The Wildrose Party is going through its nomination process in 19 ridings in Alberta and with revisions earlier this year to its process, the rules make it tougher for potential candidates to challenge incumbent MLAs.
In the Drumheller-Stettler Riding Lisa Hansen-Zacharuk is hoping to become a candidate, and incumbent Rick Strankman has declared that he would like to continue to represent area. The application period ends on Friday, and while Hansen-Zacharuk has a long list of requirements, Strankman is set to go.
“I am continuing on. I told people a long time ago that I believe in two terms and that is where I am standing,” said Strankman.
“We have brought forward people’s concerns in individual districts about health care, municipal failures like highways and roads, and care of the same.”
As an opposition party, he explains they are not able to directly change policy, but they have driven the agenda, and made change. Most notable was, “one major staff change,” referencing the resignation of Alison Redford.
He says he is surprised there are not more people stepping up to be considered for the nomination race.
“I am surprised there are not more. At one time, I heard there were three. At that time, I told people who were informing me of this ‘I’m not afraid of democracy,’” he said.
A website called www.coreymorgan.com has posted the Wildrose selection rules, dated January 25, 2014. These rules outline the responsibilities to be undertaken by a person if they want to be considered an eligible candidate for a nomination race.
One of the most daunting tasks for a potential candidate is to collect a petition of members who support their decision to run. Under the rules, approved in 2014, if the riding is represented by a member of the Legislative Caucus, a petition must have either the greater of 150 signatures with members, or 1/3 of party members in the constituency in good standing. This requirement is increased from the Party Rules approved in 2011. A potential candidate’s requirements for signatures were 75 signatures or 1/3 of eligible members.
In the rules from 2011, it states the nomination period is 21 days. In the new rules, it is stated the nomination period is divided into two periods. There is a nine-day period, during which applications and nomination petitions are accepted, and a time in which individuals may purchase or renew their membership and be eligible to vote in a nomination event.
This means a potential candidate must collect their signatures in the petition within a nine-day time frame.
The process also makes it difficult to bring in new members to the party, as it makes the total number of signatures needed greater in the case of collecting signatures from 1/3 of the membership. With the increases with sales of memberships, so increases the required number of signatures.
MLA Strankman says the rules were out in advance and well understood. He says he, too, has concerns about them.
“There is a concern that people feel that democracy has been circumvented, and that is a frustration that I share too,” said Strankman.
“There are portions of the rules I feel should be changed, but people look at me as something more than a representative. I am the elected representative. To any challenger coming forward, I have not heard how to change the rules. It is one thing to criticize, it is another to give options.”
He says he recalls questioning some of the rules when he was running for the first time.
“I kind of bit my lip at that time, and people told me that was the case when you have a green party, they want to protect their incumbents. I thought, ’okay, I’ll give you that,’ but if there is wide discontent, we’ll hear from the people.”
