Feud erupts over merger talks
Liberal Hehr’s blog angers his own party
A family feud has erupted between Alberta Liberals, with the president of the party dressing-down CalgaryBuffalo MLA Kent Hehr and a former staffer for publicly touting a merger of Alberta’s progressive parties.
Liberal party president Todd Van Vliet sent out a news release on Tuesday calling Hehr’s recent talk of forming a single left-of-centre party to defeat the governing Progressive Conservatives in the province “noise,” and hinted darkly that “backroom political engineering” is at play.
“Hey Kent, I like you. But if you don’t like where we’re going, there are other choices for you,” Van Vliet said in an interview on Tuesday.
“It’s a little bit upsetting when we’re trying to build something exciting and interesting, and somebody is sort of chipping away at the edges.”
The party president said a merger with the NDP and other provincial progressive parties would never work because the New Democrats have a different political culture, and don’t understand Alberta is a “business-driven province.”
Last week, Hehr — the party’s deputy leader — posted a blog calling on all Alberta “progressive” politicians and supporters to come together in a single party, or to at least work together, to have a chance at beating the Redford Tories.
Hehr cited a poll he and former Liberal executive director Corey Hogan helped pay for that suggested progressive voters don’t care about party names and colours, but simply want a change of government.
But on Tuesday, Van Vliet argued a progressive alliance might benefit Premier Alison Redford more than any one else, as the PCs would immediately try to brand the new political entity as too far to the political left.
“If I were the PCs, on the first day after the merger took place, I would put out a news release welcoming the new Alberta socialist party,” he said.
Van Vliet also suggested Hehr and Hogan’s ideas might have been influenced by the fact Hogan now works at public relations firm Hill and Knowlton alongside Stephen Carter, who has worked for Redford and acted as the PC party’s campaign strategist in April’s election.
“I’m very worried somebody is being played,” Van Vliet said.
But both Hogan and Carter dismissed Van Vliet’s thesis as ludicrous, and said Carter has nothing to do with the discussion.
“I think this shows the usual level of political competence from the (provincial) Liberal party — as is, there is none,” Carter said.
Hogan said he’s still a Liberal supporter. He said he worked hard for the party in the last several years, and is disappointed nobody talked to him regarding the accusation before Van Vliet’s news release was sent out.
“Kent really hit into something in the public body — a
I’m very worried somebody is being played TODD VAN VLIET, ALBERTA LIBERAL PARTY PRESIDENT
nerve that people have wanted to have hit for a while,” Hogan said.
Hehr said he understands Van Vliet is frustrated with the party’s current fortunes, but a discussion still has to take place.
“In my view, people are going to have different opinions on this,” Hehr said. “I’m putting forward a conversation.”
He added the idea that Carter is somehow involved is “absolute buffoonery.”
The public dispute comes two months after the Alberta Liberals unveiled a new green logo as a part of a rebranding and renewal strategy after a difficult year.
In the April election, the party saw its share of the popular vote drop to 10 per cent from the 26 per cent support they won in the 2008 election.
Many party members believe the decline came as a result of Liberal-minded voters switching to the Conservatives, based on fears about a Wildrose victory.
The Liberal party has just five elected members in the legislature, while the Wildrose is now the official Opposition.
For his part, Liberal Leader Raj Sherman said he disagrees with Hehr, but believes the Calgary MLA should be able to speak his mind.
“It’s a free world,” Sherman said.
“This is actually pretty old news,” he added, noting the idea of working with other progressive parties was discussed and dismissed by his party’s executive this fall.
“It’s time for the Liberals to get to work and re-build a grassroots organization.”
Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt said when a party’s dispute becomes public, it’s clear an issue has been simmering behind closed doors for some time. He added Alberta Liberals have numerous problems and he doesn’t think it’s a good idea for party brass to take a merger completely off the table.
“The Liberals are in a world of hurt,” Bratt said, adding in all these talks, the influence of the Wildrose party isn’t being given enough weight.
“The biggest threat the PCs have had in decades comes from the right side.”