Former Alberta Premier Notley rallies for NDP support in campaign final stretch

The former premier of Alberta still bleeds orange.

Rachel Notley stood side by side with NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and rallied in Edmonton on Tuesday, hoping to get every drop of support ahead of Monday’s federal election.

“No matter who wins government, a strong NDP in Ottawa will always be a safe bet. Because when your rent’s gone up again, when your kid is sick and there’s no family doctor, when Trump’s chaos drives prices through the roof, you want someone who knows what and who they’re fighting for,” said Notley.

“When it comes to what we believe and who we fight for, we’re the same,” Notley said, comparing her and Singh. “We both believe public healthcare should not ever depend on your income. We believe teachers and nurses deserve respect and more pay, not pink slips.”

Notley also got back into her opposition leader ways by attacking current Premier Danielle Smith.

“Now, at a moment when our country is facing a real, existential threat, Danielle Smith isn’t fighting for Albertans, not fighting for Albertans in Canada. She can pick fights only with Ottawa, threatening our place in Canada, and then bending over backwards to appease her friends south of the border,” said Notley.

“The last thing that we need is more of that in Ottawa.”

Notley is the latest Alberta New Democrat getting involved in the election.

Stephanie McLean, a former cabinet minister in Notley’s government, is now a candidate for the Liberals in B.C.

At home, current Alberta NDP MLA’s have been seen in campaign videos and pictures for candidates, like Blake Desjarlais in Edmonton–Griesbach.

Singh pitched to the crowd of dozens inside the art gallery of alberta that his party can keep government accountable.

“We don’t sit back, we don’t back down. We use every bit of power we have to make life better for people,” said Singh.

One of Singh’s big topics was healthcare. He also targeted Smith’s work of changing up the system.

“You get fewer doctors, fewer nurses, longer waits, higher fees, a public system hollowed out from the inside while billionaires cash in. Danielle Smith is handing out surgical contracts, cutting deals with for-profit clinics, and letting American-style healthcare creep into the system one backroom deal at a time.”

This was Singh’s second stop in Edmonton. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is the only other leader to rally in the Edmonton area as the federal election campaign is in the final week.