Nenshi keen to get down to work

By Lethbridge Herald on October 23, 2025.

Alexandra Noad
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Naheed Nenshi says he’s ready to enter the fall legislative session that begins today – his first as leader of Alberta’s Opposition – and to fight for priorities that actually matter to Albertans.

Over the summer, Nenshi and other NDP MLAs travelled across the province to listen to Albertans concerns in their Better Together Summer Tour.

While it began as a response to Premier Danielle Smith’s Alberta Next Panel, Nenshi says it became so much more than just speaking against separatism.

Nenshi says his team quickly realized while most Albertans are worried about separatism, they are more worried about affordability, healthcare and other public services.

“We heard from Albertans all across the province about the challenges they are facing today: healthcare, education, jobs, cost of living-this is what Albertan’s priorities are.”

He adds that they did hear concerns about separatism, particularly when it came to CPP and the economic risks of tearing Alberta out of Canada.

While Albertan’s have made it very clear what they want, says Nenshi, none of those concerns are on the legislative agenda released earlier this week by the UCP.

“There’s nothing on affordability, or the cost of living; there’s nothing on insurance or how much we pay for utilities or on housing; there’s certainly nothing in there on increasing the lowest minimum wage in the country.”

Nenshi says the only bills related to education are a potential bill to force teachers back to work, and another that uses the notwithstanding clause for the first time in the province’s history to prevent trans athletes from competing in sports.

The NDP’s first step into action will be to vigorously oppose any effort to force teachers back to work. While it will open schools back up, something everyone wants, it won’t solve any of the problems still facing the education system, says Nenshi.

“Forcing the teachers back solves none of the (problems); it violates their right to collective bargaining.

“It violates their right to actually advocate for themselves, their students and their coworkers.”

With many of Alberta’s students still suffering learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nenshi adds the current historic teachers’ strike is pouring on extra loss for the students.

Nenshi says the money the UCP is spending to promote misinformation about the strike, by not contextualizing the numbers, would be better spent in the classroom, rather than villainizing teachers.

While on paper 3,000 teachers and 1,500 educational assistants (EAs) sound like a lot, Nenshi says when you also factor in that 93 per cent of students go to public schools and there are over 1,500 public schools in Alberta, the numbers shake out to one EA and two teachers per school. He calls it “a drop in the bucket.”

It’s not just education the NDP is fighting for, says Nenshi. They also plan to introduce legislation on affordability, which include proposals to increase minimum wage and protect tips for service workers.

The NDP will also be calling for a public inquiry into the so-called “CorruptCare” scandal. Nenshi says the a recent report into the matter by Justice Raymond Wyant was unable to have people answer questions under oath, Nenshi believes the only way to uncover the full truth is to have a full, transparent public inquiry.

Nenshi says he’s excited to give his first speech in the Legislature more than a year after being elected leader of the NDP. He has invited a number activists and a special invite to teachers and education workers to join him, but he says he’s most excited about his mother being present.