Episode 05: The Candidate- Naheed Nenshi
Walking with Nenshi outside the unofficial headquarters of former Premier Ralph Klein; the last populist Calgary Mayor with provincial ambitions.
Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi has thrown his hat back into the political ring, running for the leadership of the Alberta NDP. We stroll through Calgary’s East Village and try to answer three big questions. Why would anyone run for political office in this day and age? If he wins what will he be up against? And how would he change Alberta if he gets the chance?
We talk about unions, taxes, human rights, an alt.reality government, his health, and why he believes the Daniel Smith Conservatives are “incompetent, immoral, and dangerous”.
Does he have the strength and conviction to throw himself back into the endless grind and public scrutiny that come with the job of of the modern politician? Let’s go for a walk, and talk about it.
If you need a refresher on his qualifications, here are excerpts from his bio, from his campaign website:
“Naheed served as Calgary’s mayor for three terms between 2010 and 2021. During his time as mayor, Calgary was named the third best city to live in globally.”
“His leadership saw an unprecedented investment in quality of life including transit, roads, recreation centers and libraries including the magnificent Central Library--all while keeping taxes the lowest in Canada.”
“His time as mayor also saw the City of Calgary through four states of emergency, including devastating flooding in 2013 and the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Naheed was recognized as “the best mayor in the world” in 2014 by The City Mayors Foundation. He also received the President’s Award from the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Psychological Association for his contribution to community mental health.”
“Prior to his election, Naheed served as Canada’s first tenured professor of nonprofit management at the Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University. He was also a management consultant for McKinsey & Company. Headquartered in Alberta, Naheed ran his own firm: Ascend Group. His clients included the United Nations and he advised on how corporations can help the world’s poorest people.”
“Naheed is a graduate of the University of Calgary where he served as President of the Students’ Union. He also earned a Master of Public Policy Degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he studied as a Kennedy Fellow.”
“He is a proud first-generation Canadian of Indian ancestry, whose parents immigrated from Tanzania.”
“His family and his Ismaili Muslim faith instilled in him the ethic of seva--service to the community--something he tries to live every day.” (Nenshi rally in Edmonton photo credit: Ryan Sauve, courtesy the Nenshi Campaign).