maxque
Non-Aligned
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Post by maxque on Dec 17, 2014 6:27:37 GMT
Something really wierd today, the Wildrose Alliance leader and at least 6 other MLAs (of the 14 still in the party, a few defected to Progressive-Conservatives last month) defect to Progressive-Conservatives.
The leader, Danielle Smith and another Wildrose MLA get into the Cabinet, too.
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Khunanup
Lib Dem
Portsmouth Liberal Democrats
Posts: 12,020
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Post by Khunanup on Dec 17, 2014 15:39:24 GMT
This is seriously fucked up.
Until Prentice won the PC leadership contest Wildrose were in the lead polling wise and since then it's been pretty much neck and neck (with the PCs marginally in front). Something severely odd is going on here, one can only presume that Smith and co decided that they had more in common with a Prentice lead Progressive Conservative party than they did with the remainder of the Wildrose Alliance. It will be interesting to see what happens now. If enough Albertans are just fed up with the PCs it might not make any difference and instead galvanise the right wing anti PC voters to solidify behind the Wildrose remnants. Or Wildrose could collapse which will obviously help the PCs but also the Liberals too (the latter from those voters who are anti PC but not especially right wing, especially in the more rural areas).
Or perhaps there'll be a rise of an entirely new right wing party in Alberta...
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maxque
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Post by maxque on Dec 17, 2014 23:14:10 GMT
Now, it's 9 of the 14 MLAs leaving for PC and 5 who will stay in Wildrose, but one of those staying has poor health and often said she might resign soon.
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Post by Merseymike on Dec 17, 2014 23:20:28 GMT
Given that its just a choice between two right wing parties, does it matter all that much?
They reckon Alberta ended up in Canada by mistake and should have been slotted in next to Texas!
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The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
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Post by The Bishop on Dec 18, 2014 12:57:05 GMT
Yep, that map that was circulated after the 2004 POTUS election should have added Alberta on to "Jesusland"  |
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Dec 18, 2014 13:02:17 GMT
Some of them did  I can't help thinking that if really had to import political cultures from our former colonies, I wish it could have been from Alberta instead.. |
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The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
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Post by The Bishop on Dec 18, 2014 13:07:43 GMT
Well, it could be argued that you are a member of our equivalent of the Wildrose Alliance  |
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Dec 18, 2014 18:07:11 GMT
It really is quite bizarre what has happened in Alberta. Wildrose have had some internal splits over hot-button social issues, and they underperformed in the recent by-elections, but I think they were only 6 points behind in the last provincial poll. It really makes no sense for a party to just roll up and die when things aren't actually going that badly. I do wonder if the federal Conservatives have had a hand in this - I have read that the division between the PC's and Wildrose at the provincial level has been awkward and embarrassing for some Alberta federal Tories - not least Stephen Harper. I wouldn't be surprised, even if there generally seems to be relatively little crossover between provincial and federal parties on the face of it (Newfoundland PCs being a prime example). The death count of provincial parties seems rather high. |
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 13, 2015 15:53:09 GMT
Sounds like Alberta is going to form: right-wing party appears from nowhere,governs for forty years, implodes,is replaced by right-wing party appearing from nowhere...
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 13, 2015 17:14:51 GMT
Sounds like Alberta is going to form: right-wing party appears from nowhere,governs for forty years, implodes,is replaced by right-wing party appearing from nowhere... True, but hardly what you would expect in the circumstances. I would have expected the Tories to be winning with the kind of majorities they had in the late 70's and early 80's, when there were only two or three opposition seats at each election. Apparently Danielle Smith failed to get selected as a PC candidate by her local riding association, which was amusing. Beaten by a first-time councillor named, brilliantly, Carrie Fischer. |
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Khunanup
Lib Dem
Portsmouth Liberal Democrats
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Post by Khunanup on Apr 13, 2015 20:35:43 GMT
True, but hardly what you would expect in the circumstances. I would have expected the Tories to be winning with the kind of majorities they had in the late 70's and early 80's, when there were only two or three opposition seats at each election. Apparently Danielle Smith failed to get selected as a PC candidate by her local riding association, which was amusing. Beaten by a first-time councillor named, brilliantly, Carrie Fischer. I've been following all this on threehundredeight. It's all rather hilarious and from being the saviour of the Alberta PCs, Prentice could actually be the one that leads them to ultimate distruction through hubris. Smith's failure to be selected was virtually inevitible, no one outside the caucus trusted her or her acolytes and I'd expect her to now fade into obscurity. This could be a very, very odd election result. |
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Post by johnloony on Apr 14, 2015 23:21:34 GMT
The election is on Tuesday 5th May. This is amusing. 5th May is my mother's birthday, and my sister lives in Alberta. Just outside Edmonton. I'll have to find a map sometime and check which constituency she's in. |
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neilm
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Post by neilm on Apr 15, 2015 0:35:23 GMT
Aah, Cinco de mayo.
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maxque
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Post by maxque on Apr 16, 2015 8:50:13 GMT
Apparently Wildrose are struggling to field a full slate of candidates, despite being ahead in the polls! Only NDP and PC have full slates right now. Wildrose would be short of 8, other parties are under half. They must find missing candidates quick, they have until Friday afternoon. |
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Post by Merseymike on Apr 19, 2015 23:03:03 GMT
The new Tory Premier, Jim Prentice, has called an early election. Now, given that the Official Opposition caucus has imploded, with half of the Wildrose MLAs joining the Progressive Conservatives, you might imagine that he would be a shoo-in..... The latest poll has figures of Wildrose 30%, NDP 28%, PC 27%, Lib 12%. This doesn't appear to be an outlier, as three otfher polls have shown similar numbers. The NDP are apparently doing extremely well in Edmonton. Wildrose have just picked a new leader, a former federal Tory MP, Brian Jean. The election is on Tuesday 5th May. That is good for the NDP. I wonder if the increase in population is bringing in people from other parts of Canada who vote NDP - and this is an area where the centre left vote is NDP not Liberal. We stayed at a B&B in the villages north of Vancouver and the owners turned out to be strong NDP supporters. Both of their children were working in Alberta and one was active in the unions in his industry |
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Post by WestCountryRadical on Apr 24, 2015 20:18:07 GMT
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Khunanup
Lib Dem
Portsmouth Liberal Democrats
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Post by Khunanup on Apr 25, 2015 0:22:40 GMT
If it happens, and it's still a big if, the defeat of the Right finally after 80 years in Alberta would be absolutely hilarious, especially because the way it will have happened will be entirely self inflicted. There is also the possibility of this Alberta election being the first that doesn't result in any one party having a majority. They have never had a hung parliament in 110 years of existence.
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Post by No Offence Alan on Apr 25, 2015 7:25:14 GMT
I assume this big change in voting patterns in Alberta is not unconnected with the collapse of oil prices?
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maxque
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Post by maxque on Apr 25, 2015 7:33:46 GMT
I assume this big change in voting patterns in Alberta is not unconnected with the collapse of oil prices? Alberta had low taxes, no deficit and no debt, but the last budget had to change that. The right doesn't like tax hikes, the left doesn't like cuts and than corporate taxes are raised by only 0.5% when most people get an higher raise than that. But, it's not the only issue. Fatigue is there too (PC is in power since 1971), as some corruption scandals and PC leader being not charismatic at all. |
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Post by Devil Wincarnate on Apr 25, 2015 9:03:49 GMT
If it happens, and it's still a big if, the defeat of the Right finally after 80 years in Alberta would be absolutely hilarious The SoCreds were voted in as a left-wing alternative, ironically. |
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