What’s next for the Wildrose Party?
Posted Nov 26, 2012 1:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Alberta’s Wildrose party appears ready to shift its policy from the right to the centre of the political spectrum.
During the party’s annual general meeting this past weekend in Edmonton, a lot of time was spent talking about what went wrong during last spring’s provincial election.
Ahead of the vote, poll after poll suggested the Wildrose was about to end 41 years of Progressive Conservative rule in the province. Support waned in the final days of the campaign thanks to controversial comments made by a couple of candidates.
Mount Royal University political scientist David Taras tells 660News, Wildrose leader Danielle Smith realizes the only way her party will form a goverment is by moving away from the right.
“Now they’re in the Legislature, they see the Redford Government is making misstep after misstep,” says Taras. “They see their opportunities. So I think the will to power will drive them more towards the centre. There’s going to be some people who feel alienated. This is not going to be an easy task, but I think Smith … her survival politically ultimately depends on taking those steps.”
Taras says Albertans will have a better idea on the future politics of the Wildrose when members gather at a later date to debate policy. He adds while a shift from the right could hurt support for the party, it could also mean the official opposition attracts new members.
