2 Wildrose MLAs to cross to PCs

[killer_carlson]

It doesn't surprise me that WR MLAs walked away from the party after that vote at the AGM. There are some very good people in the WR, but they didn't sign on to be labeled as bigots.

There were other WR resignations at the constituency level following the AGM as well, without the scorched earth model on the way out. That decision by those on the floor did a lot to push moderates out of the party.

After the AGM the WR needs to decide if it is a party of grass roots small c fiscal conservatives and social moderates, or if they are fiscal and social conservatives. The social issues are tearing the party apart and it cannot continue.

Towles and Donavon made their decision and i'd like to hear from them what role the social issue strife within the WR played in their consideration.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Yikes!

Looking really bad for the Wildrose now. However, a year and a half is an eternity in politics and so much could change before the next election is supposed to be held.

I'd be interested to see if maybe Prentice pulls the plug on the legislative session and calls a snap election in the next few months to avoid the Wildrose seeing an uptick in their fortunes. It would look opportunistic but he could argue that it is an opportunity for people to give him his first mandate to govern as Premier.

[Dion]

“I’m impressed with the new leadership. One of the challenges we had, was as a team player – and I respect Danielle Smith in the utmost – it’s hard to follow someone who is saying they’re not sure they’re going to lead the team of they don’t win the next game,” Donovan said.

Towle said ‘rifts’ within the party didn’t play much of a role in her choice, but “some of the decisions being made were taking our party in a way that was not in line with what my constituents elected me to do.”

“I didn’t feel that I could do anything to fix that path,” Towle continued.

http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/two-wildr...-pcs-1.2116701

[Slava]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

Yikes!

Looking really bad for the Wildrose now. However, a year and a half is an eternity in politics and so much could change before the next election is supposed to be held.

I'd be interested to see if maybe Prentice pulls the plug on the legislative session and calls a snap election in the next few months to avoid the Wildrose seeing an uptick in their fortunes. It would look opportunistic but he could argue that it is an opportunity for people to give him his first mandate to govern as Premier.

If Prentice was really ruthless, he would pass bill 202, and then call the snap election. I wouldn't say he could win all of the seats in the province, but realistically the PCs would crush everyone.

[Dion]

[mariners_fever]

This speaks tremendously to Towle's (lack of) character. Her and Smith were attached at the hip like a high school 'mean girls' style clique. Now she ups and bolts from her good friend without any notice. That's integrity.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Social conservatism is dead. D.E.A.D.

There is zero place for that type of discourse in politics anymore and the mere sniff of it has people running away.

Lets all piss on its corpse

[Dion]

Originally Posted by mariners_fever

This speaks tremendously to Towle's (lack of) character. Her and Smith were attached at the hip like a high school 'mean girls' style clique. Now she ups and bolts from her good friend without any notice. That's integrity.

It takes character to stand up for what you believe. She felt the party was going in the wrong direction and didn't think she could effect change back in a direction her constituants voted her in for. If anything Smith should apologise to her for allowing her party to stray from the root that get thier members elected.

[mariners_fever]

Originally Posted by Dion

It takes character to stand up for what you believe. She felt the party was going in the wrong direction and didn't think she could effect change back in a direction her constituents voted her in for. If anything Smith should apologise to her for allowing her party to stray from the root that get thier members elected.

I agree, Smith should apologize, but I can speak from knowledge that Towle doesn't much know what she believes and will use the guise of 'standing up for her beliefs and her constituents' to get attention anywhere she can. She LOVES attention, hence why she attached herself to Smith's hip.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by mariners_fever

I agree, Smith should apologize, but I can speak from knowledge that Towle doesn't much know what she believes and will use the guise of 'standing up for her beliefs and her constituents' to get attention anywhere she can. She LOVES attention, hence why she attached herself to Smith's hip.

Please expand on this.

[BigNumbers]

Originally Posted by Dion

It takes character to stand up for what you believe. She felt the party was going in the wrong direction and didn't think she could effect change back in a direction her constituants voted her in for. If anything Smith should apologise to her for allowing her party to stray from the root that get thier members elected.

???

The WRP has always been a grassroots, rural based party with a lot of simmering social issues (surrounding race and sexual orientation specifically). The AGM galvanized some of those views, yes - but those same views have always been there in the WRP. In that light, this is hardly "straying from their roots"... If nothing else, it's putting their 'roots' on display for everyone

[mariners_fever]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Social conservatism is dead. D.E.A.D.

There is zero place for that type of discourse in politics anymore and the mere sniff of it has people running away.

Except that Donovan said at the presser that he crossed feeling that his socially conservative values are better heard in the PC caucus, the media ignored it in their report of course.

There are still enough so-cons out there for it to matter if a party uses it properly. Jim Prentice just did it successfully with Gordon Dirks, after all.

[automaton 3]

The by-election showing was a setback followed by a waffly leadership review. The AGM vote was a death-knell. They will probably retain pockets of support, but thoughts of being a government in waiting are dead.

[CaptainCrunch]

Unless they radically change things at the top, then the Wildrose is pretty much dead, I have no doubt that at the first sign of any positive change that Prentice will call a snap election.

Its a shame, Wildrose had some major momentum, but they pushed Redford out and that's maybe doomed them. They should have kept quiet on a lot of those things or not pushed hard and then hammered the Conservatives at the next election.

It reminds me of that scene from the movie Dave where the evil Chief of Staff tries to push Dave out of office and gets totally end around while he's throwing his own candidacy announcement.

The sad thing is that this province needs an effective opposition, the Conservatives do need a lot of fixing and a kick in the a$$. The Liberals and NDP can't do it because even with a guy that I had a ton of respect for Brian Mason they couldn't gain any traction.

Political dynasties are a bad thing in mho.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Slava

Rumour has it that Kerry Towle and Ian Donovan are crossing the floor to the PCs today. Interesting.

Let me say that they should face a byelection and that floor crossing to anything aside from independent should force one. Nonetheless, the Wildrose must be sinking faster than it appears to the public.

Why? You're supposed to vote for the individual, not the party. It's not their fault their party took a hard right turn, and if their constituents are strongly opposed to the new party direction (like Towle mentioned) they should have every right to leave

[Senator Clay Davis]

Only chance they possibly have to survive is to send Danielle packing. She's been, at best, a poor leader and sports a 40% disapproval rating. Some new blood might give them some hope, but right now they're heading into 2016 to get slaughtered. What an amazing collapse for them, from a week out from being the government to possibly ceasing to exist within one election cycle. Crazy.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by mariners_fever

Towle doesn't much know what she believes and will use the guise of 'standing up for her beliefs and her constituents' to get attention anywhere she can. She LOVES attention,

Describes 99% of all politicians.

[GP_Matt]

There is a lot of celebration and glee here about the struggles of the Wildrose on this thread.
I am no longer involved with the party but I think they have done a great job in Alberta to date.
They may never be the ruling party but I think they have accomplished a lot as the official opposition and it would be a blow to Alberta politics if they disappeared from the picture completely or had their role reduced drastically.

The Liberals with 5 seats and the NDP with 4 don't get much of a budget and don't have as much money to spend on research (reading bills and getting professional opinions).

The PC's have backtracked on some really terrible ideas in the past five years or so after the Wildrose fought hard to highlight them.

I hate the social conservative aspect of the Wildrose party and hated the hyper vocal left wing types equally as much which is why I typically avoid these conversations.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

Why? You're supposed to vote for the individual, not the party. It's not their fault their party took a hard right turn, and if their constituents are strongly opposed to the new party direction (like Towle mentioned) they should have every right to leave

I just think that they were elected on a particular set of interests and have decided to change that. I have no problem if they sit as an independent, but to sit for the "other team" just isn't right. I say that as a guy who lives in a riding represented by the Wildrose, who I would love to see not represent my riding! Mark my words though, if he crosses the floor I will be asking him to either sit as an independent or resign for a byelection. I just think its the ethical thing to do.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

hyper vocal left wing types

Anyone who disagrees with me is hyper and vocal.