Dan McLean, the no-nonsense south Calgary city councillor, is stepping into the provincial political arena with a clear target: Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi. McLean will officially announce Friday his intention to seek the UCP nomination in the riding of Calgary-Shaw, a conservative stronghold in the city's deep south.
A New Battlefield
If chosen, McLean would replace Rebecca Schulz, a former high-profile member of Premier Danielle Smith's inner circle, who is expected to exit provincial politics later this month. McLean, known for his combative style on city council, says his experience fighting against the majority under former Mayor Jyoti Gondek has prepared him for the provincial stage.
“Every day I went into city hall and I put on my suit, it felt like a coat of armour because I knew there were going to be darts come out all day long, darts and spears,” McLean said. “It was a constant battle. I was always shut down or curtailed or something was coming at me every time I turned around.”
Lessons from City Hall
McLean frequently found himself in the minority, opposing what he calls the “progressive left” agenda pushed by the council majority under Gondek and, before her, Nenshi during his 11 years as mayor. He argues that his persistence paid off: “I’m still standing and the rest are not. They’re all knocked down.” With Gondek and much of her council allies now gone, McLean feels it is time to move on to the next level.
“Let’s move on and get to the next level,” he said. The thought of Nenshi as premier is a frightening prospect for McLean. “It’s just not a fear of mine. I think it’s a fear of a lot of Albertans.”
Critique of Nenshi’s Record
McLean criticized Nenshi’s tenure as mayor, citing high taxes, overspending, neglect of infrastructure like the decaying water system, and a focus on pet projects for the progressive left. “I’ve seen what he’s done at city hall. He left it in a mess. What can he possibly do to the province? I don’t even want to think about it.”
While acknowledging Nenshi’s skill as a communicator—his ability to spin feel-good phrases—McLean argues that voters eventually saw through the mask. “He became increasingly unpopular when people saw through his mask, when they started looking at actions not words. The actions and words never matched up.”
Looking Ahead
McLean’s announcement sets the stage for a heated battle in Calgary-Shaw, a riding that has historically leaned conservative. With the next provincial election on the horizon, the contest between McLean and Nenshi promises to be a focal point of the UCP-NDP rivalry in Calgary.
