Smith expects rematch with Redford

Premier won’t discuss numbers ahead of PC leadership review

Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith says she wants a rematch with Alison Redford in the 2016 provincial election and doesn’t expect the results of the premier’s leadership review this weekend to get in the way.

“We’re very much looking forward to 2016 and I expect she’ll be the leader that I have to face off against,” Smith said Wednesday.

Redford will face a leadership review at the Progressive Conservative party’s annual convention in Red Deer beginning Friday. Up to 1,500 delegates could be in attendance for the meeting, where they will debate and discuss policies and vote on whether they want a leadership race.

It’s unlikely they’ll vote in favour of another race because “it would look pretty terrible on the PCs if they switch leaders yet again, two years after this one was chosen, after she’d won a majority mandate,” Smith said.

Redford has so far refused to indicate what percentage of the vote she would consider a stamp of approval, and continued on that path Wednesday.

“I really haven’t given it any thought,” Redford said after reporters asked her about the upcoming vote. “We’re really busy with the business of government right now, and the number will be what the number will be.”

But some close to her have suggested a simple majority is all that’s necessary.

“In my mind anything in the 50s (per cent) is good, anything in the 60s is a success and anything in the 70s is absolutely a triumph,” Susan Elliott, the 2012 election campaign manager for the PCs, said this week.

Alberta NDP Leader Brian Mason said that message is designed to lower expectations “so that whatever the result is, it looks like a big win for the premier.

“I think they’ve got it pretty much sewn up.”

Redford needs the support of more than half the party delegates to remain leader. The party’s constitution makes the vote mandatory.

Results are to be announced at the convention Saturday afternoon.

Recent leadership votes have yielded varied results. Former premier Ralph Klein stepped down after receiving a tepid 55 per cent in the 2006 leadership review. His successor, Ed Stelmach received 77 per cent in 2009 but was forced out of the leadership role by early 2011.

Smith said Redford should use those results as a gauge for the outcome of this weekend’s vote. Smith, who received a 90-per-cent approval vote during her own leadership review last month, said that if Redford gets a low number, it will be because people are losing confidence.

“It’s because she campaigned on one thing and then seems to have thrown over all of the promises she made since she got elected,” Smith said.

Liberal Leader Raj Sherman said the issues lie with government, not the PC party leader

“It doesn’t matter whether she remains leader or not, the real problem is it’s a government that needs to be removed,” he said.

Redford will address party delegates during a Friday evening speech and will take part in a question-and-answer session on Saturday morning. Most of the other parts of the meeting, including sessions where policies and the party’s constitution are discussed, will be closed to the media.

By contrast, the Wildrose party’s annual convention, held last month at the same Red Deer conference centre, had no restrictions on media access.