‘Real democracy’ tops agenda for new leader of upstart Alberta party

Edmonton — Members of Alberta’s upstart Wildrose Alliance Party chose Danielle Smith as their new leader Saturday, embracing her vision of building a mainstream conservative party to challenge the governing Tory dynasty.

“My No. 1 job is to turn Alberta back into a real democracy again,” Smith told an enthusiastic crowd of more than 400 people. “Change is coming.”

Exact results have not been announced yet.

Her only opponent for the job, Calgary chiropractor Mark Dyrholm, pledged party unity and said Smith will be the next premier.

The race gained considerable attention in recent weeks after a surprising Calgary byelection win and a pair of polls showing the party gaining ground on the Progressive Conservatives, who have ruled with an uninterrupted string of majority governments dating back to 1971.

But the party’s rapid rise means they will now enjoy increased scrutiny as they begin the tough slog of building a viable political organization.

Smith, 38, is a former journalist and activist. She pitched herself as a fiscal conservative and social moderate and the only candidate who could bring new people to the party and challenge the government in the next election.

Dyrholm, on the other hand, tried to frame Smith as a liberal in conservative costume because of her support of gay marriage, pro-choice stance on abortion and her lack of business experience.

With Saturday’s vote, party members clearly threw their lot in with Smith.

“I think she’ll bring a whole new breath of fresh air to Alberta politics,” said former Tory cabinet minister Ernie Isley, now a Wildrose member. “I think she’ll be very electable and very successful. She expresses herself very well and has a good grasp of the issues.”

The party has been leaderless since April, when Paul Hinman stepped down from the post. Ironically, it was Hinman who injected the race with a shot of energy when he won a Calgary byelection last month against strong opponents in a PC stronghold.

Meanwhile, a pair of polls in the last month showed the party gaining ground on the governing conservatives, and pulling roughly even with the opposition Liberals. Their membership has grown from about 4,000 members in September to as many as 12,000 today.

For all the media attention this race has attracted, the party remains an enigma to many Albertans.

Chaldeans Mensah, a political-science professor at Grant MacEwan University, said communicating its policies will be its top challenge.

Former Conservative MP Dave Chatters, a Smith supporter, said they have a good start with their new leader.

“Provincially or federally, the key to success is leadership,” he said. “If you get a charismatic, capable leader who can lead the party and allow people’s ideas to come from the bottom to the top, you’ll be successful.”

Now the difficult, unglamorous work of politics will begin. The party must build constituency associations, raise money, add new members and recruit credible candidates in 83 ridings across the province.

Party president Jeff Callaway says the party has roughly 40 constituency associations already. They pulled in more than double the 4,575 people who voted in the Liberal leadership race last fall.

Alberta’s political watchers will now shift their attention to Premier Ed Stelmach’s leadership review, which happens Nov. 7 in Red Deer.

Stelmach has faced a string of bad news this fall including the byelection loss, criticism from former MLAs and cabinet ministers, and a recent botched rollout of pay cuts.

— with files from Trish Audette