CALGARY—Alberta’s Official Opposition leader rallied supporters on Saturday morning to look ahead to the work they need to complete to try and return the NDP to power in the next election.

Rachel Notley addressed NDP members at the party’s Provincial Council meeting on Saturday to reinforce the work the party must do to form government again in the 2023 election. Notley, who was voted out of power as Alberta’s premier in the spring election earlier this year, cited reinvesting in schools and hospitals, diversifying the province’s economy, and fighting poverty and racism in Alberta as major points the party will focus on in opposition.

Notley said the NDP will endeavour to continue organizing around the province in a bid to “chart a better path forward” than the current United Conservative government.

“Do not ever let anyone tell you it can’t be done, because we can, we did and we must do it again,” Notley said on Saturday.

“We earned the trust and faith of Albertans in 2015, and we will do it again.”

Much of Notley’s speech on Saturday was also spent criticizing the “myopic economic vision of the future” held by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and the United Conservative government that she argued wasn’t doing enough to protect vulnerable Albertans, create jobs or diversify the province’s economy. She pointed to the party’s recently released budget, arguing it broke promises on which the UCP ran, such as to not raise taxes or cut education funds.

The former premier also criticized the government’s decision not to tie Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped to inflation, and recent government expenses covering $45,000 in travel for a top aide and $16,000 to cover flight costs for three premiers and two of their spouses, all of which she called hallmarks of conservative governments.

Kenney and the UCP defended the flight expenses, arguing the top aide’s travel costs were in line with provincial policy and that the premiers’ flight cost was an important invest in Alberta’s relationships with other provinces.

“We are facing the most extreme version of the conservative movement right now,” Notley said. “Where deep service cuts, huge tax giveaways, bad ideas and regressive social policies reign supreme and come together in a very toxic mix.”

After releasing their provincial budget in October, Kenney hailed it as “the most important Alberta budget in 25 years,” also citing its close alignment to recommendations made from the MacKinnon report on Alberta’s finances, which called for significant spending cuts. The premier has also said tough decisions are necessary to ensure a bright future for the province.

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