CALGARY – Just days before Alison Redford was to take on the biggest fight of her political life, real life dealt a harsh blow with news her ailing mother died Tuesday night.
Redford had announced earlier in the day that she was briefly suspending her campaign to become the province’s next premier after her mother was admitted to hospital in High River, Alta., with an unspecified severe illness.
A campaign spokesman initially said Helen Redford's condition had stabilized and she had been transferred to a Calgary hospital. But later Tueday night, the campaign issued a news release with the sad news.
The release said the candidate and one of her sisters had been with their mother when she died.
Helen Redford was 71 years old.
Despite the setback, a spokesperson for Redford says she will participate in the PC leadership debate on Global on Wednesday night.
The debate with Redford, Gary Mar and Doug Horner will air province-wide.
Political analyst Duane Bratt says there’s no question the debate could have an impact on the final leadership vote on Saturday, but that candidates will be walking a fine line:
“In this case the front runner is Gary Mar but how do you go after him so hard, and then a couple of days later look for a cabinet post. If you don’t go after Mar, then you are conceding the victory to him.”
Fewer than 60,000 party members cast ballots in round one of the leadership vote.
The party is hoping for a bigger turnout on the second ballot this weekend.
with files from The Canadian Press
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