NDP leadership candidates debate for last time before membership vote

The four candidates vying to succeed Rachel Notley as leader of the Alberta NDP made their final pitches in a mostly conflict-free debate in Edmonton, just hours before voting was set to start Monday morning.

Kathleen Ganley, Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, Sarah Hoffman and Naheed Nenshi faced NDP members Sunday afternoon at the Edmonton Conference Centre in the last of three official party debates leading up to the declaration of a new leader on June 22. 

The candidates took questions from the audience and each other on topics such as whether to cut ties with the federal NDP, how to ensure Edmonton still has a voice as the party grows, and why they would be the candidate best capable of beating Danielle Smith and the UCP in the next election. 

While the NDP made significant inroads into Calgary in last year's provincial election, Alberta's mid-size cities and rural areas remain a challenge.

Ganley said gaining ground in these areas is crucial because the NDP would only have a narrow path to victory by winning the most seats in Edmonton and Calgary. 

"We do that by making sure that we're building our local teams, that we're respecting those local voices, that we're making sure that they feel supported and empowered to do the work that they have to do," she said.

"We also give them an economic offer to take to the doors."

Calahoo Stonehouse, who grew up near Onoway, Alta., about 60 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, said the party needs to get out of the cities and sit at the kitchen tables of supporters and non-suppporters. She said they need to listen to why people say they will never vote NDP. 

"People don't see themselves reflected in us because of this, this and this. What are we going to do?" she asked. "What are we going to bring back to those neighbours?"

The issue of whether to continue its connection with the federal NDP remained one area where the candidates diverged. While the parties have a lot of in common, they diverge on the issue of energy policy. 

People who join the provincial NDP automatically become members of the federal party, a close connection cited as too much of an obstacle for some potential voters to overcome. 

Both Calahoo Stonehouse and Ganley said its a decision best left for the membership to decide. 

Nenshi said the Alberta NDP needs to be an option for people who can't bring themselves to vote for the federal party. 

"We have to be able to be attractive to folks who may not want to cast their ballot for the federal NDP," he said.