Wildrose Party of Alberta
Encyclopedia
The Wildrose Party of Alberta was a right wing
provincial political party
founded in Alberta
, Canada
in 2007. The party took its name from Alberta's provincial flower.
On January 19, 2008, the party merged with the Alberta Alliance Party
to form into the Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta
. The party never contested an election as no general election or by-elections were held during the party's brief existence.
According to Don Weisbeck, Mayor of Brooks
and Vice President (Communications) for the party, “the provincial government has swayed from its conservative roots. They’ve become one of the fastest spending and highest taxing jurisdictions in the country compared to their original roots where they tried to minimize taxes and government involvement in people’s lives".
The party constitution emphasized the control of the grass-roots.
. According to the party, "the initiative began with an earlier Red Deer meeting (May 26) where fifty people from diverse political backgrounds mostly agreed that existing political parties can't or won't challenge the federal system and restrain provincial spending. The initiative was bolstered by two recent by-elections in which support for conservative parties plunged overall, while liberal support did not increase." The poor performance of the Alberta Alliance in the June by-elections reinforced the view that the Alberta Alliance would not be able to effectively challenge the government of Premier
Ed Stelmach
. Prominent former Alberta Alliance members who have joined the Wildrose Party include Eleanor Maroes.
The party collected more than 6004 Alberta signatures in order to gain party status..
Southern Directors:
Northern Directors:
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...
provincial 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...
founded 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...
in 2007. The party took its name from Alberta's provincial flower.
On January 19, 2008, the party merged with 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...
to form into the Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta
Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta
The Wildrose Party, formerly Wildrose Alliance Party, is a conservative provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. It includes free market conservative, libertarian and socially conservative factions and was formed in 2008 following a merger of the Wildrose Party of Alberta and the Alberta...
. The party never contested an election as no general election or by-elections were held during the party's brief existence.
Objectives and philosophy
According to a media advisory issued by the party on June 26, 2007, its main emphasis was to be:- "Reducing by constitutional means the enormous net outflow of wealth from Albertans to the federal government"
- "Ensuring that provincial decisions better reflect the mainstream values and priorities of most Albertans"
- "Ensuring that the party's Leader and MLAs honour their election promises and commitments"
According to Don Weisbeck, Mayor of Brooks
Brooks, Alberta
Brooks is a city in southeast Alberta, Canada surrounded by the County of Newell. It is located on Highway 1 and the Canadian Pacific Railway, approximately southeast of Calgary, and northwest of Medicine Hat. The city has an elevation of .- History :The area that is now Brooks was originally...
and Vice President (Communications) for the party, “the provincial government has swayed from its conservative roots. They’ve become one of the fastest spending and highest taxing jurisdictions in the country compared to their original roots where they tried to minimize taxes and government involvement in people’s lives".
The party constitution emphasized the control of the grass-roots.
History
The party was launched on June 23, 2007 at a meeting of 76 Albertans in Red DeerRed Deer, Alberta
Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills...
. According to the party, "the initiative began with an earlier Red Deer meeting (May 26) where fifty people from diverse political backgrounds mostly agreed that existing political parties can't or won't challenge the federal system and restrain provincial spending. The initiative was bolstered by two recent by-elections in which support for conservative parties plunged overall, while liberal support did not increase." The poor performance of the Alberta Alliance in the June by-elections reinforced the view that the Alberta Alliance would not be able to effectively challenge the government of Premier
Premier of Alberta
The Premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. The current Premier of Alberta is Alison Redford. She became Premier by winning the Progressive Conservative leadership elections on...
Ed Stelmach
Ed Stelmach
Edward Michael "Ed" Stelmach, MLA is a Canadian politician and served as the 13th Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 2006 to 2011. The grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Stelmach was born and raised on a farm near Lamont and speaks fluent Ukrainian. He spent his entire pre-political adult life as a...
. Prominent former Alberta Alliance members who have joined the Wildrose Party include Eleanor Maroes.
The party collected more than 6004 Alberta signatures in order to gain party status..
Interim Executive Committee
- Rob James, President (Calgary, former southern Alberta campaign chair for the Progressive Conservative party)
- Daniel Johnson, Vice-President Membership (Edmonton)
- Gordon Lang, Vice-President Fundraising (Calgary)
- John Hilton-O'Brien, Vice-President Policy (Calgary)
- Link ByfieldLink Byfield-Columnist and Writer:Byfield was editor and publisher for the now defunct Alberta Report magazine for 18 years. He is the son of conservative columnist Ted Byfield...
, Vice-President Communications (Riviere Qui Barre) - Eleanor Maroes, Treasurer (Edmonton)
- Rosemary Craig, Secretary (Calgary)
Southern Directors:
- Ryan Wall, Calgary Zone (Calgary)
- Shyla Nickerson, Southwest Zone (Didsbury)
- Don Ebenal, Southeast Zone (Red Deer)
Northern Directors:
- Phil Gamache, Edmonton Zone (Edmonton)
- Dean Schmale, Northeast Zone (Winfield)
- Todd Brown, Northwest Zone (Thorsby)
See also
- Politics of AlbertaPolitics of AlbertaThe politics of Alberta are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces, namely a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The capital of the province is Edmonton, where the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, the legislature, and cabinet reside.The...
- Registered Alberta political parties