Alberta Premier Rachel Notley wins overwhelming support of NDP members

Premier Rachel Notleyhaswon the overwhelming support of her party,with 97.8 per cent of delegates at the Alberta NDP convention votingin favour of her leadership.

Notley became the first NDP premier of Alberta afterwinning a majority in the May 2015 election, andthe leadership result Saturday shows the party supports the direction she is going in.

"I'm very pleased and very honoured to have gotten that level of support from our membership," she told reportersafter the results were announced."It's a tremendous trust that they've put into my hands, on my shoulders and I take it very seriously."

Calgary-Fort MLA and Finance Minister Joe Ceci wondered about the 2.2 per cent who wanted a leadership review."The only thing she could have done to get more votes is to probably give out ice cream in the room," he joked.

The votecame after Notley delivered a defiant and passionate speech that prompted delegates to frequently jump to their feet, loudlycheer and sometimes chant her name.

In the40-minute address, Notleyreviewedthe actions taken by her government, including the farm safety bill, which prompted protestsacross the province late last year.

"It turned into a brutal debate, and sometimes an ugly one, when those who incite hatred and violence decided to join it," Notleysaid.

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Notley said thebillwhich extended Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) benefits to farm workersand subjected farms and ranches to occupational health and safety ruleschallenged the new NDP MLAs,but theyprevailed.

"Our government caucus looked the anger machine in the eye and said'This is one government you are not going to shout down.'"

When asked afterwardabout the tone of her speech, Notley said she didn't think she was being defiant.

"It's certainly not how I felt. Honestly, I felt quite celebratory," she said."If you look at the words, about90 per cent of the speech was directed towardthe part of our record that we're proud of, thanking the people who got us to where we were and talking about where we're going forward."

Cecidescribed the speech as"unapologetic."

"That's following through with what you said you were going to do," he said. "That's keeping your word and that's what our premier is doing."

'Think of everything we've accomplished'

There was loud cheering and clappingas Notley reviewed actions like carbon tax, the end of the flat tax and the $15 minimum wage, which she said the party will take into the 2019 election.

"And I want to hear the opposition promise they'll take it away, that they'll roll back the minimum wage to where it used to be the lowest in the country," Notley said."And then we'll see what the people of Alberta think about that."

After taking swings at the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties, Notley told the crowd she would needthem over the next three years.

"Think of everything we've accomplished," she said."And think of everything we are going to accomplish over the rest of this term. Can any of you imagine losing it all to that opposition?"

"No!" the crowd shouted in unison.

Changing Alberta

Delegates also votedon resolutions and amendments to the Alberta NDPconstitution.

Two resolutionswere focused on foiling party opponents, who mused earlier this year about buying NDP memberships in a bid to infiltrate the party and subvert it from within.

Delegates approved a move to require anyone whose membership application was rejected by the provincial secretary to wait one year before applying again. The resolution also allows applicants to appeal their rejection to the Alberta NDP president, whose decision is final.

However, aresolutionaimedat raising the price of a membership from $1 to $30 a year was defeated.

The convention, which started Friday, is the first since the NDP defeated the Progressive Conservatives in the May 2015 election.

The NDPgovernment has since embarked on an ambitious plan to change Alberta,introducinga progressive income tax system and passinga law ending corporate donations to political parties.

The spring session of the Alberta legislature, which wrapped up Tuesday, saw the NDP pass legislation enabling a carbon levy:the controversial tax will take effect Jan. 1, 2017.

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