Newly-elected Alberta Conservative leader and Alberta Premier Alison Redford in Edmonton, Alta., Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
The victory of Alison Redford in the Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership election on Saturday – and her imminent premiership – means that the centre of the political spectrum will be crowded, with the PCs, the Liberals and the new Alberta Party all vying for much the same space. That may turn out to be an opportunity for the Wildrose Party.
It is a most welcome development that, in all probability, the two main contenders in the next Alberta election will both be women, namely, Ms. Redford and Danielle Smith, the Leader of Wildrose. This is a striking and significant phenomenon, at a time when there are already two women who are provincial premiers, Kathy Dunderdale of Newfoundland and Christy Clark of B.C., for the first time in Canadian history.
On the face of it, Ms. Redford's success among card-carrying Conservatives could benefit Wildrose. She has a reputation as a "red Tory," and is a former political staffer of Joe Clark, the former prime minister – who has never been known as a typical Alberta Conservative. Nonetheless, as minister of justice, she was reportedly well thought of by the police and Crown attorneys, which is evidence of tough-mindedness. Her leap from a distant second place on the first ballot shows remarkable enterprise and tenacity.
The Wildrose Party draws to a considerable extent on regional resentment. If it wins in the next election, that would have some tendency to estrange Alberta from the rest of Canada.
Ms. Redford is wisely choosing not to rush into an early election to get a new mandate. She should take that time to show that her policies are in accord with the broad centre of Alberta politics; if she does so, her chances will be good.