Is Stelmach under siege?
CALGARY — Leading Alberta’s Progressive Conservative party was once a position anyone would envy. Each day a new wheelbarrow piled high with cash came wheeling in, all of it waiting to be showered on an adoring public. Tax cuts, hospitals, schools and community centres could be dished out by the handful, to soothe any voter’s gripe, and still the treasury would spill over with surpluses.
But that was months ago. Now, whether he admits it or not, Premier Ed Stelmach is a leader under siege. This week, his caucus retreated to Pincher Creek to worry over the dismal provincial books and brace themselves for spending cuts. The party was recently handed a brutal, third-place by-election defeat in one of its safest Calgary ridings, its star candidate steamrolled by an upstart, leaderless and, till now, largely rural Wildrose Alliance Party. The last thing Mr. Stelmach surely needs, just weeks before a review of his leadership, is some high-profile, popular former leader challenging his worthiness to govern.
But then, Ralph Klein was never one to stifle his opinions, and on Monday, he weighed in on Mr. Stelmach’s popularity. With a vote reviewing the leader’s support coming at the Nov. 7 annual general meeting, Mr. Klein said in an email to one reporter, “I would advise he [Stelmach] step down if he doesn’t reach 70%.” That was all. He declined to elaborate and spent Wednesday ducking calls from tantalized media outlets across the province.
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Male, retired and the rest is of little interest to anyone. The site keeps me busy and if it helps others to stay abreast of daily events then my time is well spent.
Cunctator Says:
Don’t forget, Stelmach was elected to stop a more conservative candidate from obtaining the leadership. The do-gooders in the Alberta Conservative Party did not want to make waves and so pit their muscle behind a man who, even at the time he was elected, was regarded as of limited ability. They got what they paid for.
It is always bad for conservatives to try to liberalise their policies/positions. They only ever end up alienating their core followers and advancing policies that they have claimed, and frequently are, bankrupt.
Posted on October 1st, 2009 at 7:50 am