Wildrose Party to stay Official Opposition in Alberta

The Wildrose Party will remain the Official Opposition in the Alberta Legislature, Speaker Gene Zwozdesky says.

The party was left with five MLAs after leader Danielle Smith and eight other caucus members defected to the governing Progressive Conservatives last week.

The Speaker had to make a ruling, because the Liberals also have five MLAs.

Zwozdesky consulted with other Speakers and relied on past rulings from other Canadian legislatures to come to his decision. He said two rulings, one from New Brunswick in 1994 and another from the House of Commons in 1996, set precedent in favouring the incumbent party in a tie situation. 

Zwozdesky confirmed that there was also talk of a coalition — not between parties, but among members. 

"What I do know is that there was one independent member who has since gone public indicating that he was reviewing the possibility of something akin to not a coalition so much as a caucusing with," he said. 

Two Alberta Liberals, Darshan Kang and Kent Hehr, have won nominations to run for the Liberals in the next federal election.  And there has been talk of other opposition members possibly crossing the floor.  

Zwozdesky said he is prepared to review his decision if the balance changes among the party. 

"I'm well aware there might be certain changes that would be forthcoming over the next year or two leading up to an election," he said. "I don't know if they will happen. Those decisions are in the control of the members themselves and of the caucuses." 

Remaining the official opposition party means the leader gets to ask the first three main questions in question period. There are financial implications as well. The leader gets a higher salary and the party gets more money for research. 

Shayne Saskiw, house leader for the Wildrose, said the caucus is pleased with the ruling. 

“I think this is the first time the Speaker has uplifted the spirits of the Official Opposition," he said. 

Earlier this week, it was announced that veteran MLA Heather Forsyth will lead the Wildrose Party on an interim basis until a permanent leader is selected.

Forsyth, a Tory who crossed to the Wildrose in 2010, plans not to run in the next election.