Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta
Encyclopedia
The Wildrose Party, formerly Wildrose Alliance Party, is a conservative provincial political party
in Alberta
, Canada
. It includes free market conservative, libertarian
and socially conservative
factions and was formed in 2008 following a merger of the Wildrose Party of Alberta
and the Alberta Alliance.
It first contested Alberta's 2008 provincial election, and was able to capture seven percent of the popular vote but failed to win a seat in the Legislative Assembly
. Support for the party rose sharply in 2009 as voters grew increasingly frustrated with the government, resulting in a surprise win by outgoing leader Paul Hinman
in an October by-election. The party's popularity continued to increase when in the fall of 2009, Danielle Smith
won election as leader, and by December 2009, the Wildrose Alliance was the leading party in opinion polls with 39 percent support, 14 points ahead of both the governing PCs and the opposition Liberals
. Wildrose's caucus has grown to four members, after two former PC members of the Legislative Assembly
defected
in January 2010 and an independent MLA joined the party in June 2010.
parties: the Wildrose Party of Alberta
and the Alberta Alliance Party
. The two parties had similar policies, and hoped that a union would allow the new party to present a stronger front for an anticipated election in the spring of 2008. Paul Hinman
, the new party's only sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly
(MLA) was named the first leader. During the 27th Alberta general election, the Wildrose Alliance attempted to position itself as a conservative alternative to the governing PC party, and released a platform that promised fixed election dates, increasing personal tax exemptions, elimination of health care premiums, the creation of an Alberta Pension Plan, and a reworking of the controversial changes the PC government made to the oil and gas royalty regime.
An anticipated backlash against the governing PCs failed to materialize, as Premier Ed Stelmach
extended his party's seat total to 72 from 60. While the Alliance finished second in eight ridings across the province, they failed to win any seats as Hinman lost his Cardston-Taber-Warner
riding by just 39 votes. Running candidates in 61 of the province's 83 ridings, the Alliance took 6.78% of the vote, fourth behind the PCs, Liberals and New Democrats
.
provincial director Danielle Smith
and Mark Dyrholm, a chiropractor in Calgary, announced their candidacy at the June convention. Author Jeff Willerton stood as the third candidate in the election until he withdrew in support of Dyrholm. The party viewed the leadership campaign with optimism, announcing that its membership was growing rapidly as Albertans grew increasingly frustrated with the Stelmach government's performance.
Growing opposition to the government's oil and gas royalty program, a record $4.7 billion deficit
in 2009, and the PC's "liberal spending" facilitated the growth of the party. The party began to attract former Reform Party of Canada
supporters along with high profile former members of the provincial Progressive Conservatives, including former premier Ralph Klein's father. Using the slogan "Send Ed a message" as a rallying cry, Paul Hinman sought to take advantage of public discontent as he ran in a September by-election
in the Calgary-Glenmore
riding. He surprised political observers by capturing 37 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating Liberal opponent Avalon Roberts
to win the election and gain the Wildrose Alliance its first seat in the legislature. The Tories, who had held the riding uninterrupted since 1969, fell to third place. Political observers argued the result was more a protest against the Stelmach government than firm support for the Alliance, though it gave the party a momentum as it prepared to vote for a leader.
Smith and Dyrholm both attempted to capitalize on the party's election win, proclaiming that Albertans wanted change and that each of them would lead the Wildrose Alliance to a victory in the next general election. The party experienced a considerable growth heading into the leadership election, announcing it had 11,670 members at the beginning of October, compared to 1,800 in June. Smith was elected the new leader at the convention held in Edmonton on October 17.
She announced the creation of task forces to develop a detailed energy policy, and to independently determine elected Members' wages and benefits.
The party faced controversy when Smith's chief of staff, Stephen Carter, was forced to apologize after earning criticism for a Twitter
posting that mocked the way Premier Stelmach speaks. Carter resigned a week after the posting, though he claimed the controversy was not the reason behind his decision.
The Wildrose Alliance's growth was evident in the polls. Shortly before Smith's election, a Return on Insight poll found that the Alliance had the support of 22 percent of respondents. By early November, the party had improved to 28 percent according to an Environics poll, firmly in second place and six points behind the Conservatives. By December, they topped the Tories, leading with 39 percent support according to an Angus Reid
poll, while the Conservatives had fallen into a second place tie with the Liberals at 25 percent. The party revealed at the same time that it had grown to over 13,000 members.
Amidst this wave of popularity, Smith announced on January 4, 2010 that two former Conservative MLAs had crossed the floor
. Rob Anderson
and former cabinet minister Heather Forsyth
announced that they had joined the Wildrose Alliance after growing frustrated with Ed Stelmach's leadership, accusing the Conservative government of being undemocratic. The defections moved the Wildrose Party past the New Democrats to become the third largest party in the Legislature, Guy Boutilier
joined the Wildrose Alliance on 24 June 2010. The fourth Wildrose MLA, Boutilier took the party over the threshold for recognition as an official party in the Assembly. He was unveiled at the party's annual conference, which was attended by 700 people: up from 175 the previous year.
In late July 2010, a controversy developed between Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel
and the Wildrose Alliance leader over the future of the city-centre airport
. Smith argued that a vote on closure of the airport should be added to the October civic elections ballot
. Alberta Liberal and NDP politicians also opposed the closure.
and while she believes in libertarian
principles, the party is also made up of social conservatives
. Opponents have attempted to paint the party as being extremist; Liberal leader David Swann
, in congratulating Smith on her election as leader, argued that Albertans would be "uneasy" with the "rather extreme, socially conservative, economically irresponsible vision of the party". Smith stated that controversial social issues such as would not play a part in the party's election platform.
Two task forces were created in late 2009 to help build party policy. The energy task force was announced first with the mandate to review the government's controversial changes to the provincial oil royalty scheme and the process for energy transmission, both of which the Wildrose Party argues has damaged Alberta's economy. The second task force was created to scrutinize the pay and benefits of MLAs and government employees. The party plans to launch additional task forces early in 2010, including those focused on agriculture and health care.
Election reform is a focus of the Wildrose Alliance. The party proposes to set fixed election dates rather than the current format which allows the Premier to call an election at any time. It would allow more free votes in the legislature and would seek to elect the province's Senators rather than have them appointed by the Prime Minister
. The party also plans to introduce a bill giving voters the right to recall
their MLA. The Wildrose Party proposes numerous changes to how the province delivers health care, which it claims will remain compliant with the Canada Health Act
, as well as controls on government spending. The party is also critical of international climate change treaties, believing corruption and politicization have surfaced in the scientific peer review process, thus climate change science remains inconclusive. Opposing politicians have criticized the Wildrose Party's policies as vague and undefined (including the topic of gun ownership), while supporters have praised the party under Smith as being "refreshing".
Polling indicated that the party has retained the support of a quarter of the electorate throughout 2010 as the party further attempted to define itself as not just a protest party but a party capable of forming government. By July 2011, the Wildrose's support had fallen to 16 percent, while PC support had risen to 51 percent.
The Wildrose Party currently has four sitting MLAs, although only one has been elected as a member of the Wildrose- Paul Hinman was the first MLA elected by the party and is in his second term as a member of the Legislature. His by-election victory in Calgary was viewed as potentially signalling a shift in provincial politics. Heather Forsyth is a former cabinet minister in the Ralph Klein government and sat as a member of the Conservatives from her first election in 1993 until, along with first term MLA Rob Anderson, joining the Wildrose Alliance in January 2010. Guy Boutilier was elected in 1997 and joined the Wildrose in June 2010.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It includes free market conservative, libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
and socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
factions and was formed in 2008 following a merger of the Wildrose Party of Alberta
Wildrose Party of Alberta
The Wildrose Party of Alberta was a right wing provincial political party founded in Alberta, Canada in 2007. The party took its name from Alberta's provincial flower....
and the Alberta Alliance.
It first contested Alberta's 2008 provincial election, and was able to capture seven percent of the popular vote but failed to win a seat in the Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
. Support for the party rose sharply in 2009 as voters grew increasingly frustrated with the government, resulting in a surprise win by outgoing leader Paul Hinman
Paul Hinman
Paul Hinman is a provincial politician and small business entrepreneur from Alberta, Canada. He was formerly the leader of the Wildrose Alliance. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2004 to 2008 representing the electoral district of Cardston-Taber-Warner...
in an October by-election. The party's popularity continued to increase when in the fall of 2009, Danielle Smith
Danielle Smith
Danielle Molles Smith is one of five martial artists who developed the women's self-defense system known as "Model Mugging" and is the current head teacher dojo cho of Aikido of Monterey in California."...
won election as leader, and by December 2009, the Wildrose Alliance was the leading party in opinion polls with 39 percent support, 14 points ahead of both the governing PCs and the opposition Liberals
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
. Wildrose's caucus has grown to four members, after two former PC members of the Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
defected
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
in January 2010 and an independent MLA joined the party in June 2010.
History
Founding and 2008 general election
The Wildrose Alliance was formed on January 19, 2008 following a merger between two small conservativeConservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
parties: the Wildrose Party of Alberta
Wildrose Party of Alberta
The Wildrose Party of Alberta was a right wing provincial political party founded in Alberta, Canada in 2007. The party took its name from Alberta's provincial flower....
and the Alberta Alliance Party
Alberta Alliance Party
The Alberta Alliance was a right wing provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Many of its members were former supporters of the now-defunct Canadian Alliance federal political party and its predecessor, the Reform Party of Canada. Members also joined from such other provincial fringe parties...
. The two parties had similar policies, and hoped that a union would allow the new party to present a stronger front for an anticipated election in the spring of 2008. Paul Hinman
Paul Hinman
Paul Hinman is a provincial politician and small business entrepreneur from Alberta, Canada. He was formerly the leader of the Wildrose Alliance. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2004 to 2008 representing the electoral district of Cardston-Taber-Warner...
, the new party's only sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
(MLA) was named the first leader. During the 27th Alberta general election, the Wildrose Alliance attempted to position itself as a conservative alternative to the governing PC party, and released a platform that promised fixed election dates, increasing personal tax exemptions, elimination of health care premiums, the creation of an Alberta Pension Plan, and a reworking of the controversial changes the PC government made to the oil and gas royalty regime.
An anticipated backlash against the governing PCs failed to materialize, as Premier Ed Stelmach
Ed Stelmach
Edward Michael "Ed" Stelmach, MLA is a Canadian politician and served as the 13th Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 2006 to 2011. The grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Stelmach was born and raised on a farm near Lamont and speaks fluent Ukrainian. He spent his entire pre-political adult life as a...
extended his party's seat total to 72 from 60. While the Alliance finished second in eight ridings across the province, they failed to win any seats as Hinman lost his Cardston-Taber-Warner
Cardston-Taber-Warner
Cardston-Taber-Warner is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is mandated to return a single member to the for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
riding by just 39 votes. Running candidates in 61 of the province's 83 ridings, the Alliance took 6.78% of the vote, fourth behind the PCs, Liberals and New Democrats
Alberta New Democratic Party
The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
.
2009 leadership election
Hinman announced on April 20, 2009, that he would step down as leader at the party's June convention, stating that he always intended to serve only as an interim leader. Former Canadian Federation of Independent BusinessCanadian Federation of Independent Business
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is an alliance of independent small and medium-sized businesses in Canada, formed in 1971. Its current president is Catherine Swift.-External links:*...
provincial director Danielle Smith
Danielle Smith
Danielle Molles Smith is one of five martial artists who developed the women's self-defense system known as "Model Mugging" and is the current head teacher dojo cho of Aikido of Monterey in California."...
and Mark Dyrholm, a chiropractor in Calgary, announced their candidacy at the June convention. Author Jeff Willerton stood as the third candidate in the election until he withdrew in support of Dyrholm. The party viewed the leadership campaign with optimism, announcing that its membership was growing rapidly as Albertans grew increasingly frustrated with the Stelmach government's performance.
Growing opposition to the government's oil and gas royalty program, a record $4.7 billion deficit
Deficit spending
Deficit spending is the amount by which a government, private company, or individual's spending exceeds income over a particular period of time, also called simply "deficit," or "budget deficit," the opposite of budget surplus....
in 2009, and the PC's "liberal spending" facilitated the growth of the party. The party began to attract former Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
supporters along with high profile former members of the provincial Progressive Conservatives, including former premier Ralph Klein's father. Using the slogan "Send Ed a message" as a rallying cry, Paul Hinman sought to take advantage of public discontent as he ran in a September by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in the Calgary-Glenmore
Calgary-Glenmore
Calgary Glenmore is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.The electoral riding of Calgary Glenmore is one of two original Calgary ridings of the seven that still survives from the 1959 redistribution of the Calgary riding...
riding. He surprised political observers by capturing 37 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating Liberal opponent Avalon Roberts
Avalon Roberts
Avalon Roberts, MD , is a prominent Alberta healthcare advocate and political activist. She was born in Newfoundland, has lived in six of Canada's provinces, and has resided in Calgary since 1980....
to win the election and gain the Wildrose Alliance its first seat in the legislature. The Tories, who had held the riding uninterrupted since 1969, fell to third place. Political observers argued the result was more a protest against the Stelmach government than firm support for the Alliance, though it gave the party a momentum as it prepared to vote for a leader.
Smith and Dyrholm both attempted to capitalize on the party's election win, proclaiming that Albertans wanted change and that each of them would lead the Wildrose Alliance to a victory in the next general election. The party experienced a considerable growth heading into the leadership election, announcing it had 11,670 members at the beginning of October, compared to 1,800 in June. Smith was elected the new leader at the convention held in Edmonton on October 17.
Danielle Smith leadership
Upon her election, Smith sought to continue the party's growth, focusing her efforts on fundraising and a search for strong candidates. The party hopes to form constituency associations in each riding and have a full slate of candidates selected by 2011, though a general election does not have to be called until the spring of 2013.She announced the creation of task forces to develop a detailed energy policy, and to independently determine elected Members' wages and benefits.
The party faced controversy when Smith's chief of staff, Stephen Carter, was forced to apologize after earning criticism for a Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
posting that mocked the way Premier Stelmach speaks. Carter resigned a week after the posting, though he claimed the controversy was not the reason behind his decision.
The Wildrose Alliance's growth was evident in the polls. Shortly before Smith's election, a Return on Insight poll found that the Alliance had the support of 22 percent of respondents. By early November, the party had improved to 28 percent according to an Environics poll, firmly in second place and six points behind the Conservatives. By December, they topped the Tories, leading with 39 percent support according to an Angus Reid
Angus Reid Strategies
Angus Reid Public Opinion is an international public affairs practice. It was established in 2006 under the name Angus Reid Strategies by Dr Angus Reid, a Canadian sociologist who founded his first research company in 1979. Reid sold the Angus Reid Group to Paris-based Ipsos SA in 2000...
poll, while the Conservatives had fallen into a second place tie with the Liberals at 25 percent. The party revealed at the same time that it had grown to over 13,000 members.
Amidst this wave of popularity, Smith announced on January 4, 2010 that two former Conservative MLAs had crossed the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
. Rob Anderson
Rob Anderson (politician)
Rob Anderson is a Canadian politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, representing the constituency of Airdrie-Chestermere as a member of the Wildrose Alliance...
and former cabinet minister Heather Forsyth
Heather Forsyth
Heather Forsyth is a Canadian politician and current member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the constituency of Calgary-Fish Creek as a Wildrose Alliance representative. She was a Progressive Conservative until she crossed the floor on January 4, 2010.-Early life:Forsyth was...
announced that they had joined the Wildrose Alliance after growing frustrated with Ed Stelmach's leadership, accusing the Conservative government of being undemocratic. The defections moved the Wildrose Party past the New Democrats to become the third largest party in the Legislature, Guy Boutilier
Guy Boutilier
Guy C. Boutilier is a Canadian politician and current member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He was elected as a Progressive Conservative, and served in several capacities in the Cabinet of Alberta under Premiers Ralph Klein and Ed Stelmach before being ejected from the P.C. caucus in July...
joined the Wildrose Alliance on 24 June 2010. The fourth Wildrose MLA, Boutilier took the party over the threshold for recognition as an official party in the Assembly. He was unveiled at the party's annual conference, which was attended by 700 people: up from 175 the previous year.
In late July 2010, a controversy developed between Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel
Stephen Mandel
Stephen Mandel is a Canadian politician and the current mayor of Edmonton, Alberta.-Biography:Mandel received an Associate of Arts Degree from Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Miami University, and his Masters in Political Science from...
and the Wildrose Alliance leader over the future of the city-centre airport
Edmonton City Centre (Blatchford Field) Airport
Edmonton City Centre Airport, , is located within the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is bordered by Yellowhead Trail to the north, Kingsway to the south, 121 Street to the west, and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology to the east. It encompasses approximately of land just north...
. Smith argued that a vote on closure of the airport should be added to the October civic elections ballot
Edmonton municipal election, 2010
The 2010 Edmonton municipal election was held Monday, October 18, 2010 to elect a mayor and 12 councillors to the city council, seven of the nine trustees to Edmonton Public Schools, and the seven trustees to the Edmonton Catholic Schools. Two incumbent public school trustees had no challengers...
. Alberta Liberal and NDP politicians also opposed the closure.
Policy and identity
Danielle Smith identifies herself as a fiscal conservativeFiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism is a political term used to describe a fiscal policy that advocates avoiding deficit spending. Fiscal conservatives often consider reduction of overall government spending and national debt as well as ensuring balanced budget of paramount importance...
and while she believes in libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
principles, the party is also made up of social conservatives
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
. Opponents have attempted to paint the party as being extremist; Liberal leader David Swann
David Swann
David Swann, MLA is a medical doctor and Alberta Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly for Calgary Mountain View. He was until recently the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Alberta Legislature....
, in congratulating Smith on her election as leader, argued that Albertans would be "uneasy" with the "rather extreme, socially conservative, economically irresponsible vision of the party". Smith stated that controversial social issues such as would not play a part in the party's election platform.
Two task forces were created in late 2009 to help build party policy. The energy task force was announced first with the mandate to review the government's controversial changes to the provincial oil royalty scheme and the process for energy transmission, both of which the Wildrose Party argues has damaged Alberta's economy. The second task force was created to scrutinize the pay and benefits of MLAs and government employees. The party plans to launch additional task forces early in 2010, including those focused on agriculture and health care.
Election reform is a focus of the Wildrose Alliance. The party proposes to set fixed election dates rather than the current format which allows the Premier to call an election at any time. It would allow more free votes in the legislature and would seek to elect the province's Senators rather than have them appointed by the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
. The party also plans to introduce a bill giving voters the right to recall
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
their MLA. The Wildrose Party proposes numerous changes to how the province delivers health care, which it claims will remain compliant with the Canada Health Act
Canada Health Act
The Canada Health Act is a piece of Canadian federal legislation, adopted in 1984, which specifies the conditions and criteria with which the provincial and territorial health insurance programs must conform in order to receive federal transfer payments under the Canada Health Transfer...
, as well as controls on government spending. The party is also critical of international climate change treaties, believing corruption and politicization have surfaced in the scientific peer review process, thus climate change science remains inconclusive. Opposing politicians have criticized the Wildrose Party's policies as vague and undefined (including the topic of gun ownership), while supporters have praised the party under Smith as being "refreshing".
Polling indicated that the party has retained the support of a quarter of the electorate throughout 2010 as the party further attempted to define itself as not just a protest party but a party capable of forming government. By July 2011, the Wildrose's support had fallen to 16 percent, while PC support had risen to 51 percent.
Current caucus
| Member | Riding |
|---|---|
| Rob Anderson Rob Anderson (politician) Rob Anderson is a Canadian politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, representing the constituency of Airdrie-Chestermere as a member of the Wildrose Alliance... |
Airdrie-Chestermere Airdrie-Chestermere Airdrie-Chestermere is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. It is mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting.... |
| Guy Boutilier Guy Boutilier Guy C. Boutilier is a Canadian politician and current member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He was elected as a Progressive Conservative, and served in several capacities in the Cabinet of Alberta under Premiers Ralph Klein and Ed Stelmach before being ejected from the P.C. caucus in July... |
Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is one of current districts 83 mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting.... |
| Heather Forsyth Heather Forsyth Heather Forsyth is a Canadian politician and current member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the constituency of Calgary-Fish Creek as a Wildrose Alliance representative. She was a Progressive Conservative until she crossed the floor on January 4, 2010.-Early life:Forsyth was... |
Calgary-Fish Creek |
| Paul Hinman Paul Hinman Paul Hinman is a provincial politician and small business entrepreneur from Alberta, Canada. He was formerly the leader of the Wildrose Alliance. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2004 to 2008 representing the electoral district of Cardston-Taber-Warner... |
Calgary-Glenmore Calgary-Glenmore Calgary Glenmore is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.The electoral riding of Calgary Glenmore is one of two original Calgary ridings of the seven that still survives from the 1959 redistribution of the Calgary riding... |
The Wildrose Party currently has four sitting MLAs, although only one has been elected as a member of the Wildrose- Paul Hinman was the first MLA elected by the party and is in his second term as a member of the Legislature. His by-election victory in Calgary was viewed as potentially signalling a shift in provincial politics. Heather Forsyth is a former cabinet minister in the Ralph Klein government and sat as a member of the Conservatives from her first election in 1993 until, along with first term MLA Rob Anderson, joining the Wildrose Alliance in January 2010. Guy Boutilier was elected in 1997 and joined the Wildrose in June 2010.
2008 general election
| Party | Party leader | # of candidates |
Seats | Popular vote | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Alberta general election, 2004 The Alberta general election of 2004 was the twenty-sixth general election for the province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on November 22, 2004 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.... |
Dissol. Dissolution of parliament In parliamentary systems, a dissolution of parliament is the dispersal of a legislature at the call of an election.Usually there is a maximum length of a legislature, and a dissolution must happen before the maximum time... |
2008 | % Change | # | % | % Change |
Progressive Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
Ed Stelmach Ed Stelmach Edward Michael "Ed" Stelmach, MLA is a Canadian politician and served as the 13th Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 2006 to 2011. The grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Stelmach was born and raised on a farm near Lamont and speaks fluent Ukrainian. He spent his entire pre-political adult life as a... |
83 | 62 | 60 | 72 | +20% | 501,063 | 52.72% | +5.92% |
Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time... |
Kevin Taft Kevin Taft Kevin Taft is a Liberal politician in Alberta, Canada. He was the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, from 2004 to 2008... |
82 | 16 | 16 | 9 | -43.8% | 251,158 | 26.43% | -2.96% |
NDP | Brian Mason Brian Mason Brian Mason is a Canadian politician and leader of the Alberta New Democrats . Mason was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood in a 2001 byelection, and his career in politics spans more than 20 years.Mason first became politically active... |
83 | 4 | 4 | 2 | -50% | 80,578 | 8.48% | -1.72% |
Wildrose Alliance | Paul Hinman Paul Hinman Paul Hinman is a provincial politician and small business entrepreneur from Alberta, Canada. He was formerly the leader of the Wildrose Alliance. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2004 to 2008 representing the electoral district of Cardston-Taber-Warner... |
61 | 1 | 1 | - | -100% | 64,407 | 6.78% | -1.92%1 |
Greens | George Read George Read (Canadian politician) George Read is the former leader of the Green Party of Alberta and formerly a key organizer for the federal Green Party of Canada in Alberta.- Green Party organizing :... |
79 | - | - | - | - | 43,222 | 4.55% | +1.80% |
Social Credit | Len Skowronski Len Skowronski Leonard "Len" Skowronski is the leader of the provincial Social Credit Party in Alberta, Canada. He was elected at a leadership convention held on November 3, 2007 in Red Deer to replace Lavern Ahlstrom who resigned.... |
8 | - | - | - | - | 2,043 | 0.21% | -1.02% |
Separation Separation Party of Alberta The Separation Party of Alberta is a political party that advocates the secession of Alberta from Canada. Its leader is Bruce Hutton.-History:... |
Bruce Hutton Bruce Hutton Bruce Hutton is leader of the Separation Party of Alberta.Hutton joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1963. In 1999, he founded Law-abiding Unregistered Firearms Association to protest the recently introduced federal gun registry. In 2004, he became leader of the Separation... |
1 | - | - | - | - | 119 | 0.01% | -0.52% |
Communist Communist Party (Alberta) Communist Party – Alberta is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. It is a provincial branch of the Communist Party of Canada.-History:... |
Naomi Rankin Naomi Rankin Naomi Rankin is the current leader of the Communist Party of Alberta in Alberta, Canada.She has been leader of the Communist Party since 1992 and has run in every provincial and federal election in Alberta since 1982, for the Communist Party or the Communist Party of Canada... |
2 | - | - | - | - | 96 | 0.01% | xx |
Alberta Party Alberta Party The Alberta Party Political Association, more commonly known as the Alberta Party, is a political party in the province of Alberta, Canada... |
Bruce Stubbs Bruce Stubbs Bruce Stubbs is a farmer and political figure in Alberta, Canada. He first came to public attention as a leading member of G.U.A.R.D. , a group opposed to the United Alternative process which formed the Canadian Alliance from the Reform Party of Canada.He is a former leader of the Alberta Party, a... |
1 | - | - | - | - | 42 | 0.00% | -0.28% |
Independent | 7 | - | 1 | - | -100% | 7,635 | 0.80% | +0.69% | |
| Vacant | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 407 | 83 | 83 | 83 | - | 950,363 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- 1 Results change is compared to the Alberta Alliance in 2004.
2009 Calgary-Glenmore by-election
| September 14, 2009 by-election results | font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout 40.53% | Swing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | Party | Personal |
Wildrose Alliance | Paul Hinman Paul Hinman Paul Hinman is a provincial politician and small business entrepreneur from Alberta, Canada. He was formerly the leader of the Wildrose Alliance. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2004 to 2008 representing the electoral district of Cardston-Taber-Warner... |
4,052 | 36.74% | 28.67% | * |
Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time... |
Avalon Roberts Avalon Roberts Avalon Roberts, MD , is a prominent Alberta healthcare advocate and political activist. She was born in Newfoundland, has lived in six of Canada's provinces, and has resided in Calgary since 1980.... |
3,776 | 34.24% | 1.07% |
Progressive Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
Diane Colley-Urquhart Diane Colley-Urquhart Diane Marie Colley-Urquhart is municipal politician and Calgary Police Commissioner from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is currently a member of Calgary City Council and serves as the representative for Ward 13.-Registered Nurse:... |
2,863 | 25.96% | -24.71% | * |
NDP Alberta New Democratic Party The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation... |
Eric Carpendale | 148 | 1.34% | -2.42% | * |
Social Credit Social Credit Party of Alberta The Alberta Social Credit Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the social credit monetary policy and conservative Christian social values.... |
Len Skowronski Len Skowronski Leonard "Len" Skowronski is the leader of the provincial Social Credit Party in Alberta, Canada. He was elected at a leadership convention held on November 3, 2007 in Red Deer to replace Lavern Ahlstrom who resigned.... |
118 | 1.07% | * |
Independent | Antoni Grochowski | 71 | 0.64% | * | ||||
| Total | 11,028 | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rejected, Spoiled and Declined | ? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27,212 Eligible Electors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||