Former premier of Alberta Rachel Notley has announced that she intends to step down as the leader of the Opposition.
Notley has been the leader of Alberta’s New Democratic Party (NDP) for almost a decade now, serving a term as premier between 2015 and 2019.
Her reasons for stepping down were partly due to her being a polarizing figure in Alberta politics.
“I think we have a lot of really great people who are part of our movement, and I think it’s healthy to allow other voices to have an opportunity,” said Notley to reporters as she announced her stepping down.
NDP members will be meeting on January 27 in order to put together the leadership race, which will determine the person to be Notley’s successor. In the meantime, Notley will remain as Alberta’s NDP leader.
Some of Notley’s accomplishments include raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, being the first jurisdiction in North America to implement such a wage hike.
Notley lost in the 2019 election against the UCP’s Jason Kenney, who claimed that the NDP couldn’t be trusted with public funds.
