Nenshi promotes new relationship with municipalities, blasts referendum in ABMunis speech

The leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party is promising a new relationship with municipalities if his party wins next year's election.

Naheed Nenshi addressed the Alberta Municipalities (ABMunis) annual convention in downtown Edmonton on Friday, Sept. 25, just a day after Elections Alberta confirmed his party's candidate, Kyle Campbell, was confirmed as the winner of the byelection in Calgary-Shaw that happened on Sept. 14.

Nenshi's speech addressed several issues, including the province's relationship with municipalities.

"How did we get to a place with municipalities not just with the usual indifference, but with contempt?,' asked Nenshi to the crowd of around a thousand elected officials and other Alberta municipality leaders.

One of things Nenshi says will happen if the NDP take back the majority in the Legislature in Edmonton is repeal everything the UCP have done on this file.

"We believe in local autonomy. We believe that every single one of you was elected by your neighbours to do your job," said Nenshi. "We believe you do a pretty darn good job at it. And if you don't? It's up to your neighbours to get rid of you."

Among the things Nenshi proposed was allowing municipalities to spend their money as they believed necessary.

It followed Premier Danielle Smith announcing on day one of the conference that the province was mulling over changes to the Municipal Government Act.

Smith also told the crowd on Wednesday that the province is keen on data centre construction, and wants to collaborate with a 'coalition of the willing' on the file.

The speech also saw Nenshi seize on the upcoming referendum coming on Oct. 19.

The referendum will see Alberta residents vote on 10 questions, nine of which pertain to changes the province is seeking to make around constitutional and immigration-related issues.

Smith has said she's seeking a mandate on those nine questions, with the provincial government launching an advertising campaign to promote knowledge and support of voting for the questions.

In speaking with media afterward, Nenshi made it clear those questions are wholly unnecessary for several reasons.

"It is an evil plot," said Nenshi. "The government doesn't know what these questions mean. These questions have been very carefully focus-grouped so they sound reasonable on their face, but there's been no public consultation. There's been no real conversation with Albertans about what this means."

Copyright 2026, St. Albert Gazette. All rights reserved.

David Boles, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, St. Albert Gazette.