Rachel Notley, who led the Alberta New Democratic Party to an unexpected majority government in 2015, announced today she will step down as Opposition leader.
Her noon announcement confirmed what has been the worst-kept secret in Alberta politics for weeks.
Tout le monde political Alberta has known since soon after the May 29, 2023, election that Notley had made the decision and, with candidates and potential candidates dropping broad hints about their plans right and left, that her announcement would have to be made soon.
The only question was precisely when the other shoe would drop.
Now it has.
Surrounded by her family and occasionally tearing up, Notley said she will keep her hand on the tiller until the new leader is chosen, and may remain as an MLA for a spell longer after that. How much longer? That will remain a mystery for a while.
“Having considered what I believe to be the best interests of our party, our caucus, as well as my own preferences, I’m here today to announce that I will not be leading Alberta’s NDP into the next election,” she told the lunch-hour news conference.
“I have informed both the senior officers of Alberta’s NDP, as well as my caucus and staff, and upon the selection of a new leader, I will be stepping down from that role,” she added
In other words, she expects to continue to lead the party through all or most of the next session of the Legislature.
Responding to reporters’ questions, Notley made it clear she had no intention of running federally but was less clear whether she may or may not stick around in provincial politics. She had “no immediate plans to step down as an MLA,” she added, and wouldn’t completely rule out running again, although she deemed it unlikely.
Notley, who has been NDP leader for a decade and was premier from 2015 until 2019, can be expected to maintain firm control of the party through to the end of the leadership race, the details of which remain to be made clear.
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