Former Liberal MLA for St. Albert, Jack Flaherty said Calgary independent MLA Dave Taylor’s decision to join the Alberta Party, announced Monday, will bring significant challenges to the Liberal party, specifically for leader David Swann.
“I certainly think it’s going to mean a challenge for us because we’re kind of talking about the same kinds of policies and dealing with the same public that we’re trying to attract,” Flaherty said.
“It’s going to be difficult and I’m hoping David Swann is up for the challenge,” he said.
With news of Taylor joining the Alberta Party, Flaherty said the Liberal party will need to have a serious look at the challenges ahead.
“I think it really has to shake its head and have a look at this. It’s going to be a real challenge to get going and get our policies out in front of people and let them be attracted to us,” he said.
Flaherty said the party is currently looking for direction from its membership, including the 150 members it has in St. Albert
“We’re really going to have to work hard to get our membership upgraded and listen to what they say and get ready for a real contest,” he said.
In 2008, Taylor lost the Liberal leadership race to Swann. He quit the party in April to sit as an independent and told reporters he would not join another political party without first holding a byelection.
“That was probably a stupid thing to say in hindsight,” Taylor told the Gazette yesterday.
He said he has been in constant consultation with his constituents over the last nine months.
“The overriding clear winner among any themes that developed was, ‘We can support you if you go to the Alberta Party. We can’t support you necessarily if you go anywhere else,’” Taylor said.
“I haven’t knocked on every door and called every constituent in my riding and until you do that, I suppose you never know exactly how things are going.”
Taylor said he joined the Alberta Party because its values aligned closely with his own.
“The guys are full of hope and possibility and I find that is in rather short supply around the legislature these days,” he said.
Asked whether he intends to put his name forward in the leadership race in May, Taylor said it’s not the reason he joined the party.
“It’s not necessarily important to me that I be the alpha male around here, I just want to be part of the team,” he said.
“I’m not going to do anything to encourage that, I’m not going to do anything to get in the way of that. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
Acting Alberta Party leader Sue Huff said Taylor’s decision will help raise the party’s profile.
“I think it helps to make things a bit more concrete, it brings our voice inside the legislature and it gives us a key opportunity to walk the talk,” she said yesterday.
St. Albert constituency association president Barry Barclay said he was delighted by the news.
“We’re excited to have Dave with us. It’s a breakthrough. To have a sitting member is just very cool,” he said.
“What it means is it’s a tremendous boost to our momentum. We already had considerable momentum building and this just adds to that and we’re just delighted,” Barclay said. “I think we will have more than one MLA in the house.”
