Alberta opposition parties mull collaboration, new party to topple Tories
Last Updated: Thursday, May 8, 2008 | 10:48 AM ET
CBC News
Alberta's opposition parties are considering collaborating or even forming a new party in a joint effort to topple the governing Tories in the next election.
Liberal Leader Kevin Taft said the opposition parties need to change if they want to overcome the dominant Progressive Conservative majority.
"It's good to be controversial, it's good to stir the pot and break the mould," he said.
"Continuing to do the same thing election after election is going to get the same results, and people who want change should think beyond that."
In the March provincial election, Taft's party lost seven of its 16 seats, while the New Democrats' presence in the legislature went from four to two. Premier Ed Stelmach's party won 72 of the 83 seats.
One suggestion to try to close the gap between the opposition and the government is for the Liberals and NDP to agree to run only one opposition candidate in each riding the next time Albertans go to the polls. In this scenario, neither the Liberals nor NDP would run a full slate of candidates, opting instead to divide the ridings.
The idea of forming a completely new party has also been floated, and Liberal MLA David Swann is examining whether it would be a viable option.
Taft said he doesn't think a new party would be the solution to the waning opposition presence in the legislature, but added he is encouraged that people are talking about the issue.
NDP has doubts
While the Liberals seem enthusiastic about change, the New Democrats are more leery.
MLA Rachel Notley said she isn't opposed to the discussion, but is worried that forging an alliance with the Liberals could hurt the party.
"We have to be careful not to grab what seem like very easy solutions to complex challenges," she said.
Former NDP president Reg Basken, a party member for more than 40 years, agrees. He said he has "pretty low" expectations about the parties working together.
"I just don't think these kinds of solutions are anything more than political convenience and for a short period of time, because they logistically don't work," he said.
Additionally, he said, he was unsure how the two parties would be able to collaborate.
"My expectations are pretty low in terms of finding common ground," he explained. "Even if we did find common ground, what do we have? Sort of an amalgam of two political parties, one trying to win one constituency and one trying to win another constituency."
"In the final analysis, we'll still have the differences of opinion that form the differences between the two parties at the moment."
The NDP will discuss the ideas at a meeting next month, while the Liberals will review their options in the fall.
