PC LEADERSHIP
vote this weekend
No matter which political party you favour, there are implications for all as the Alberta PC party chooses its next leader this weekend.
The NDP government will be watching to determine whether the PCs are going to be a “force to be reckoned with in the next election or be in a state of disarray,” said Jim Groom political science instructor at Medicine Hat College.
If Jason Kenney becomes the leader, the focus will be on his relationship with Wildrose leader Brian Jean, and the plan to collapse both parties and form a totally new one, said Groom. After that they will need to convince voters across the province to vote for them.
“They keep saying they’ve got time but I just don’t see it,” said Groom.
A new party will require a new constitution, new constituency officers, new candidates in each riding, work on unity within the party, and money for an election campaign in a limited amount of time, said Groom.
“This may be their death knell. The right may not make this next one (provincial election) too,” said Groom. “The NDP is in power. They can say, ‘hey lets have an election right now.’”
The PC convention officially starts tonight with the leadership voting to take place on Saturday. While all party members can attend with a registration fee of about $150, only delegates are allowed to vote.
There are enough delegates who have indicated they will vote for Kenney that it is a forgone conclusion he will win, says Cathy Smith, a member of the party for 40 years.
Blake Pedersen, president of the Medicine Hat PC constituency association says a Kenney win is not a sure thing. There are three candidates including Richard Starke and Byron Nelson. In the first round of voting a winner has to get 51 per cent of the vote. If a second vote is necessary anything could happen. Nelson may throw his support behind Starke, for example.
The thought of a political party she has been a member of for 40 years being collapsed is not a concern for Smith.
“It is not anymore risky than having another four years of this government,” said Smith. “The province is in a horrid situation right now and I don’t see it getting any better at all.” The late Jim Prentice set a precedent in calling an early election instead of waiting for the fouryear fixed term, said Groom. The NDP may be considering a similar move.
“It could be in 2018 instead of 2019, a whole year in advance just like Mr. Prentice did,” said Groom.
“I don’t see the government calling an early election. The premier is at 19 per cent popularity. She is not going to call an election with 19 per cent,” said Smith. The process of collapsing two parties, forming a new one and an election campaign will cost lots of money. If the PC party and the Wildrose party are collapsed, any funds will be forfeited to the Crown and fundraising will start fresh for a new party. If Kenney becomes leader he will still have to take his plan of collapsing the party to the membership. He will also have to convince Wildrose to be on side. Members could vote against it, said Pedersen.
“He (Kenney) may pull out the stops at the end and say ‘we’re amalgamating but we’ll amalgamate under the one name’,” said Groom. “That may be able to salvage some of the money.”
The other option is to spend the money before collapsing the two parties, said Pedersen.