‘Meet people where they are at’: Interim federal NDP leader Don Davies has his first Stampede visit

Interim federal NDP leader Don Davies attended his first Calgary Stampede Sunday. (Jordan Kanygin, CTV Calgary)

Interim NDP leader Don Davies visited his first Calgary Stampede Sunday -- in addition to an Alberta NDP pancake breakfast -- describing them as an opportunity to hear what’s on ordinary people’s minds.

“It’s about meeting people where they’re at,” Davies said. “And a lot of politics, I think is best communicated culturally and socially.

“And you know, particularly for me, I want to place a big priority on meeting working people,” he added. “The federal NDP needs to reconnect with the working class in this country --and there’s no better place to do that than at a place like the Stampede in our communities, where working people of all walks of life and all professions and occupations are gathering.

“It’s a good chance to come and listen and hear what’s on people’s minds,” he said. “That’s why politicians are here -- because we get to use our mouths less and our ears more.”

‘Democratic’

In addition to Stampede, Davies was in Calgary to meet with Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi.

Among the topics they discussed was the current state of affairs between the federal and provincial wings of the NDP party.

“I know that the Alberta (New) Democrats just had a convention where they extensively debated that issue. I think it’s healthy in a democracy. And the second word in our name is democratic -- so I think it’s healthy to be reviewing those relationships,” Davies said.

“What’s most important is that New Democrats, provincially (and) federally across this country, are working in the same direction for the same goals,“ he said. ”And I know that Mr. Nenshi and I and our federal colleagues, we share the same goals, which is to have a strong Canadian economy that works for working people, strong health care systems, good jobs, good families, sustaining jobs for people, and making sure that we have a strong united front against the threats that are coming from south of the border.”

‘Share power’: Nenshi

Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi, the MLA-elect for Edmonton Strathcona, was back in Calgary Sunday, attending the Alberta New Democrat Caucus Stampede Breakfast at the Haysboro Community Association in southwest Calgary.

Nenshi said that for interprovincial barriers to trade to come down, Canadian premiers must be more willing to cede authority and power to foster collaborations with other provinces.

The comments came the day before Alberta premier Danielle Smith and Ontario premier Doug Ford sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to facilitate new energy and interprovincial trade infrastructure.

“The things that probably would make the most difference in the short-term are things that provinces have been very reluctant to change,“ Nenshi said.

“Yes, there are (restrictive) things on wine and beer across provinces and so on, (but) that’s not that big a deal in terms of the economy,” he added. “What is critical is building codes, labor standards, accreditation and a particular interest in transportation and trucking.

“These are things that provinces, including Alberta, have been very protectionist on over the years.”

Nenshi said Stampede is a great opportunity for politicians to hear from constituents, among many others.

“I call it the political petting zoo,” he said, “ I’ll let you under the hat a little bit: one of the things that a lot of everyday Calgarians and visitors won’t see is, there’s a whole circuit of lobbyists and people with particular interests who are trying to get to politicians.

“And in fact, what I really mentioned to my (Alberta NDP) colleagues this time is, yeah, go to a few of those events,” he added. “You got to kind of show your face -- but I actually want them showing up at every church that’s having a pancake breakfast.

“In every community, it’s time for us to spend time with real citizens,” he said. “And I’m really excited that we’ve got about 3,000 regular people here, just here to have a pancake, meet their neighbors, say hello to their MLA -- and I think that’s wonderful.”

The former Calgary mayor also answered a question about the state of affairs between the federal and provincial NDP.

“I actually sat down with him (Don Davies) yesterday,” he said. “I had never met with him before. He’s a delightful person, and we had a very good conversation about how we can do a better job representing all Canadians, Albertans, and all Canadians who just want a better future.”

With files from CTV’s Jordan Kanygin