As the Wildrose Party has grown and matured as a party, our policies have evolved and moderated every year. We have learned from experience what is realistic and what is acceptable to Albertans and have adjusted our actions accordingly. As the policy set moves towards what some may view as a more mushy middle, some critics have questioned what differences remain between the Wildrose Party and the reigning Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta. While the policies may appear to be getting similar (can’t really find a good copy of the PC ones), the difference between the parties is still immense.
The biggest difference between the Wildrose Party and the PCs is subtle yet profound. The difference between the parties is one of both culture and of attitudes held by both the general membership and senior party members. This huge difference was laid out and exposed excellently in a blog posting by Christina Rontynen who courageously has spoken up from within the PCs.
Christina and her husband Piotr Pilarski have both been very loyal and involved members of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta for years. Christina has now spoken up out of concern for the party that she has given so much to. In return for Christina having expressed frank concerns, she has received a letter of censure from the Party President Jim McCormick.
The bottom line is that the powers that be in the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta have told a concerned member in no uncertain terms to shut the hell up. This exposes the great difference from the Wildrose Party and sickness from within the PC Party of Alberta. Redford can’t be blamed for this attempt to gag a concerned loyal member. This missive came from the Party President who is supposed to represent the membership.
My wife Jane and I have both been very vocal and outspoken when we have felt that some elements within the Wildrose Party may be trying to move things in the wrong direction. We have been critical of the Wildrose Party on a number of occasions. Jane is a former Executive Director for the Wildrose and has served in a number of executive capacities while I served multiple terms on the party executive. Both Jane and I are past candidates for the party. Serving in those sorts of roles does not mean we can no longer be openly critical of the party at times as McCormick has implied in his letter to Rontynen.
Jane and I have surely made many senior members of the Wildrose Party grind their teeth when we have gotten openly cranky with the party. I have gotten more than one grumpy phone call from higher-ups in the party asking what I am up to. One thing that has never happened though is that nobody in the Wildrose Party considered for even a second to tell Jane or I to shut up!
The culture of the Wildrose Party is still one where the concerns of the membership (and Albertans) are paramount. The party is still relatively new and embraces internal critique as part of it’s growth rather than try to stifle it. Perhaps if the Wildrose Party held power for 43 years in Alberta these values and attitudes would change but for now the party is as grassroots as it gets despite taking an increasingly pragmatic approach to it’s actions.
The culture and attitude of a party can’t be captured in a policy statement. Those things can only been viewed in actions and felt within membership. Even if the Wildrose Party and the PC Party had the exact same policy set (they certainly don’t), the difference in cultures within these two parties would still set them greatly apart.
The Progressive Conservative Party acts only for the benefit of the party itself. The Wildrose Party is still dominated by the ideal of service for the benefit of the province and acts through the guidance of the party membership. That difference is and will remain tremendous no matter who may lead the Progressive Conservative Party next.
Hi Cory,
Agree with your article but just want to highlight something:
“The Progressive Conservative Party acts only for the benefit of the party itself. The Wildrose Party is still dominated by the ideal of service for the benefit of the province and acts through the guidance of the party membership. That difference is and will remain tremendous no matter who may lead the Progressive Conservative Party next.”
This is the byproduct of being the party in charge. The motivating factors of democracy are different between the ruling party and the challenging party. Leadership is replaced with self-preservation the day they get elected. It’s why Lougheed has long been perceived as a great leader and Ralph Klien such an anomaly among politicians.
It’s a sad reality and why the perception of Danielle Smith is that of leading because she must. If you don’t have a mountain to stand on you have to fight your way to the top.
Big changes ahead.
43 years is bad for Alberta, has been bad for the PC party, and it’s time for a new leader.
Wildrose still lost my vote when Smith announced the party’s decision to join the climate change idiocy.
If Wild Rose lost you on climate change then I am wondering who you would vote for? To my way of thinking a party that represents the majority of my opinions, is the best I’ll ever do.
I hate to admit it but I’m actually disenfranchised. Now, because of Wildrose’s change in policy they lost my vote. I’ll never ever vote PC again either thanks to Redford. Liberal or Dip is a non-starter. So, None Of The Above.
I agree with you 100% Tim. Those of us who want to fight against the socialist climate change agenda and for small government need rise up against the constant shift left in the Wildrose party. I though this party was started as a small government conservative opposition to the PCs not a populist party.
I couldn’t agree more.
We need a conservative party in Alberta not another progressive/socialist party. Wildrose is still the best option for Alberta but they need to stand up to these propangandas such as climat change.
The WRP received my vote last time. They likely won’t get it again. I can’t think of a party that I had felt so enthusiastic about voting for disappointing me so quickly. Other than showing off her hubcaps Danielle has done nothing to regain my vote, lost when they lost an election they had in a walk because they allowed themselves to be painted as intolerant and without a sense of purpose. The intolerant I never bought into but the lack of purpose has become a lot more evident as time has gone on. About the only thing that stands out about the WRP is that their message is, “We are just like the PCs except better”. Sorry but that message doesn’t cut the mustard. Get a vision, get a purpose and promote the daylights out of them. If I wanted a wannabea PC I’d vote for the PCs.
I just pray that the Wildrose keeps Vitor Marciano and his othe federal Edmonton Centre minions as staffers. It is the only way left for the PC’s to sabotage your party.
I’m not from Alberta but wanted to learn more about the Wild Rose Party for my own education.
I was liking what I read about them until I saw there position on climate change.
I know there are some who want to say it doesn’t exist or isn’t as bad as some say.
However in my opinion this is not a political issue. The science is real and nearly all scientists agree. I believe in conservative principles but you can have those and still not want to destroy the planet for future generations.
I READ UP ON, THE WILD ROSE PC, I READ THIS PAGE, I MUST BE HONEST, ALL IT DID WAS, TALK IN CIRCLES, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE PC, OF OLD!.I DON’T SEE HOW, THEY ARE ANY DIFFERENT, FROM THE ONES THAT IN OTTAWA?!. THEY BRING UP, HOW THEY WHERE MORE, LIKE HOME GROWN,
THERE IN ALBERTA. I FEEL THEY REALLY,ARE NO DIFFERENT, THEN WHEN STEPHEN HARPER, PC PARTY WHEN THEY,WHERE IN POWER!. WE ALL KNOW, HOW THAT ENDED, DON’T WE??!!.