What do you call a situation in which a person joins a party in March and in three months wins the leadership race by a three-quarters majority? A takeover?
There is no other description for what happened to the former New Democratic Party of Alberta. Welcome to the new Nenshi Democratic Party of Alberta. The best the old guard could do in this leadership election was about 5,000 votes, compared with Nenshi’s astounding 60,000-plus. This clearly states the savvy of Nenshi and what he is capable of.
The Alberta NDP constitution states there must be an AGM every two years. There wasn’t one last year, so that means one is coming up soon. With more than 60,000 supporters out of 82,000 members, Nenshi is in a position to hand-pick the board and have them easily elected. He can change or add anything he likes on governance, constitution and policy.
If you are a Nenshi supporter, congratulations, you have a formidable leader. If you are a long-standing NDP member, it’s decision time.
Do you do what conservatives have done in the past and separate and make a new party, or do you swallow your pride, take a big bite of humble pie and fall into line?
If you are a UCP supporter and are not quivering in your boots right now, you are extremely naive.
If Nenshi can join a party, run for leadership and win that with an unheard-of majority in three months, think what he can do in the next three years.
John Douglas, Calgary
Kudos for Nenshi
Congratulations to Naheed Nenshi on winning the leadership of the Alberta NDP. I look forward to his active conversations in the Alberta legislature when he gains a seat.
I have been an active UCP/Conservative here in Alberta for more than 50 years but changed parties at the last election. I look forward to the next provincial election.
Robert G. Robertson, Calgary
No warm welcome for newcomers in schools
The Calgary Board of Education keeps using a word that I don’t think they understand.
When they announce that they are “welcoming” thousands of new young people to this school district, I’m pretty sure they are getting the word wrong. This is a city in which there are not enough schools, where children are bused 40 minutes out of their own neighbourhoods to find a classroom with space for them, where the provincial government has no desire to provide adequate funding, where English language learners and special-needs students are crammed into already full mainstream classes, where standards are dropping and kids are falling into the cracks in the system.
Imagine your neighbour welcoming you to his home and then not offering you a chair to sit in, anything to eat or drink, and completely ignoring you during your visit.
That wouldn’t be much of a welcome, either.
Rick Patterson, Calgary
Better plan needed for water supply
I agree with Chris Nelson’s column on what the water issue could mean for more housing through upzoning. Old neighbourhoods need bigger pipes installed before rebuilding takes place. (The chaos in Marda Loop is an example of how not to do it).
Also, having just one (big) feeder pipe causes such bedlam, so there needs to be some workaround or alternative system in case of similar catastrophic incidents.
Sure, it is a good practice for a drought and a wake-up call for everyone.
John Groeneveld, Calgary