Wildrose Party leadership election, 2015

Wildrose Party leadership election, 2015
Date March 28, 2015[1][2]
Convention Sheraton Cavalier,
Calgary[3]
Resigning leader Danielle Smith
Won by Brian Jean
Ballots 1
Candidates 3
Entrance Fee $20,000[2]
Spending limit $30,000[2]

The 2015 Wildrose Party leadership election was triggered December 17, 2014, following the decision by leader Danielle Smith and eight other MLAs to leave the Wildrose Party and cross the floor to join the ruling Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta (PCs). The party announced the next day that it would appoint an interim leader and hold an election to choose a permanent leader in 2015.[4] Former Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament Brian Jean was elected leader over two other candidates on March 28, 2015.

Under the party's constitution, it had to, within 15 days of Smith's resignation, set a date for party members to choose a new permanent leader.[5] Smith tendered her resignation on the morning of December 17, 2014.[6] In a letter to the party's executive, Smith recommended that party members vote on a “reunification resolution” to merge with the PCs as soon as possible, a course of action that the executive rejected.[4][6]

The party's constitution also stipulates that the leadership election had to be held between three and nine months after the position becomes open, in this case between March and September 2015.[7]

Each candidate had to pay a non-refundable $20,000 deposit and receive endorsement signatures from 250 party members.[8]

The party executive announced on January 23, 2015 that the election was to be held on June 6, 2015 and that party members will be able to vote in person at venues around the province or by mail-in ballot; results were to be announced at the Coast Plaza Hotel in Calgary.[2][9][10]

Voting was by means of a ranked ballot. Originally, voters were required to rank all three candidates however, due to objections, this was changed to allow voters to rank either one, two, or all three candidates.[11]

However, due to the likelihood of an early provincial election, the date of the leadership vote was moved up with the vote to be conducted by a telephone ballot in a 12-day period from March 16 to March 28, 2015 with results announced at the Sheraton Cavalier in Calgary.[12][1]

Timeline

Declared candidates

Drew Barnes

Barnes in 2013
Background

MLA (Cypress-Medicine Hat 2012–present),[33][34][8] realtor and businessman by trade.[35]

Date declared: February 26, 2015[35]
Support from provincial caucus members:
Support from federal Members of Parliament:
Support from former provincial caucus members:
Other prominent supporters:
Policies:

Brian Jean

Jean in 2015
Background

Lawyer and former Conservative MP (Athabasca, 2004-2006; Fort McMurray—Athabasca, 2006-2014), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (2006-2011).[36][8]

Date declared: February 25, 2015[37]
Support from provincial caucus members:
Support from federal Members of Parliament:
Support from former provincial caucus members:
Other prominent supporters: Wildrose candidates Derek Fildebrandt (Strathmore-Brooks), a former spokesman for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation who had been touted as a prospective leadership candidate;[37] Kathy Macdonald (Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill); Hardyal Singh Mann (Calgary-McCall); Kathy Rondeau (Stony Plain); Wayne Anderson (Highwood); Bill Jarvis (Calgary–South East); Darryl Boisson (Lesser Slave Lake); Jaye Walter (Spruce Grove-St. Albert); Travis Olson (Athabasca-Redwater); Leela Aheer (Chestermere-Rocky View); Chris Kemp-Jackson (Calgary-Glenmore); Gerard Lucyshyn (Calgary West); Jason Nixon (Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre); Jae Shim (Calgary-Hawkwood); Jeremy Nixon (Calgary-Klein); Todd Loewen (Grand Prairie–Smoky)[38]
Policies: Wants to "clean up" the health care system and deal with alleged financial mismanagement in the provincial government.[37]

Linda Osinchuk

Osinchuk in 2009
Background

Former mayor of Strathcona County (2010-2013), Wildrose nominee for Sherwood Park in the next election, registered nurse by profession.[39][40][29]

Date declared: February 26, 2015[41]
Support from provincial caucus members:
Support from federal Members of Parliament:
Support from former provincial caucus members:
Other prominent supporters: Wildrose candidates Sharon Smith (Leduc-Beaumont) and Jaye Walter (Spruce Grove-St. Albert)[35]
Policies: Supports fiscal responsibility but also supports Gay Straight Alliances in schools and inclusion of LGBT people in society.[35]

Disqualified

Declined

Results

First Ballot
Candidate Votes[49]%
Brian Jean4,79254.8
Drew Barnes3,502 40.0
Linda Osinchuk444 5.1
Total8,738100

Turnout was 34.5%

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Alberta Wildrose Party sets date for fast tracked leadership vote". Calgary Sun. February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Wildrose announces June 6 leadership contest". Calgary Herald. January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  3. http://www.wildrose.ca/wildrose_party_will_announce_a_new_leader
  4. 1 2 3 "Wildrose party rejects Danielle Smith’s ‘reunification proposal’". December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  5. Wood, James (December 17, 2014). "Wildrose plots next move after mass defection of MLAs". Calgary Herald. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Wood, James (December 17, 2014). "Wildrose MLAs and leader bolt to Tories, leaving opposition decimated". Calgary Herald. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  7. "Wildrose must choose new leader after loss of MLAs". Calgary Herald. December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Wildrose leadership race ramps up on weekend with candidate speeches". Global News. Canadian Press. February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Wildrose Announces June Date for Leadership Race". Wildrose Party (press release). January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  10. "Wildrose Party leader to be announced June 6". CBC News. January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  11. "Wildrose Party leadership vote resumes after process adjustment". CBC News. March 17, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Wildrose to officially name new leader on March 28th". Newstalk 770. February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  13. Janus, Andrea (March 20, 2014). "Redford's replacement Dave Hancock promises 'government Albertans want'". CTV News. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  14. "Alberta PC leadership vote: Jim Prentice wins on 1st ballot". CBC News. September 6, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  15. Ibrahim, Mariam (September 15, 2014). "Prentice promises ‘new way of doing things’ as smaller cabinet sworn in". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  16. "Alberta byelections swept by Jim Prentice's Progressive Conservative Party". CBC News. October 27, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  17. 1 2 "Danielle Smith asked to withdraw leadership review request". CBC News. November 2, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  18. "Joe Anglin quits Wildrose caucus, will sit as independent". CBC News. November 2, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  19. "Wildrose party backtracks on statement affirming equal rights for all". CBC News. November 15, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  20. "Wildrose 2014 AGM Policy Submissions". Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  21. "Wildrose not changing equal rights policy statement". 630 CHED. November 15, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  22. "A timeline of the Wildrose party". Edmonton Journal. December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  23. Ibrahim, Mariam; Kleiss, Karen. "Wildrose MLAs Kerry Towle and Ian Donovan cross floor to join Tories". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  24. Bartko, Karen (December 17, 2014). "Cabinet minister has ‘open mind’ to Wildrose floor crossings". Global Edmonton. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  25. "Wildrose Party announces Heather Forsyth as new interim leader". CBC News. December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  26. "Alberta speaker picks Wildrose as Official Opposition". Calgary Herald. December 23, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  27. 1 2 "Alberta's Official Opposition: Liberals bid to replace Wildrose". CBC News. December 23, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  28. "Wildrose Party Announces Leadership Race". Wildrose Party (press release). January 2, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
  29. 1 2 "Former Sherwood Park mayor eyes WRP leadership". Edmonton Sun. February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  30. "Wildrose looking to bump up leadership vote to end of March". CBC News. February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  31. http://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/brian-jean-enters-wildrose-leadership-race
  32. "Wildrose picks new leader Saturday as election call looms". Calgary Herald. March 27, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 "Two MLAs, Calgary lawyer, eye Wildrose leadership crown as party seeks renewal". Calgary Herald. January 9, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  34. "Is Drew Barnes the Wildrose’s logical choice to lead?". Medicine Hat News. December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  35. 1 2 3 4 "Barnes enters Wildrose race promising to rebuild trust". Calgary Herald. February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  36. "Former Tory MP Brian Jean considers bid for Wildrose leadership". Calgary Herald. February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  37. 1 2 3 4 "Former Tory MP seeks leadership of Alberta's Wildrose party". CTV News. February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  38. http://www.brianjeanwrp.com/endorsements
  39. "Wildrose leadership expected to be decided in early June". Calgary Herald. January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  40. http://lindaosinchuk.ca/?page_id=46
  41. "Osinchuk announces leadership bid". Sherwood Park News. February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  42. "Outgoing Calgary Conservative MP Rob Anders eyes Alberta Wildrose Party leader job". Calgary Sun. January 12, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  43. "Wildrose president downplays Anders' chances at leadership". Calgary Herald. January 14, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  44. "Rob Anders leadership run rejected by Wildrose Party". CBC News. February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  45. 1 2 "Heather Forsyth named interim Wildrose leader". Calgary Sun. December 23, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  46. "Wildrose MLA Shayne Saskiw leaving Alberta legislature". CBC News. March 12, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  47. "Thanks, But No Thanks". AM 1140/Sun Country 99.7FM (High River Online). January 16, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  48. "Willerton will not run for Wildrose leader again". Medicine Hat News. January 3, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  49. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/brian-jean-elected-new-leader-of-wildrose-party-1.3013900
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