The resignation of now former premier Alison Redford does nothing but rev up the spectacle that has been Alberta politics for the past few weeks, according to the provincial leader of the Official Opposition. "The circus is just beginning.
The resignation of now former premier Alison Redford does nothing but rev up the spectacle that has been Alberta politics for the past few weeks, according to the provincial leader of the Official Opposition.
"The circus is just beginning. We are once again plunged into the internal turmoil of the PC Party and the issues of governance taking a backstage," said Danielle Smith, leader of the Wildrose Party.
Smith was in town on March 21 to attend the Olds College Gala. During the event, she recited a blessing for the dinner but took some time beforehand to comment on Alberta politics and the effects of the imminent Progressive Conservative leadership race.
Cabinet ministers will not make decisions because they could be replaced once a new leader is chosen, Smith said.
She also expects a number of ministers to resign in order to make a run for party leadership.
According to the Progressive Conservative Party constitution, a leadership convention cannot be held until four months following Redford’s departure and not more than six months after.
"All of the senior people are going to be paralyzed from making a decision because they don’t know if it’s going to be overturned," Smith said. "So we are now in a period where essentially, for the next six months, all of the business of government is at a standstill."
Redford’s resignation became effective on March 23. She stepped down after her party’s popularity dropped to 19 per cent in opinion polls, following plush spending of taxpayers’ money, including billing the public $45,000 for her trip to South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s funeral.
She repaid that sum but not before a reported party revolt where two backbench MLAs crossed the floor to become independents.
Dave Hancock, the deputy premier and minister for innovation and advanced education, was named interim premier on March 20.
Despite a new leader, expect more of the same, Smith said.
"We saw quite clearly with interim premier Dave Hancock, they are full board behind the Alison Redford vision of the province and I think that part of the issues that the premier was suffering from is that her vision did not resonate with the province," she said.
"It wasn’t just because of the sense of entitlement and some of the wrongdoing. It was because we’re running massive deficits and they’re also taking a hit on our frontline workers and they haven’t managed to fix health care and they don’t have genuine democracy in their caucus," Smith continued.
According to Smith, the province needs a new government with a fresh perspective to replace the Progressive Conservatives, whom she says have become "stale" after holding power for more than four decades.
She said that the Wildrose Party will continue canvassing Albertans, trying to convince them of just that.
"We are going to do exactly what I have been doing for the last number of months, which is travelling the province, holding town halls, coming to events, talking to people in their communities and just convincing people one vote at a time that it’s time to turn the page on this tired old PC dynasty and for us to look to something new," Smith said.
Back at the college gala, Redford did have sympathy from Olds mayor Judy Dahl.
The mayor said the former premier was good for the town and a politician who was devoted to her province.
"Alison was a woman that you could trust. I had worked one-on-one with her on many occasions. I have looked her in the eye and I saw a woman that absolutely … loved Alberta and gave her whole heart and soul to her job," she said.
Dahl said she agreed with Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, emphasizing that Redford was human and also lamented the state of partisan politics at the federal and provincial levels.
"I really struggle when people go and try and hit a personality instead of the real issues," she said. "I believe that we need to take the left and the right wing … out of politics and we need to focus on unity and we need to get the work done because it’s not happening."
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