Mark Up One for the Alberta Wild Rose

[CHIMO]

And Harper's Conservatives.

Defeated Premier Charest resigns as Liberal leader

Jean Charest, the outgoing Quebec premier, is resigning as provincial Liberal leader following Tuesday's election loss to the Parti Québécois.

Charest had come out feisty in his concession speech Tuesday night, saying that as the Official Opposition to a minority government, his Liberals will have plenty to offer Quebecers.

But at a news conference Wednesday in Quebec City, he said he had consulted his family and the decision was unanimous. He will resign the Liberal leadership "in the next few days," once the new government is in place.

"I'm very proud of what I've accomplished in my public career. It's been a real privilege," he told assembled cabinet ministers and journalists.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/quebecvotes2012/story/2012/09/05/quebec-election-political-transition-charest-marois.html

And to you know who out there. The pen is stronger than the sword! Grab a pen and use it.

[riverbendviewgal]

1. the Parti quebecois got 32 percent of the vote

there will be another election soon.

No big gain of the PC....The Wild Rose party are the Republicans north..

[CHIMO]

2. So What Else Is New?

The PC's don't exist in Federal politics!

What further information do you have about the Wild Rose?

[Joe Shlabotnik]

3. I don't really see much of a connection or benefit to the Conservatives,

considering that Charest was a Conservative. In fact the PQ win could be interpreted as left leaning momentum evident with the 2011 federal election, and the soon to be turfed faux Liberal party in BC. When the next Quebec election is called, the NDP are supposed to be running provincial candidates for the first time since 1994, offering a federalist left of center alternative.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1243633--ndp-will-run-in-future-quebec-elections-mulcair-says

[riverbendviewgal]

4. That's good

I would like to see the NDP there.

[CHIMO]

5. Redford meets with Quebec Premier Jean Charest

The two premiers have known each other for a number of years, ever since Charest was a cabinet minister and Redford was a staff member under former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/01/11/edmonton-redford-charest-meet.html

The Harper-Wildrose alliance: The elephant in Alberta's conservative room
There's an elephant in the room whenever Albertans of a conservative political bent get together in the same place: the extensive and committed relationship between the far-right Wildrose Party and the equally radical neo-Con federal government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Neither right-wing Alberta party really wants to talk publicly about it, but it can't please the Progressive Conservative government under Premier Alison Redford, which sees itself with justice as the province’s natural governing party, to watch federal support and personnel flowing to the Wildrose Party under former Fraser Institute apparatchik Danielle Smith.

Just some of the names associated with this Harper-Wildrose alliance range from Tom Flanagan, once the PM's right-hand ideological advisor and now the Wildrose Party's campaign chairman, to a whole raft a smaller fry, among them, in no particular order:

- Vitor Marciano, former federal party chair and Wildrose executive director, now Wildrose candidate in Alberta's so-called Senate election and apparently something like the Wildrose campaign's chief cook and bottle washer.

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/djclimenhaga/2012/03/harper-wildrose-alliance-elephant-albertas-conservative-room

[Joe Shlabotnik]

6. They are indeed two peas in a pod.

Now that Charest is done, I'd confidently wager that its golden parachute time for him to join Power Corporation like his buddies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Corporation#Politics

Christy Clark will be nosing around that neighborhood soon too. Its the old money power base of both the Conservative and Liberal parties, and not to get too conspiratorial, but Redford's absence from the Premiers meeting to attend the Bilderberg Group summit was telling.

I'm not sure Harper and Danielle Smith are quite yet welcome in that group, because it likes to keep a low and profitable profile by maintaining the status quo, not fire-branding and dog whistling.

[Posteritatis]

7. Trying to tie Wildrose to a PQ victory in Quebec is a wee bit of a stretch. (nt)