Alberta Party to choose its new leader Sunday
Centrists try to position themselves as viable third option in provincial politics
Six months ago, the Alberta Party occupied a single lonely seat in the house, the one-man caucus shunted to a small corner in Edmonton’s Federal Building.
That caucus has grown to three members and party membership has swollen by 500 per cent over the past 12 months.
On Sunday, members will vote for their new leader.
The Alberta Party sits well and truly in third place, but leadership hopefuls won’t hear about its history as a quiet player on the political stage, vote-splitting or assured defeat in the 2019 election.
They see themselves as a solid third option, a party perfectly placed to capitalize on voters who don’t see themselves as left or right, who don’t fit in with the governing New Democrats or opposition United Conservatives.
All three candidates cite the divisive nature of Alberta politics as their reason for being part of the proudly centrist party.
As much as centrists might cop some flak for their lack of hardline stances, candidates think that’s where most Albertans fall on the political spectrum — and that’s exactly the opportunity they wish to exploit.
THE CANDIDATES
The leadership race can be looked at two ways: A north-south split of two Calgarians versus one Edmontonian, or a political divide where two former Progressive Conservatives are pitted against a federal Liberal.
Either way, the two-month campaign has been short and sweet. Not once has it devolved into ugly infighting or outward aggression between camps.
As leadership hopeful Stephen Mandel puts it, “We’re all just happy people. We have no reason to argue.”
Mandel is the former mayor of Edmonton. He enjoyed a nine-year tenure before parking his council career and being appointed health minister under then PC premier Jim Prentice.
He was gifted that job despite not having a seat, winning Edmonton-Whitemud only in a 2014 byelection. He was cast out by the orange wave that toppled his party from government the next year.
Mandel pauses when asked if he ran because he doesn’t like the NDP or is wed to Alberta Party ideals. He admits it’s probably a little of both.
Also on the ballot is Kara Levis, a 36-year-old lawyer from Calgary.
Married with three young daughters, Levis’ political experience has been largely involvement in the wings. She helped manage Kerry Cundal’s unsuccessful campaign to become Alberta Liberal leader. (Cundal has since switched her allegiance to the Alberta Party.)
But Levis thinks that simply gives her a unique perspective, and the willingness to talk about issues others shy away from.
In the leadership debates, she was happy to promote the idea of a provincial sales tax of sorts (though she won’t call it that).
“We have to be brave,” she says, and pursue policy not selfishly, but for the good of Alberta.
Finally, there’s Rick Fraser, MLA for Calgary- South East.
In the space of 12 months, he has cycled through party affiliations — Progressive Conservative to United Conservative to independent and now finally the Alberta Party.
A former paramedic with a young family in Calgary, Fraser says he left the UCP because he felt the caucus was unwilling to debate touchy issues or approach discussions with anything but political division.
“When you’re the only one fighting for something ...” he says, trailing off as he shrugs.
Starting Sunday, the party’s 6,543 members will begin casting votes for a new leader online.
Aside from similar platforms — they are, after all, running to lead the same party — Fraser, Levis and Mandel have something else in common.
Each one knows the road ahead for the Alberta Party won’t be a walk in the park. It’s going to need more money, more members and more name recognition to ever manage a dent in 2019.
They all say they’re up for the challenge.