Cory Morgan: As Alberta NDP Leader, Nenshi May Change the Structure of the Party in Canada

Commentary Naheed Nenshi didn’t just win the leadership of Alberta NDP. He beat his opponents hands down. His closest competitor didn’t even garner 10 percent of the vote. Regardless of where one stands politically, it’s undeniable that Nenshi helmed an incredible organizational machine that brought such an overwhelming victory in the party leadership. Nenshi’s supporters have dominated the party, and he plans to make dramatic changes to it. Having been granted such an overwhelming mandate to lead, it’s hard to see how any stalwarts will be able to hinder his planned reforms. The NDP is unlike any other party in Canada. While provincial parties under every other banner are fully independent of the federal entities, the NDP is just one federal party with a presence in every province. It’s impossible to purchase a provincial NDP membership without automatically becoming a member of the federal party. Under the NDP constitution, provincial wings are subservient to the federal party. If a provincial party has a policy that comes in strong enough conflict with the federal organization, the federal organization can override the policy....