Canadian Political Science Review, Vol. 7, No. 1, 203, 73-86 73 Breaking the Peace: The Wildrose Alliance in Alberta Politics Anthony M. Sayers and David K. Stewart Department of Political Science, University of Calgary. E-mails:
[email protected];
[email protected] Note: This article was submitted in 2011, prior to the 2012 Alberta election. - CPSR Editors. Introduction within a regulatory framework that favours the government, and build the organizational components of a viable party. It Party politics in Alberta can seem dull. Election after elec- must organize a competent head office around the new lead- tion the Conservative party is returned to power with a com- er and establish and maintain viable constituency associa- fortable majority and campaigns are marked by little in the tions across the province in order to attract appealing candi- way of suspense (see Bell et al, 2007 and Stewart and Arch- dates. And finally, it will need to respond to the Tories de- er, 2000). The last time government changed hands in Al- fensive strategies, who may try to undercut the new party by berta was 1971 when the Peter Lougheed led Progressive either stealing its thunder or painting it as a radical, outsider Conservatives eked out a narrow win over the Social Credit party. dynasty. Lougheed and the Conservatives positioned them- To better understand the Wildrose challenge to the status selves as safe, conservative change. This was also the case quo, we explore its emergence from before the last provincial when the Progressive Conservatives faced their most serious election through the Calgary-Glenmore by-election and the challenge to date, in 1993.