opposed to the Northern Gateway pipeline, stating multiple times that it was the position of the Alberta NDP.
“Albertans won’t forget the Alberta NDP’s woke left environmentalist agenda,” said Wright. “No amount of spin will erase the past.”
While Nenshi is trying to prevent his party from “Leap”-ing off a cliff into political irrelevancy, United Conservatives support getting pipelines built, doubling oil production, and standing with Alberta’s energy workers.
