Cory Morgan: As Alberta NDP Leader, Nenshi May Change the Structure of the Party in Canada

Naheed Nenshi delivers his acceptance speech after being named as the new leader of the Alberta NDP, in Calgary on June 22, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh)

Commentary

Naheed Nenshi didn’t just win the leadership of Alberta NDP. He beat his opponents hands down. His closest competitor didn’t even garner 10 percent of the vote.

Regardless of where one stands politically, it’s undeniable that Nenshi helmed an incredible organizational machine that brought such an overwhelming victory in the party leadership.

Nenshi’s supporters have dominated the party, and he plans to make dramatic changes to it. Having been granted such an overwhelming mandate to lead, it’s hard to see how any stalwarts will be able to hinder his planned reforms.

The NDP is unlike any other party in Canada. While provincial parties under every other banner are fully independent of the federal entities, the NDP is just one federal party with a presence in every province. It’s impossible to purchase a provincial NDP membership without automatically becoming a member of the federal party. Under the NDP constitution, provincial wings are subservient to the federal party. If a provincial party has a policy that comes in strong enough conflict with the federal organization, the federal organization can override the policy.

While Jagmeet Singh hasn’t exercised that authority directly against any provincial parties, he surely has used the threat of it to keep provincial party leaders in line. NDP ideology is based on centralized authority. Regional representation isn’t a high priority.

The provincial subservience to the federal party seriously handicapped Rachel Notley in the last provincial election. Opponents accused her of being overly servile to the federal party, and she didn’t have a strong defence against such accusations. Notley was forced to answer for anti-oil and gas statements made by federal NDP MPs even if she didn’t support them. Many Albertans were willing to vote for Notley, but few were interested in handing control of the province to the federal NDP leader, even if indirectly.

Nenshi is making it clear he wants to change this. He wants to decouple the provincial NDP from the federal party. It wouldn’t be hard to do. It would take a convention with a vote from the membership to embrace a reformed party constitution, and then an application to Elections Alberta to formalize the change.

NDP traditionalists will be mortified and furious with the change, but there isn’t anything they will be able to do about it. Nenshi has been saying he will put the question to the party membership. With Nenshi’s supporters clearly dominating the party membership in Alberta, a move to reconstitute the party will pass easily.

Once the Alberta NDP breaks away from the federal party, branches in other provinces may consider doing the same. Pragmatic party members tired of sitting in third or fourth place in their legislatures will start wondering if splitting from the federal NDP could boost their electoral fortunes.

If several provincial wings break away from the federal party, it could seriously handicap it. The compelled support of provincial branches of the NDP has provided the federal party with a solid organizational and fundraising base. The optics of having provincial parties fleeing federal control could disrupt trust and growth in the federal party. It may lead to local partisan tribalism between the levels of the party as they compete for resources that used to be shared.

Can the federal party maintain its structure if one or more provincial wings break away?

Singh has expressed opposition to the notion, but there may not be much he can do about it.

Centralized authority within the NDP provides some advantages. Federal and provincial parties can share resources in their respective elections. Membership lists, donors, and volunteers are common property within the party right now. Provincial parties can provide a path into federal seats as politicians maintain the same membership resources when they make the leap.

The biggest disadvantage is potentially being dragged down if the federal party is unpopular. If Singh was surging in the polls right now, I suspect Nenshi wouldn’t be as bold as he has been in calling to break away.

Naheed Nenshi is a brand unto himself. He hasn’t been directly involved in partisan politics. He has neither history nor loyalty to the NDP. The party was the vehicle he needed in pursuit of the premier’s office. If the constitution of the party appears to be hindering his electoral support, he won’t hesitate to change it. Pragmatism is more important than sentiment.

Many NDP members in Alberta chose to vote for Nenshi as they felt he was their best chance at getting back into power again. They may not have realized the move may lead to the end of the party as they know it.

It could well be that Nenshi will trigger a chain reaction permanently changing the entire NDP in Canada.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.