Alberta First Party
Encyclopedia
The Alberta First Party was a right-wing
political party
that operated in Alberta
, Canada
from 1999 until 2003. It was founded by former members of the Social Credit Party of Alberta
. The party was registered with Elections Alberta on November 2, 1999. The first party leader was John Riel, who was elected leader at a convention in Edmonton on January 22, 2000.
The Alberta First Party was the first real attempt to establish a provincial party to appeal to Reform Party of Canada
supporters: the policies of the two parties were very similar. Alberta First was ahead of its time, however, as the Alberta Progressive Conservatives were at the height of their popularity.
In the 2001 provincial election
, Alberta First nominated 16 candidates, who won a total of 8,851 votes, or 0.87% of the provincial total. No candidates were elected. The party's best result came in Cardston-Taber-Warner
, where leader John Riel picked up 2,500 votes, to the 5,000 by then incumbent Broyce Jacobs
. Broyce would be defeated in the next election by Alberta Alliance Party
candidate Paul Hinman
, who had previously served on the Alberta First executive.
The party also contested three by-elections where it showed some of its best results.
The second best showing of the Alberta First Party came in a by-election in the electoral district of Wainwright
on April 8, 2002, when Jerry Barber won 1,659 votes, 25.9% of the total, for a second place finish.
Alberta First was de-registered in 2003 by Elections Alberta
after the party failed to file financial statements with the electoral office. The party was subsequently re-registered after filing after the filing deadline, then folded in 2004 when its leader resigned and its president moved to Saskatchewan
. The party became the Separation Party of Alberta
, which still holds the rights to the Alberta First name.
Most of the supporters and party officials joined the Alberta Alliance Party
that was just starting up during the decline of the Alberta First Party.
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
that operated in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
from 1999 until 2003. It was founded by former members of the Social Credit Party of Alberta
Social Credit Party of Alberta
The Alberta Social Credit Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the social credit monetary policy and conservative Christian social values....
. The party was registered with Elections Alberta on November 2, 1999. The first party leader was John Riel, who was elected leader at a convention in Edmonton on January 22, 2000.
The Alberta First Party was the first real attempt to establish a provincial party to appeal to Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
supporters: the policies of the two parties were very similar. Alberta First was ahead of its time, however, as the Alberta Progressive Conservatives were at the height of their popularity.
In the 2001 provincial election
Alberta general election, 2001
The Alberta general election of 2001 was the twenty-fifth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 12, 2001 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
, Alberta First nominated 16 candidates, who won a total of 8,851 votes, or 0.87% of the provincial total. No candidates were elected. The party's best result came in Cardston-Taber-Warner
Cardston-Taber-Warner
Cardston-Taber-Warner is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is mandated to return a single member to the for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
, where leader John Riel picked up 2,500 votes, to the 5,000 by then incumbent Broyce Jacobs
Broyce Jacobs
Broyce G. Jacobs is a Canadian politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the constituency of Cardston-Taber-Warner as a Progressive Conservative.-Early life:Jacobs was born in Cardston, Alberta...
. Broyce would be defeated in the next election by Alberta Alliance Party
Alberta Alliance Party
The Alberta Alliance was a right wing provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Many of its members were former supporters of the now-defunct Canadian Alliance federal political party and its predecessor, the Reform Party of Canada. Members also joined from such other provincial fringe parties...
candidate Paul Hinman
Paul Hinman
Paul Hinman is a provincial politician and small business entrepreneur from Alberta, Canada. He was formerly the leader of the Wildrose Alliance. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2004 to 2008 representing the electoral district of Cardston-Taber-Warner...
, who had previously served on the Alberta First executive.
The party also contested three by-elections where it showed some of its best results.
The second best showing of the Alberta First Party came in a by-election in the electoral district of Wainwright
Wainwright (provincial electoral district)
Wainwright was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district was mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.-1957 liquor plebiscite:...
on April 8, 2002, when Jerry Barber won 1,659 votes, 25.9% of the total, for a second place finish.
Alberta First was de-registered in 2003 by Elections Alberta
Elections Alberta
Elections Alberta is the non-partisan organization which oversees general elections and by-elections for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Elections Alberta also oversees Senatorial elections and plebiscites.-History:...
after the party failed to file financial statements with the electoral office. The party was subsequently re-registered after filing after the filing deadline, then folded in 2004 when its leader resigned and its president moved to Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. The party became the Separation Party of Alberta
Separation Party of Alberta
The Separation Party of Alberta is a political party that advocates the secession of Alberta from Canada. Its leader is Bruce Hutton.-History:...
, which still holds the rights to the Alberta First name.
Most of the supporters and party officials joined the Alberta Alliance Party
Alberta Alliance Party
The Alberta Alliance was a right wing provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Many of its members were former supporters of the now-defunct Canadian Alliance federal political party and its predecessor, the Reform Party of Canada. Members also joined from such other provincial fringe parties...
that was just starting up during the decline of the Alberta First Party.