"Pigs do fly."
- After pushing through tax increases, Alberta's Progressive Conservative Party is crushed by Leftists in elections.
(BBC News) - A left-leaning party has won a surprise victory in Alberta, one of Canada's most conservative provinces.
The New Democratic Party (NDP) ended the Progressive Conservatives' (PC) 44-year rule of the province.
Political observers were stunned by the result, with one commentator saying: "Pigs do fly".
Alberta's Premier Jim Prentice, a former member of Tory Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet, said he was stepping down from political life. He only became premier in September, and called the snap election in April to seek a mandate after bringing in a tough tax-raising budget.
"My contribution to public life is now at an end," Mr Prentice said as he conceded defeat, blaming the collapse in oil prices and the subsequent financial problems.
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley called the surprising win "a fresh start for our great province".
The result could be seen as a warning to Mr Harper, a Conservative, with a general election looming in October.
"I look forward to working with future Premier Notley on issues of importance for Albertans and all Canadians, including creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity across the province and country," Mr Harper said in a statement on Wednesday.
The NDP, which has never held more than 16 seats in the 87-seat legislature, looks set to win about 55 seats.
The PCs got around 11, behind the newer and even more conservative Wildrose Party.
Wildrose leader Brian Jean said his party would serve as the opposition and would keep NDP "on its toes".
Read More . . . .
Brian Jean is the leader of the Conservative-Libertarian Wildrose Party that gained seats in the election. |
Warning to American Readers
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American readers please do not be frightened or confused by the nine political parties in the Canadian election below. In the rest of the world this is called a free election.
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Because voters have real ballot choices they punished the tax increasing Progressive Conservative Party dropping them from 61 seats in 2012 to only ten seats. The Conservative-Libertarian Wildrose Party grew to 21 seats to become the #2 party.
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Meanwhile back in the USA voters are force fed a meaningless "choice" between two open borders, big government loving political parties.
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Maybe we should try free elections in the United States.
Party | Party leader | Number of candidates | Seats | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Dissol. | 2015 | ||||
New Democratic | Rachel Notley | 87 | 4 | 4 | 53 | |
Wildrose | Brian Jean | 86 | 17 | 5 | 21 | |
Progressive Conservative | Jim Prentice | 87 | 61 | 70 | 10 | |
Liberal | David Swann (interim) | 56 | 5 | 5 | 1 | |
Alberta Party | Greg Clark | 36 | — | — | 1 | |
Independent | 15 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
Greens | Janet Keeping | 24 | — | — | 0 | |
Social Credit | Len Skowronski | 6 | — | — | 0 | |
Communist | Naomi Rankin | 2 | — | — | 0 | |
Alberta First | Bart Hampton | 1 | — | — | 0 | |
Vacant | 2 | |||||
Total | 400 | 87 | 87 | 87 |
(Alberta general election, 2015)
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