I've updated the list of Alberta PC MLA endorsements in the Tory leadership race. (You can find the total list here).
The list has been updated to reflect 7 MLA endorsements for Ed Stelmach: Health Minister Iris Evans (Sherwood Park), RAGE Minister Luke Ouellette (Innisfail-Sylvan Lake), and backbencher MLA's George Groeneveld (Highwood), Hector Goudreau (Dunvegan-Central Peace), Ray Danyluk (Lac La Biche-St. Paul), Fred Lindsay (Stony Plain), and Lloyd Snelgrove (Vermillion-Lloydminster).
Total declared support:
Jim Dinning - 27 MLA's
Ed Stelmach - 7 MLA's
Mark Norris - 2 MLA's
Alana DeLong - No Declared MLA Support
Victor Doerksen - No Declared MLA Support
Dave Hancock - No Declared MLA Support
Ted Morton - No Declared MLA Support
Lyle Oberg - No Declared MLA Support
Undeclared - 20 MLA's
If I've missed any, shoot me an email.
Friday, September 29, 2006
four plus three equals seven.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
I would agree with csfr's point (see daveberta's original numbers post - http://daveberta.blogspot.com/2006/06/keeping-track-of-alberta-tory.html).
Although total numbers do look good, rural MLA's have more influence with respect to getting their constituents to come out and vote for a leadership candidate. Although I live in an urban setting now, I grew up rural. Most people in rural areas know their MLA; heck, they even call them at home. In the major cities, by contrast, most people - those without a keen interest in politics, that is - don't know the name of their riding or even the name of their MLA (they might recall the name if they read it somewhere). I don't doubt that strong rural backing was one factor that helped Stelmach get the 500 PC member signatures required to be the first contender to actually enter the leadership race.
An interesting item I heard was that some of the MLAs who very early declared for Dinning are feeling heat from some of their constituents. There was a point made early on in this thread that many were not even in the house when Dinning was last an MLA. So for many to say that they support him for his policies (which were not out in the public domain, if they are now) was a bit of a stretch. I think Tom Olsen in the Calgary Herald used some sort of sheep analogy. It would be nice to see some additional dispersion of support - not everyone lining up behind the media's anointed "front-runner". It shows independent thinking, to my mind, on the part of the MLA, and helps them to avoid being labelled as one who is just gunning for a cabinet position. Correct me if I am wrong, but I remember Norris complaining this summer that the Agriculture Ministry was promised to four guys - and none of them named Doug Horner.
Lastly, I would think MLA support helps to get a candidate more press. The Calgary press has been just awful in their coverage of anyone but Dinning, Morton and Oberg. Norris gets the odd bit of text, and lately Stelmach has as well, but Hancock has been almost invisible, and the rest hardly mentioned at all. The Edmonton press has been a little more balanced, but not enough in my view. This should change for the better as policy comes out - I hope.
Post a Comment