Alberta Votes 2023: Learn more about Rachel Notley

Rachel Notley, the leader of the Alberta NDP and incumbent candidate for Edmonton-Strathcona, is looking to be elected as Alberta premier for a second term. (Image: Damien Wood / CTV Calgary)

Rachel Notley was officially sworn in as Alberta’s 17th premier on May 24, 2015.

The NDP leader rode an “orange wave” to victory eight years ago, toppling the Progressive Conservatives after 44 years in power in Alberta.

The NDP served for four years before being defeated by Jason Kenney and the United Conservatives in the 2019 Alberta general election, though Notley and her party did form the official opposition.

• Follow full election coverage on Alberta Votes 2023

Now, after serving in the legislature for more than 5,500 hundred days, Notley is shooting for the province’s top job once again.

Born in Edmonton and raised on a farm near Fairview, Alta., Notley didn’t have a typical Alberta upbringing; Her father Grant Notley was the leader of the Alberta NDP for 16 years.

It meant Notley grew up closer to politics than most. So, as an adult, even after years spent as a labour advocate and lawyer, a life in the legislature seemed to make sense.

The past four years have seen the opposition leader spar with the UCP over education, health care and workers’ rights.

Here's a look at some of the promises announced by the NDP over the past few months:

• Ensure every Albertan has access to a family doctor, hire 4,000 more health workers and create 40 new family health clinics;
• Cover the full cost of birth control, including oral contraceptives, copper and hormonal intrauterine devices, hormonal injections and the morning-after pill;
• More support for schools by hiring 4,000 new teachers, and 3,000 educational assistants and support staff;
• Create a new tax credit to spur investment in areas including cleantech and critical minerals processing;
• Bring back the Rapattack program of elite aerial wildfire fighters that was cancelled in 2019;
• Table the proposed eastern slopes protection act to ban coal mining projects in the Rocky Mountains and surrounding areas; and
• Bring in a fully costed economic plan that predicts a $3.3-billion surplus over three years. Raise the corporate tax rate to 11 per cent from eight per cent to increase revenue.

(With files from The Canadian Press)