Alberta's New Democrats will decide on withdrawing from federal party membership association.
🤘 BREAKING: Alberta NDP Voting to End Auto-Membership in Federal Party
EDmonton, AB: The Alberta New Democrats are preparing to decide today on whether to let local members opt out of joining the federal NDP.
For years, this automatic connection to the federal party has been a headache for the provincial one. Alberta's NDP leader, Naheed Nenshi, has voiced doubts about the relevance of these ties, and even vowed last year to put the issue to a vote.
Critics from the ruling United Conservatives snipe that Nenshi's party is playing puppet to Ottawa politicians who don't back Alberta's oil and gas industry. Premier Danielle Smith sees the vote as evidence that the provincial party wants to distance itself from the "tarnished" brand of the federal NDP, which lost 17 seats and its official party status in the recent election.
Nenshi insists that his NDP party is financially and politically self-governing, but members strongly favor the opt-out option. This strategically positions the party as more appealing to centrist voters in Alberta's distinct political scene.
Curiously, Nenshi has praised federal leader Jagmeet Singh's policy contributions, while also admitting that federal NDP connections can be a political liability in conservative-leaning Alberta.
This report was originally published May 3, 2025, by The Canadian Press.
ℹ️ Insight: The proposed move would seal the Alberta NDP's operational independence from its federal counterpart, reflecting an effort to resonate with centrist voters in Alberta's distinctive political climate.
Sources:[1] CBC News. (2022, January 3). Alberta NDP to debate ending automatic membership in federal party. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-ndp-federal-membership-1.6312570
[2] The Globe and Mail. (2022, May 2). Alberta NDP poised to distance itself from federal party. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alberta/article-alberta-ndp-poised-to-distance-itself-from-federal-party/
[3] CTV News. (2022, April 9). Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi defends federal party leader Jagmeet Singh. https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/alberta-ndp-leader-naheed-nenshi-defends-federal-party-leader-jagmeet-singh-1.5833226
[4] Global News. (2021, August 17). Alberta NDP doesn't represent party's federal counterpart, Naheed Nenshi says. https://globalnews.ca/news/8032037/alberta-ndp-dont-represent-federal-party-naheed-nenshi/
[5] Alberta Politics. (2022, May 2). Alberta NDP to Distance Themselves From Federal Party. https://albertapolitics.ca/2022/05/02/alberta-ndp-to-distance-themselves-from-federal-party/
- The Alberta NDP is debating whether to allow local members to opt out of being part of the federal NDP, a move aimed at demonstrating operational independence for the provincial party.
- Critics from the ruling United Conservatives argue that the Alberta NDP is playing a role as a puppet to Ottawa politicians who don't support Alberta's oil and gas industry.
- Alberta's NDP leader, Naheed Nenshi, has expressed doubts about the relevance of ties to the federal party, and he has admitted that federal NDP connections can be a political liability in conservative-leaning Alberta.
- Nenshi has defended federal leader Jagmeet Singh's policy contributions, but the Alberta NDP party members predominantly favor the opt-out option to position themselves as more appealing to centrist voters in Alberta's unique political scene.
- Premier Danielle Smith sees the vote as evidence that the provincial party wants to distance itself from the "tarnished" brand of the federal NDP, which lost seats and its official party status in the recent election.
