Former Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley resigns as MLA
Posted December 12, 2024 9:39 am.
Last Updated December 12, 2024 9:27 pm.
Rachel Notley, the former longtime leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party and 17th premier of Alberta, is resigning as an MLA.
Notley says she is stepping down from her position as the MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona effective Dec. 30.
She made the announcement in a social media post Thursday, adding the decision came with “mixed feelings.”
“It has been an indescribable honour to represent the people of my neighbourhood and community for almost 17 years,” Notley wrote. “Edmonton Strathcona is a diverse constituency, defined by an unparalleled level of connection between its residents that plays out every day at festivals, independent small businesses of all types, theatres, schools, playgrounds, parks, trails, and community leagues.”
In the post, Notley took the opportunity to thank her constituents, staff and volunteers, her Alberta NDP caucus members, and her family. The former labour lawyer has not revealed what she plans to do in her post-political life, ending her post simply by writing, “See you on the trails!”
The vacant seat in the Alberta legislature potentially opens the door for current Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi, who told CityNews last week he would run for a seat “in Calgary or Edmonton” when he got the chance. Nenshi, who does not have a seat, splits his time between the two cities.
In his own social media post, Nenshi called Notley a “once-in-a-lifetime politician.”
“She grew our movement into government and now the largest opposition in the history of Alberta. And for that we are deeply grateful,” Nenshi wrote on X.
“Since my selection, she has been extraordinarily generous and helpful, and I truly appreciate her guidance during my first legislative session.”
Notley officially stepped down as party leader in June – after first announcing she would do so in January – after Nenshi was overwhelmingly selected as the new provincial NDP leader.
“Naheed Nenshi’s selection represents a tremendous opportunity for all Albertans seeking practical solutions to the affordability crisis, along with a genuine commitment to fixing our healthcare so that all Albertans can get the support they need no matter where they live or how much they earn,” Notley wrote.
Notley, who led the NDP for a decade, served as Alberta’s 17th premier after she and the NDP won a majority government in 2015.
They served for four years before losing to Jason Kenney and the United Conservative Party in 2019 and again in 2023 to the UCP under Danielle Smith.
While in government, Notley raised the province’s minimum wage, cut child poverty, boosted labour standards and introduced more accessible child care options.
She introduced a consumer carbon tax, later replaced by a federal levy. She began phasing out coal-fired electricity, and earlier this year the last coal-generating station transitioned to natural gas.
She appointed the country’s first gender-balanced cabinet.
There were also low points.
A bill ushering in new labour protections for farm workers prompted rural Albertans to march to the legislature with livestock and placards on pitchforks. The price of oil cratered, devastating the province’s finances.
–With files from The Canadian Press
