Stelmach leadership vote 'little bit Third World'

EDMONTON — Senior government officials told MLAs to screen delegates who were voting last fall during Premier Ed Stelmach's leadership review, say two Tory MLAs who this week defected to the Wildrose Alliance.

Rob Anderson and Heather Forsyth said Conservative MLAs were told in caucus to make sure their delegates would vote for Stelmach at the Nov. 7 party leadership review.

"Many of us ignored that, but a lot didn't," Anderson said. "That was one of the many straws to me that said this is a little bit Third World."

Rumours that the premier's supporters had put pressure on MLAs to find co-operative delegates were widely reported at the time, something the party denied.

"What happened was that before the convention, in caucus, we were instructed by senior elected people that we were to veto any riding delegates who were not loyal to Ed Stelmach," Anderson told the Calgary Herald.

"We were told not to permit them to be on the delegate list."

Calgary-Egmont MLA Jonathan Denis, who was part of the Tory Fiscal Four group with Anderson, denied the allegations.

"That's simply not true," Denis said. "There was never any talk about rejecting delegates. At the end of the day it's the delegates' choice, and it's a secret ballot."

Stelmach received 77-per-cent support from party delegates. Forsyth said she wasn't surprised, since she saw a number of new faces in the crowd at the convention.

"I have never told my board members how to vote -- they're adults, they are intelligent, they are bright," Forsyth said. "It's not my job to tell anybody how to vote."

The two new Wildrose MLAs say they aren't ready to test with voters their decision to abandon the Tories, despite the fledgling party's pledge to introduce recall legislation this spring.

Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith said Tuesday that Calgary-area byelections would be unnecessary and likely too expensive. She also said it would be a financial hardship for the MLAs to resign their seats until a byelection is officially called.

Forsyth believes her constituents in Calgary-Fish Creek wanted her to jump parties, so a byelection would be unnecessary.

"All of them said the same thing -- they wanted me to cross the floor," Forsyth said.

"I asked them if they wanted me to sit as an independent. They said no, they wanted me to go to the Wildrose."

Forsyth and Anderson have both said they have had overwhelming support from people in their ridings. Anderson said his Airdrie-Chestermere constituents' interests will be best served with the Wildrose Alliance.

"Their policies are in line with the policies my constituents want to see advocated for. So I've made a decision to go with a party that best represents the principles and ideals of the constituents I represent," Anderson said.

The party's recall bill, Bill 208, will likely be introduced by the Wildrose's other MLA, Paul Hinman. It would allow people to turf their MLA if they got one third of people in a riding to sign a petition.

NDP Leader Brian Mason accused Smith and the Wildrose of being hypocritical by failing to seek byelections.

In 1993, Forsyth broke ranks with her party to support a Liberal recall bill. B.C. is the only province in Canada with recall legislation, though no MLA has yet been booted by his or her constituents.

In his first statement since Anderson and Forsyth left his party, Premier Ed Stelmach called for unity and pledged to steer Alberta out of the recession.

In a note sent to supporters, Stelmach admitted he was disappointed to hear of the departure of Rob Anderson and Heather Forsyth. But he said the province needs to stick together in tough times.

"It is the Alberta way," Stelmach said. "We did it during the Depression in the 1930s and we did it during the dark days of the National Energy Program."

Stelmach said he and the party's remaining 68 MLAs will work on strengthening the economy, balancing the province's books within three years and protecting services for the most vulnerable.

"The coming year will be difficult but we have never shied away from hard work. And Alberta will very soon be leading the country in economic growth again."

Stelmach is on holidays this week, but will be back next week before leaving on Jan. 14 for a 10-day Middle East trade mission.

His much-anticipated cabinet shuffle will likely take place the week of Jan. 25.

amclean@thejournal.canwest.com