Bloc voting for Alberta Tory leader threatens grassroots power: expert

Last Updated: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 | 1:36 PM MT

CBC News

A growing number of associations wanting a say in who becomes the next premier of Alberta are buying $5 memberships in the Progressive Conservative party and voting as a bloc.

Unions, a coalition of First Nations groups, and even another provincial party are encouraging members to vote for their preferred candidate in the Progressive Conservative leadership race to replace Ralph Klein, who retired in August.

That has some worried that bloc voting on Nov. 25 could dilute the ballot power of the party's grassroots members.

'There's always the risk that this becomes the seamier side of politics'-Steve Patten, political science professor

"There's always the risk that this becomes the seamier side of politics — where a bloc of voters then extract promises from leadership contenders and carry more weight than just individual voters," said University of Alberta political science professor Steve Patten.

The Tories went with "one member, one vote" in the early 1990s to give grassroots members more of a say in the party's direction, he said.

"There is a concern that they will morph from being something that's supposed to democratize our parties and give power to the grassroots of our parties into something that actually doesn't help democracy and instead… gives power to organizations that can gather together a bloc of voters," Patten said.

Alberta Alliance MLA supports Morton

In one example, lone Alberta Alliance MLA Paul Hinman is urging members of his party to support candidate Ted Morton.

While he doesn't agree with Morton on every issue, Hinman says there are a number of areas where they have similar positions, including the creation of a provincial police force and protection of freedom of religion.

"I just decided personally that I would not be buying a membership, but I would be encouraging people to get out, listen to the candidates, and pick the one that most reflects our values and principles, and to date that's been Ted Morton."

'We have numbers'

Alberta's Aboriginal Affairs Minister Pearl Calahasen says voting as a bloc is important for the province's First Nations community.

"We only make up six per cent of the population in Alberta, but if we vote as a bloc then we have numbers."

Calahasen has pulled together a coalition of chiefs, elders and northern representatives to analyze the leadership campaigns. By next week, they will announce a preferred candidate.

"I think we'll see a lot of First Nations and Métis people and Inuit people who will come to vote in a huge way. We're seeing already a large movement."

Some unions are also encouraging bloc voting as well, even though the Tories have often been criticized by some in the labour movement.