(EDMONTON, AB) October 8, 2025: Naheed Nenshi’s NDP invited federal leadership candidate Heather McPherson to appear at their provincial council meeting this past weekend, earning public kudos from the Alberta NDP’s official Instagram account and Calgary-Klein NDP MLA Lizette Tejada. McPherson’s record in parliament includes voting with Jagmeet Singh and Justin Trudeau on Bill C-48, the West Coast tanker ban. On CTV’s Power Play last week, she criticized Premier Danielle Smith’s plan to build a West Coast pipeline, claiming Alberta is “stuck looking backwards”.
“This weekend confirms once again the Alberta and federal NDP are still one unified party,” said MLA for Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland and Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Corridor Development Shane Getson. “Nenshi talks about leading an independent party, but when he and his caucus welcome an anti-oil federal NDP leadership candidate, it becomes clear they’re still aligned with their bosses in Ottawa.”
McPherson’s appearance with the Alberta NDP comes just days after she said, “We win when we build a federal party with the provinces, not when we pull away from them,” which has been viewed as a push to reunite the federal NDP with its provincial faction.
Meanwhile, British Columbia NDP Premier David Eby took to social media with a video calling Alberta’s West Coast pipeline “fictional” and claiming it makes “no financial or economic sense”. Eby’s statement received a warm endorsement from Edmonton-Rutherford NDP MLA Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, who signaled her party’s opposition to a new pipeline by reposting the video on her TikTok account.
“Albertans deserve leaders who fight for jobs, energy workers, and their families. They don’t need anyone cozying up to a federal NDP leadership candidate who is attempting to landlock our energy,” added Getson. “It’s time for Nenshi to come clean – does he support growing our economy and building the infrastructure needed for our energy to reach new customers, or does he stand with Heather McPherson, David Eby, his anti-pipeline MLAs, and the federal NDP?”
United Conservatives will always stand up for Alberta energy workers, responsible resource development, and the families who depend on a strong energy sector.
