Alberta Party has new leader; Alberta Liberals working on one
Posted May 29, 2011 8:12 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Relaunched about a year and a half ago, the Alberta Party has a new leader.
After acting party leader Sue Huff kicked off yesterday’s leadership convention at the Shaw Conference Centre with a rousing rendition of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” the party elected 49 year old Glenn Taylor its leader on the first ballot.
A three-term Mayor of Hinton, Taylor won a first ballot vote at from the party’s 2000 members.
Taylor tells the Calgary Herald, he won’t label his party on either side of the political spectrum, adding the party will be defined by its practices and policies.
The party has only one representative in the legislature. That’s Calgary MLA Dave Taylor who says it’s now the party’s job to get the new leader known outside of Hinton. The former Calgary radio talk show host adds that has to happen before the next election which could take place as early as next spring.
According to the Calgary Herald, Mount Royal University academic Lee Easton finished third in the vote.
At the same time, the Alberta Liberals, also in search of a leader to succeed Dr. David Swann, are holding their annual convention, this weekend.
Four candidates are running for the party leadership including Raj Sherman, who left the Stelmach Tories to sit an an independent, long-time Liberal Hugh MacDonald, Bruce Payne of Calgary and Laurie Blakeman.
Of the four candidates, Blakeman is the only one who supports a name change for the beleaguered party as well as a possible merger with the Alberta Party. The other three candidates are opposed to the ideas.
