Alberta NDP holds convention in battleground Calgary

Alberta's New Democrats are meeting this weekend in Calgary — a location picked as a nod to where the next provincial election will likely be decided. 

The NDP is hosting its annual convention on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to debate policy proposals, hear from leader Rachel Notley and begin gearing up in earnest for a campaign next spring. The UCP is also holding an identical meeting in Edmonton over the same days.

"The NDP knows it has to make significant progress in Calgary ahead of the next election," said Cheryl Oates, a principal with GT & Company Executive Advisors and a campaign strategist for the NDP. 

"This, I believe, is going to be the largest convention the NDP has ever held. And the fact that it's taking place in battleground Calgary, where both parties need to fight for those votes, is a real show of force."

The party says well over 1,000 people have registered to attend. 

Oates says it's a chance for the party to demonstrate the changes and growth since they were last in government. 

The UCP currently holds all but three of Calgary's 26 seats. The NDP hold all in Edmonton except one, and just two ridings outside Alberta's major cities. 

Oates added the NDP will be "focusing on those things that we know Albertans care about [like] affordability, healthcare and an economy for the future."

Sessions on the agenda include election readiness training, laying out the party's economic and healthcare plans and the speech from Notley. 

"Campaign strategists often say that it's really important if you want to form the government, you need to run like you're the government in waiting," Lisa Young, a political science professor at the University of Calgary, said. 

"The NDP needs to focus on a clear, well-articulated message of what they will bring in if they're able to form the government rather than on a negative message where they're pointing to the failures of the UCP."

A recent poll has shown the NDP with a sizable lead on the governing UCP — 53 per cent of the current vote intention to 38 per cent, respectively. However, the party has also struggled with a perennial issue in politics: Getting attention in opposition when there's constant activity in the governing party. 

"This convention is very much about looking forward. It's about building upon success and preparing for an election… We must make sure our collective focus – that 'big picture' – remains firmly fixed. May 2023 is not that far away," a message from party president Peggy Wright reads in the convention booklet. 

Policy resolutions up for debate include measures on promoting clean energy, establishing rail networks in Alberta, eliminating the Kananaskis park fees, workers' rights, increasing social benefits, and exploring lowering the voting age to 16 provincially.