Alberta not purely Tory blue: McLellan
Last Updated: Monday, December 19, 2005 | 2:41 PM ET
CBC News
McLellan, who was one of two Alberta Liberals to win seats in 2004, says her party wants the province's help in shaping the national agenda.
Nicknamed Landslide Annie for her record of close election wins, McLellan says the Conservatives shouldn't underestimate Liberal support.
"About 25 per cent of Albertans vote Liberal in every federal election," she told party faithfuls at an appearance in Edmonton with northern Alberta Liberal candidates. "Add to that people who vote New Democrat who vote Green party and so on, and in fact you've got over a third of this population in every federal election voting for a party other than the Conservatives."
"Mr. Harper, we have a right to exist and those people have a right to a voice."
Harper recently said he hoped to finish the job of painting Alberta Tory blue. The only other non-Conservative to win one of Alberta's 28 ridings in 2004 was David Kilgour, who was elected as a Liberal but left the caucus to sit as an Independent. He is not running this time.
The Liberals are committed to western Canadian issues and priorities such as agriculture, alternative energy sources and a transportation strategy to open overseas markets, says McLellan.
