FILDEBRANDT: The UCP should call Nenshi's bluff, and let him run in one of their seats

Naheed Nenshi has been the leader of the Alberta NDP since June, but he is not yet the Leader of the Opposition. That's because he lacks a seat as a member of the legislature. And he just can't seem to get one. Despite the NDP's large opposition caucus of 38 MLAs, not one of them has offered to step down so that he can run in a by-election, as is tradition. He says he won't ask one of his NDP MLAs to step down because they're all just too awesome. But, come on. Don't bullshit a bullshitter. Since an NDP MLA won't open up a spot for him, Nenshi told Western Standard reporter Jonathan Bradley that a UCP MLA should step down for him instead. “There’s nine of them from Calgary and seven of them, I have no idea what they do,” Nenshi told our reporter during a scrum at the legislature. “So she’s [Danielle Smith] got a great menu.” “But here’s the thing, premier — if you want to create a vacancy for me by firing one of your underperforming ministers in Calgary or Edmonton, I’m happy to run,” he said. Nobody — Nenshi included — actually believes that the UCP would make such a grand and magnanimous gesture. But, I think Premier Danielle and the UCP should consider it. No, really. I mean it. Perhaps a brave UCP MLA should call Nenshi's bluff and trigger a by-election, and then run again in said by-election. It would be giving the NDP leader exactly what he says he wants, and be a magnanimous gesture. A few potential seats come to mind. Calgary-Lougheed's Eric Bouchard succeeded Jason Kenney, handily winning the seat with 56% of the vote in 2023. Indeed, Kenney originally won the seat in a by-election when Dave Rodney stepped down to make way for him. One premier has already filled the seat and is named for another. Fortune would seem to smile on the politician who holds this prestigious piece of political real estate. But wait, there's more. Matt Jones won Calgary-South East with 59% of the vote in 2023. Perhaps he's willing to give the NDP leader a shot.Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz won Calgary-Shaw with 56%. Maybe she would be up for a grand game of political chicken.Deputy Premier Mike Ellis of Calgary-West (57%).Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver of Calgary-Hays (56%). Myles McDougall of Calgary-Fish Creek (54%).Normally, a major party leader runs in a safe seat that their party already holds, as was the case with Smith in Brooks-Medicine Hat and Kenney in Calgary-Lougheed. But since every single NDP MLA is just too great to ask to step aside, Nenshi says the UCP should do it for him. And Nenshi did not ask Smith to open up a "close" or winnable seat for him. He said he would run in any vacancy she opened up in Calgary or Edmonton. "If you want to create a vacancy for me by firing one of your underperforming ministers in Calgary or Edmonton, I’m happy to run.”Having backed himself into a corner, Nenshi would have little choice but to run, or to put the gun to the head of one of his own MLAs in a safe seat to finally step down. He may climb down claiming that this is all games, but he is the one that called for the game. He challenged the UCP to the dual. He has to show up for it. If Nenshi ran but lost his own seat, it would be a devastating blow to the NDP and his own leadership. But a political power play like this wouldn't be without risk to the UCP. First, they would need an MLA with some pretty big cajones to risk their political career like that. Secondly, said MLA would have to campaign to keep their own job before the next general election, which is a real pain in the ass. And who knows? Nenshi could win. In his last run at the Calgary mayor's chair, he won every single ward except for the two most southwestern ones. But he did that draped in purple and not pulling the orange anchor behind him. If Nenshi did pull off a win under those circumstances, it would build a belief among quality potential NDP candidates that he could win and would be a major blow to the UCP's morale. It's a big gamble. But in the game of poker that the two leaders are playing right now, Smith knows Nenshi is bluffing. She should call him on it.

FILDEBRANDT: The UCP should call Nenshi's bluff, and let him run in one of their seats

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