Fighting for a chance: NDP galvanized by UCP troubles

Clearly, the controversies swirling around the United Conservative Party and activities of Jason Kenney's campaign team during the 2017 leadership race are on Premier Rachel Notley's mind.

That was evident in Monday's throne speech.

Tucked into the document filled with shining praise for hergovernment's accomplishments is a section called "restoring trust in government."

• Sign up to get our election newsletter The Scrutineerdelivered directly to your inbox twice weekly

It itemizes how the New Democratic Party government has reined in bloated executive salaries on agencies, boards and commissionsand slashed its travel and hospitality expenses by "80 per cent."

Over the next year, according to the throne speech, the NDP government intends to introduce new measures to "make sure democracy in Alberta belongs to all."

When asked during a news conference earlier in the day, Notley was quick to link the need to restore democracy to the emerging UCP leadership controversies.

"There is a very significant scandal right now," said Notley.

"At its very best, it amounts to very dark backroom politics focused on thwarting democracy."

The NDP is framing the imminent election campaign as a clear choice between Notley and Kenney.

That's how the NDP see it, that's how they'll play it, and that's what their entire re-election hope hangs on.

A fighting chance

If the NDP had been feeling a little beaten up after trailing the upstart UCP since before the party was born, you'd never know it from the crowd reaction at the Sunday afternoon rally in Edmonton-Strathcona.

• Listen to The Ledge podcast, as CBC's legislative reporters bring you expert analysis and insiders' insight

Inside the St. Basil's Cultural Centre auditorium, the spotlight was squarely focused on Notley, the only person with any chance of returning the NDP to office.

In the distant background were several NDP candidates,many of them cabinet ministers. But they were just faces in the crowd, and weren't even introduced.

It was all about Notley.

She raised familiar themes about policy differences between the NDP and UCP on education, and about needing a credit card to pay for healthcare.

And then, subtle digs against Kenney and some all-out attacks against him.

It is alleged that during the 2017 UCPleadership race,Kenney's campaign worked alongside Jeff Callaway's campaign to attack and undermine Brian Jean.

Both Kenney and Callaway have denied collaborating in a kamikaze campaign.

• CBC INVESTIGATES | Kenney, Callaway campaigns collaborated to attack Brian Jean during UCP leadership race, leaked documents show
• CBC INVESTIGATES | RCMP take over investigation of United Conservative Party 'irregular financial contribution' allegations

Kenney chalks up his team's interactions with Callaway's team during the leadership race to normal communications of one camp looking for second-ballot support.

Notley sees it differently, and so do her NDP supporters.

It's a turn of events that has galvanized the NDP at least for now.

Leaders the 'centrepiece' of party

Andy Knight, a University of Alberta political science professor,sayspinning all hopes on Notleyis a "very smart" approach by the NDP.

"I think the political leader of the party will be looked at very seriously,"saidKnight, who co-wrote a book on political leadership in 2009, The Ashgate Research Companion to Political Leadership.

The leaders, saidKnight, are the "centrepieces" for the vision and integrity of the party.

"At the end of the day, I think the leaderstill is going to be the one that's most important for the people around the province who are voting."

Knight characterized Kenney as a smart political operative,a "political animal" who likely had the best chance of winning theUCP leadership race from the get-go.

• Jeff Callaway campaign may have breached election law with services from Kenney campaign: political scientist

Kenney, who steamrolled his agenda to unite a fragmented political rightin Alberta, was widely praised in political circles for finally bringing together various brands of conservatives under one banner.

Kenney first won the PC leadership, then brokered a deal with the Wildroseand eventuallybecame the first UCP leader in a landslide.

• Alberta Votes 2019: CBC News brings you all the news, analyses and columns you need for the election

During his speech to the UCP founding convention in Red Deer May2018, Conservative Party of Canada Leader Andrew Scheer praised Kenney as someone who has "steered a movement of unity that made friends out of former enemies."

But now, some former enemies in the Alberta conservative movement are uniting againstKenney.

As just one example: Brian Jean is once again talking to his former rival Derek Fildebrandt, who leads the upstart Freedom Conservative Party. Neither have anything good to say about Kenney these days.

To the NDP,looking for a rerun of their stunning 2015 election win,it's conservative theatre they can't get enough of.