Swann bows out as Alberta Liberal Party leader
bootlegga @ Tue Feb 01, 2011 1:12 pm
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EDMONTON - Alberta Liberal Leader David Swann has stepped down.
“Upon careful consideration and consultation with my family and friends, I’ve made a decision to step down as leader of the Alberta Liberal Party following the spring sitting of the legislature,” Swann said.
“It is the right time for a new leader and a new generation of Albertans to take our party into the future,” he said. “My decision to step down represents an opportunity to renew our party as the future-focused, moderate voice.”
The announcement is the latest tectonic shift in Alberta’s political landscape.
Last week, Premier Ed Stelmach announced he would not run in the next election, initiating an unofficial leadership race in the ruling Conservative party. Two days later, Finance Minister Ted Morton stepped down and announced he will run for the leadership.
Tories denied the dual resignations were precipitated by caucus divisions over the direction of the 2011-12 budget.
In a statement, Liberal Party president Erick Ambtman said that under Swann’s leadership the party secured its financial future, modernized operations, and adapted a forward-thinking attitude.
“David’s work in caucus and in the legislature has provided us with exceptional policies on everything from clean government to the oil and gas sector,” Ambtman wrote.
“He has held the government to account, and he has championed a culture of change in the Alberta Liberal Party. His efforts will continue to pay dividends long after his tenure as our leader. He has been — and will no doubt continue to be — a model of selfless civil service.”
Ambtman is scheduled to speak to the media at 1:30 p.m. today.
Premier Ed Stelmach also thanked Swann for his years of service as MLA for Calgary Mountain View and as opposition leader.
“Alberta’s elected officials, regardless of their political affiliation, make many personal and professional sacrifices in the course of their public life, and Dr. Swann is no exception,” Stelmach said in a statement.
“Dr. Swann worked hard to represent the best interests of his constituents and his party as leader of the official Opposition, and for that he deserves the gratitude of all Albertans.”
NDP Leader Brian Mason also offered his thanks to Swann.
“I really respect Dr. Swann and the decision he has made,” Mason said.
Swann, 61, was first elected as MLA for Calgary-Mountain View in 2004. He was re-elected in 2008 and subsequently defeated Calgary-Currie MLA Dave Taylor to become leader of the party.
Under his leadership, the party has struggled.
Taylor left the party after losing the leadership to Swann, sat as an Independent MLA for about a year and announced Jan. 24 he has joined the nascent Alberta Party, an upstart centrist party vying for Liberal votes.
Swann’s announcement Tuesday comes amid unconfirmed speculation that at least two sitting MLAs are contemplating a move to Alberta Party as well, in advance of its leadership vote, which is scheduled for May 28.
Party president Tony Sansotta also resigned last year after disagreements with Swann over his attempts to unite progressive politicians in Alberta, and researcher Michael Decore — son of former Liberal leader Laurence Decore — also quit. Communications director Neil Mackie was recently fired.
Finally, two Liberal MLAs — former leader Kevin Taft and Calgary-Varsity MLA Harry Chase — have announced they will not run in the next election.
Swann’s announcement Tuesday, one week to the minute after Stelmach’s, triggers a third leadership race, this one for control of the official opposition.
It is not yet clear who the contenders will be.
“Upon careful consideration and consultation with my family and friends, I’ve made a decision to step down as leader of the Alberta Liberal Party following the spring sitting of the legislature,” Swann said.
“It is the right time for a new leader and a new generation of Albertans to take our party into the future,” he said. “My decision to step down represents an opportunity to renew our party as the future-focused, moderate voice.”
The announcement is the latest tectonic shift in Alberta’s political landscape.
Last week, Premier Ed Stelmach announced he would not run in the next election, initiating an unofficial leadership race in the ruling Conservative party. Two days later, Finance Minister Ted Morton stepped down and announced he will run for the leadership.
Tories denied the dual resignations were precipitated by caucus divisions over the direction of the 2011-12 budget.
In a statement, Liberal Party president Erick Ambtman said that under Swann’s leadership the party secured its financial future, modernized operations, and adapted a forward-thinking attitude.
“David’s work in caucus and in the legislature has provided us with exceptional policies on everything from clean government to the oil and gas sector,” Ambtman wrote.
“He has held the government to account, and he has championed a culture of change in the Alberta Liberal Party. His efforts will continue to pay dividends long after his tenure as our leader. He has been — and will no doubt continue to be — a model of selfless civil service.”
Ambtman is scheduled to speak to the media at 1:30 p.m. today.
Premier Ed Stelmach also thanked Swann for his years of service as MLA for Calgary Mountain View and as opposition leader.
“Alberta’s elected officials, regardless of their political affiliation, make many personal and professional sacrifices in the course of their public life, and Dr. Swann is no exception,” Stelmach said in a statement.
“Dr. Swann worked hard to represent the best interests of his constituents and his party as leader of the official Opposition, and for that he deserves the gratitude of all Albertans.”
NDP Leader Brian Mason also offered his thanks to Swann.
“I really respect Dr. Swann and the decision he has made,” Mason said.
Swann, 61, was first elected as MLA for Calgary-Mountain View in 2004. He was re-elected in 2008 and subsequently defeated Calgary-Currie MLA Dave Taylor to become leader of the party.
Under his leadership, the party has struggled.
Taylor left the party after losing the leadership to Swann, sat as an Independent MLA for about a year and announced Jan. 24 he has joined the nascent Alberta Party, an upstart centrist party vying for Liberal votes.
Swann’s announcement Tuesday comes amid unconfirmed speculation that at least two sitting MLAs are contemplating a move to Alberta Party as well, in advance of its leadership vote, which is scheduled for May 28.
Party president Tony Sansotta also resigned last year after disagreements with Swann over his attempts to unite progressive politicians in Alberta, and researcher Michael Decore — son of former Liberal leader Laurence Decore — also quit. Communications director Neil Mackie was recently fired.
Finally, two Liberal MLAs — former leader Kevin Taft and Calgary-Varsity MLA Harry Chase — have announced they will not run in the next election.
Swann’s announcement Tuesday, one week to the minute after Stelmach’s, triggers a third leadership race, this one for control of the official opposition.
It is not yet clear who the contenders will be.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Swa ... story.html
Wow, what a week in Alberta politics!
hurley_108 @ Tue Feb 01, 2011 1:27 pm
For the moment, BFD. As long as the progressive side of politics in this province has to come up with three effective leaders, 249 candidates, and all the overhead of maintaining party registration, they won't make the slightest dent in the conservative hegemony. If someone comes forward promising to work towards uniting the Liberals, NDP, and Greens, then I'll be interested.
QBC @ Tue Feb 01, 2011 1:30 pm
Political leaders in Alberta, dropping like flies!!!
Leader of a political party in Alberta right now = No job security... 
bootlegga @ Tue Feb 01, 2011 1:50 pm
hurley_108 hurley_108:
For the moment, BFD. As long as the progressive side of politics in this province has to come up with three effective leaders, 249 candidates, and all the overhead of maintaining party registration, they won't make the slightest dent in the conservative hegemony. If someone comes forward promising to work towards uniting the Liberals, NDP, and Greens, then I'll be interested.
I don't know about that. While there are three parties potentially splitting the left/centre vote, there are also two that are splitting the right/centre vote, so the next election could mean a huge change in how this province is run.
If the Wildrose Alliance is to be believed, they have the rural vote all but locked up, while the PCs disagree.
If the Liberals elect the wrong leader, they could easily see themselves resigned to a seat or two. And who knows how well the Alberta Party will do? Some of the same key strategists who got Nenshi elected Mayor in Calgary are now working for them - making them a potential threat to do some damage in the next election.
I think the next provincial election has the potential to be very exciting.
hurley_108 @ Tue Feb 01, 2011 1:52 pm
bootlegga bootlegga:
hurley_108 hurley_108:
For the moment, BFD. As long as the progressive side of politics in this province has to come up with three effective leaders, 249 candidates, and all the overhead of maintaining party registration, they won't make the slightest dent in the conservative hegemony. If someone comes forward promising to work towards uniting the Liberals, NDP, and Greens, then I'll be interested.
I don't know about that. While there are three parties potentially splitting the left/centre vote, there are also two that are splitting the right/centre vote, so the next election could mean a huge change in how this province is run.
If the Wildrose Alliance is to be believed, they have the rural vote all but locked up, while the PCs disagree.
If the Liberals elect the wrong leader, they could easily see themselves resigned to a seat or two. And who knows how well the Alberta Party will do? Some of the same key strategists who got Nenshi elected Mayor in Calgary are now working for them - making them a potential threat to do some damage in the next election.
I think the next provincial election has the potential to be very exciting.
Oh right, I forgot about the Alberta party. And the Greens won't be in the next election anyways - in the course of party infighting someone decided not to file necessary paperwork with Elections Alberta and they got deregistered.
Thanos @ Tue Feb 01, 2011 3:38 pm
Too bad that they pissed off Dave Taylor so much that he quit the party altogether. He's the sort of pit-fighter they could've used right now to boost their image. They might not get an immediate uplift at the polls out of it (who can even remember the days in Alberta where Laurence Decore got thirty-two seats in the legislature? 
) but Taylor's trademark fireworks would at least inflate their profile to the point where they definitely would have got more attention. Liberals choosing colourless intellectuals and milquetoasts like Taft and Swann for their leaders is a huge reason why they can't gain any ground, even against a government as shitty as the Stelmach one has been.
Scape @ Tue Feb 01, 2011 5:40 pm
Didn't they do that last time and then that's how Klein got in?
The house
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This week on The House, the leader of Alberta's Wildrose Alliance Party, Danielle Smith, responds to an invitation to unite the province's right. She also talks about the implications of the upcoming PC party leadership race for her party, and federal Conservatives. Then, Edmonton Journal columnist Graham Thomson helps us make sense of Ed Stelmach's decision to step down.
Thanos @ Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:04 pm
No. Decore first got in during the 1988 election with eight seats. After Don Getty left the PC's reeling in confusion from his own messy leadership he stepped down in '92/93 after one term and Klein's people took over the PC party. Running on an intense anti-spending campaign of their own the Liberals still were able to shoot up to thirty-two seats in the 1993 election. For some reason, despite this nearly unprecedented success, the Liberals turned on Decore afterwards because they thought that they should have won even more seats because of the terrible record Getty left behind. This turned out to be the stupidest thing they ever could have done, and Decore left a year or so later. By the 1997 (?) election rolled around the infighting had taken it's toll, their new leaders (Nancy "Lady" MacBeth and Grant Mitchell) proved to be too minor to fill Decore's shoes, and the series of near-wipeouts the Liberals would suffer at the hands of Ralph Klein began in earnest. Decore himself died from cancer in 1999 and left the legacy that his leadership was the highest watermark agains the Tories that any opposition party had ever acheived in post-Social Credit Alberta history.
jimmy_simpson @ Sun Oct 16, 2011 5:08 pm
Well im thinking Raj will only help the PC and Wildrose cause.......
im a PC supporter , but the Wildrose are not to be ignored....