Alberta Provincial By-Elections - Fall 2014 Editions

[para transit fellow]

I find the trouble with "grassroots" parties is that they aren't really led by the grassroots membership except when the situation suites the leadership.

[SebC]

Wildrose being Wildrose...

Alberta’s Wildrose party members have backtracked on a definitive statement on equal rights for all – one year after they passed it overwhelmingly to remove the stain of being anti-gay bigots.

Party members voted 148-109 against adopting as policy a statement approved last year that affirmed the rights for everyone regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, and other differences.

Global News

[nik-]

I guess losing all the byelections wasn't enough. They want to really make sure they move to fringe party status. I wonder how Smith is going to blame the PC's for this.

[killer_carlson]

The WR deserves every bit of criticism that it gets for this move.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Yeah, you do that...



The Wildrose is basically the Edmonton of politics. Absolutely no good. Basically they hope the PCs screw up badly enough people actually consider them. Best of luck with that strategy

[Bigtime]

L-O-L:

“I think that the nature of the debate was that they were concerned there might be something excluded in that long list,” said Smith, who was not on the convention floor for the vote. She said she would have voted for the amendment had she been in the room.

Many members who spoke against the amendment said they believed the word “all” in the existing policy was more inclusive.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/al...937/story.html

Oh ok, apparently that very well worded statement wasn't inclusive enough of everyone in Alberta for them. Yeah, good luck with that spin.

[Slava]

The thing I find most distasteful is the constant "if I was there I would've voted for it" after each of these issues. We heard the same on the gay-straight alliance motion in the legislature from some MLAs. I mean you want to give the benefit of the doubt to them, but it comes across as a lame excuse when you hear it more than once.

[oilyfan]

I can bet the following scenario happened: the motion was going to be brought to vote, Smith's advisors get a pre vote feel and recognize that it is going to be voted down. Smith now is stuck between a rock and a hard place:

1. Vote yes, get outvoted and look like she cannot control (or frankly understand her party)
2. "Abstain" and look like she was just not present for this important vote

She picked 2 because it seemed more palatable.

This is Smith just trying to stage mange this disaster that Wildrose is turning into, how else do you explain the leader of the party not even present for an important vote?