Latest news with #PeterGuthrie
CTV News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
‘Having choice is essential': MLAs ousted from UCP look to revive PC Party
Independent MLA Peter Guthrie speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about plans to relaunch the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Michael Higgins: Why revive the PC identity of the past? Why not just pursue a whole new political identity? Peter Guthrie: We want to be able to restore confidence and bring back discipline and accountability. Right now, the UCP party, they've increased expenses by 23 per cent in just three short budget periods. If you look back to 2019, that's a 42-per-cent increase from a bureaucracy standpoint. When I was elected in 2019 through to 2022, we reduced the size of government by seven-and-a-half per cent. Danielle Smith and the UCP have increased that by 14 per cent, creating new layers of bureaucracy, as well as expanding Crown corporations. They've also been shrouded in suspicion and scandal, and have now implemented a separatist agenda. So we want to be able to bring back that PC name, go back to the roots of the party, and reestablish that fiscal discipline, the limited government philosophy. Working within Canada and building alliances with other provinces for the betterment of Alberta, and then naturally bringing back transparency, accountability, and creating consequences for those, including politicians, that do not want to follow those rules. MH: How much of this is about a difference between parties and how much of it is about leadership? PG: As far as looking at the UCP and whether or not it's salvageable, I don't think so. They have just gone down a path of driving out moderate voices. The PCs have been pushed out of the party. It has a dwindling membership that is mainly supportive of a separatist agenda, and the PCs, they're not coming back to this party. With the scandal that they have there, with the separatist agenda, there is a number of significant risks. Even without this current leader, I don't think that the party can survive. I think that it will turn into the Wild Rose Party pre-2015. MH: What leads you to conclude there is a sufficient enough group of disenfranchised conservatives out there to warrant or even legitimize your efforts? PG: I guess that dwindling membership. I think that's indicative of the population. The UCP, as well as the NDP, they're focusing on 20 to 30 per cent of the population. Their strategies have been to build mandates that don't focus on the majority and all of the province. I think that there's a market here now. Since being removed from the party, the number one thing that both Scott (Sinclair) and I hear is that voters don't have a political home. We're here to be able to offer that. I think a three party system would work very well and work in favour of the constituents of this province. MH: We all know you were elected as a UCP MLA. How committed are you to this Progressive Conservative push? What if you encounter pressure from within the existing provincial, federal conservative movement here in Alberta to back off? PG: We're not feeling that. About 10 days or so ago, we were trying to keep this under wraps, and once we started reaching out, it started growing and growing. We went from about half a dozen people within our small group just 10 days ago, to hundreds that have been flooding in since we made this public last Wednesday. There is definitely a market for this. There's no question that there's going to be certain segments of the population, those that support the current premier and separatism, that may not agree, but from our perspective, we're coming here to instill confidence. And we think, by leading with integrity, we can gain the support of all Albertans. MH: Is this a fresh start for the PC party, or do you seek out names, associations from the past that that maybe create a link to the progressive ideology? PG: We're not wanting to reestablish what there was at the end. We're trying to go back to those (Peter) Lougheed days, back to the roots of principled leadership. We're trying to grow that back. We know that there were issues in the past, but we're looking forward. It's a new time, and we're looking ahead. We're looking to the future, and are very excited about it. MH: Is splitting the conservative vote at all a concern? Might any degree of success on your part not open up a potential door for Naheed Nenshi and the NDP? PG: Alberta is the only two-party system in all of Canada. We used to have several parties here. If you look back to 2015, we had the accidental government — the implementation of the NDP. At that time, it had nothing to do with splitting the vote. It had everything to do with corruption and cronyism and entitlement. Conservative governments have won every election for the last 50 years, and that was with multiple parties. I think there's plenty of room here. Just looking at the federal election as an example: the federal Liberals won four consecutive elections for the first time in Canadian history, and they did so with three major parties on the left and only one conservative on the right. I think that a vote split in that case didn't make a difference to the outcome. I think having choice is essential, and Danielle Smith herself, and the risks that she and the UCP are taking with policy, being shrouded in scandal and having the separatist agenda that could really swing voters one way or another, very, very quickly, that's where the PC party can come into play.
CBC
7 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Independent MLAs say work has already begun to rebuild Progressive Conservative Party
Two independent Alberta MLAs revealed more details on Saturday about their work to resurrect the Progressive Conservative brand that held government in Alberta for 44 years. After announcing their plan to re-register the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta earlier this week, Peter Guthrie and Scott Sinclair held what they billed as an official relaunch of the party in Calgary on Saturday. They explained their aim is to offer an alternative conservative voice that falls closer to the political centre than the governing United Conservative Party or the opposition NDP. Work has already begun, the MLAs explained, to secure signatures to register the party. But Alberta's PC revival isn't official just yet. The party will need to secure 8,819 signatures, representing 0.3 per cent of the province's voting population, by late November. Guthrie argued their push for a new party is to represent what he sees as the mainstream political beliefs of most people in the province, after hearing from a growing number of frustrated voters who felt they didn't have a political home in Alberta. "We have an NDP that seems to be focused on 20 to 30 per cent of the population on the left, and we have the UCP that seems to be focused on the same-sized group on the right," said Guthrie, a former infrastructure minister who's served as MLA for Airdrie-Cochrane since 2019. "Alberta is and always has been a progressive conservative province. One where people value responsible government." The governing UCP are no longer a real conservative party, Guthrie argued, and the PC party he's pitching will offer a more practical and principled voice, he said. Conservative credibility in opposition Guthrie and Sinclair have taken up the PC mantle after both were ousted from the UCP earlier this year. After serving as an MLA in the party for nearly six years, Guthrie resigned from Premier Danielle Smith's cabinet in February citing concerns with the government amid the controversy over procurement practices at Alberta Health Services (AHS). He was then expelled from caucus in April, after pushing for a public inquiry into the AHS issue. Sinclair, on the other hand, was a first-term MLA representing Lesser Slave Lake for the UCP, who was kicked out of caucus in March after publicly criticizing the provincial budget for forecasting significant deficits while spending too heavily on Alberta's major cities rather than its rural communities. Could the re-emergence of the PC Party divide Alberta's right? | The Political Panel 2 days ago Duration 8:19 Two former UCP MLAs are trying to start a new political party under the old Progressive Conservative brand. Scott Sinclair and Peter Guthrie say the United Conservative Party is 'way off base' with Albertans. The Political Panel weighs in on whether a revived PC Party could split the right-of-centre vote. Rob Brown is joined by Conservative strategist Erika Barootes, and Liberal strategist Sabrina Grover. Photo credit: X/PeterGuthrie99 Lori Williams, an associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, said Guthrie and Sinclair are currently the most vocal, and possibly the most effective, opposition members in the legislature. Their status as former party members adds credibility to their criticism, Williams said, adding that regardless of how many seats their party wins, their critiques could be the largest challenge they present to the current government. "When a conservative is saying a conservative government is entitled and corrupt, that's going to resonate in a way that wouldn't for people who either don't have that inside information or that reputation for being committed, principled conservatives," Williams said. The viability of the PC label The Progressive Conservative brand is well-known for holding power in Alberta's legislature from 1971 to 2015, and being led by longtime premiers like Peter Lougheed, Don Getty and Ralph Klein. But its popularity dipped in its final years, and the party faced criticism for its perceived entitlement, leading to the party winning just nine seats in the 2015 Alberta election. Two years later, new party leader Jason Kenney struck a deal with the Wildrose Party to merge and form the UCP. Sinclair argued he and Guthrie have made principled stands resulting in their departure from the UCP, and he drew parallels between criticisms both the current provincial government and the PCs of old faced around excessive spending and investigations into the government. "We were asking questions about accountability, financial oversight, value for money, bloated contracts, and it got us exactly where we are today. I would say there are a lot of parallels between the late PC days … and talking about this existing premier," Sinclair said. But earlier this week, Smith threw cold water on whether the PC brand could legally be revived in Alberta. Smith argued elections law states new parties can't use the name of the former legacy parties that merged to form the UCP, to avoid confusing voters. "We expect the law to be followed, and we're going to be following up with Elections Alberta accordingly," Smith said. On Saturday, Guthrie said Elections Alberta made the party name available after the most recent provincial election. Earlier this week, an Elections Alberta spokesperson said the chief electoral officer would make a final determination on a party's proposed name during the registration process. While the new PC party could also take votes from the NDP if their supporters look for a different alternative to the current government, Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said his party remains "the only choice for positive change" in Alberta. "The decision by these two former UCP MLAs to revive the PC party is another clear sign that Albertans are unhappy with this current UCP government and are demanding better for our province," said Nenshi in a statement on Wednesday. Guthrie and Sinclair expect to remain the party's only members until the party is officially registered, and aren't pushing for other MLAs to join. But they said they've had interesting conversations since their plans for their party were announced. There's no evidence more MLAs will follow Guthrie and Sinclair, Williams said, and the UCP is likely to work hard to keep its MLAs in the fold. But she noted the new party creates the possibility Smith may have to respond to a split in her party's centre. Williams points out that while no party outside the UCP and NDP have picked up significant support in polling or electoral results since the 2019 election, what could make the PC party different is if more credible people throw their support behind it, especially if any MLAs cross the floor, or join the party after being removed from the UCP like Guthrie and Sinclair were. "United Conservatives are not terribly united. They disagree on a lot of things. Some of them belong to parties previously that fought against one another in the legislature," Williams said.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Independent MLAs say work has already begun to rebuild Progressive Conservative Party
Two independent Alberta MLAs revealed more details on Saturday about their work to resurrect the Progressive Conservative brand that held government in Alberta for 44 years. After announcing their plan to re-register the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta earlier this week, Peter Guthrie and Scott Sinclair held what they billed as an official relaunch of the party in Calgary on Saturday. They explained their aim is to offer an alternative conservative voice that falls closer to the political centre than the governing United Conservative Party or the opposition NDP. Work has already begun, the MLAs explained, to secure signatures to register the party. But Alberta's PC revival isn't official just yet. The party will need to secure 8,819 signatures, representing 0.3 per cent of the province's voting population, by late November. Guthrie argued their push for a new party is to represent what he sees as the mainstream political beliefs of most people in the province, after hearing from a growing number of frustrated voters who felt they didn't have a political home in Alberta. "We have an NDP that seems to be focused on 20 to 30 per cent of the population on the left, and we have the UCP that seems to be focused on the same-sized group on the right," said Guthrie, a former infrastructure minister who's served as MLA for Airdrie-Cochrane since 2019. "Alberta is and always has been a progressive conservative province. One where people value responsible government." The governing UCP are no longer a real conservative party, Guthrie argued, and the PC party he's pitching will offer a more practical and principled voice, he said. Guthrie and Sinclair have taken up the PC mantle after both were ousted from the UCP earlier this year. After serving as an MLA in the party for nearly six years, Guthrie resigned from Premier Danielle Smith's cabinet in February citing concerns with the government amid the controversy over procurement practices at Alberta Health Services (AHS). He was then expelled from caucus in April, after pushing for a public inquiry into the AHS issue. Sinclair, on the other hand, was a first-term MLA representing Lesser Slave Lake for the UCP, who was kicked out of caucus in March after publicly criticizing the provincial budget for forecasting significant deficits while spending too heavily on Alberta's major cities rather than its rural communities. Lori Williams, an associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, said Guthrie and Sinclair are currently the most vocal, and possibly the most effective, opposition members in the legislature. Their status as former party members adds credibility to their criticism, Williams said, adding that regardless of how many seats their party wins, their critiques could be the largest challenge they present to the current government. "When a conservative is saying a conservative government is entitled and corrupt, that's going to resonate in a way that wouldn't for people who either don't have that inside information or that reputation for being committed, principled conservatives," Williams said. The Progressive Conservative brand is well-known for holding power in Alberta's legislature from 1971 to 2015, and being led by longtime premiers like Peter Lougheed, Don Getty and Ralph Klein. But its popularity dipped in its final years, and the party faced criticism for its perceived entitlement, leading to the party winning just nine seats in the 2015 Alberta election. Two years later, new party leader Jason Kenney struck a deal with the Wildrose Party to merge and form the UCP. Sinclair argued he and Guthrie have made principled stands resulting in their departure from the UCP, and he drew parallels between criticisms both the current provincial government and the PCs of old faced around excessive spending and investigations into the government. "We were asking questions about accountability, financial oversight, value for money, bloated contracts, and it got us exactly where we are today. I would say there are a lot of parallels between the late PC days … and talking about this existing premier," Sinclair said. But earlier this week, Smith threw cold water on whether the PC brand could legally be revived in Alberta. Smith argued elections law states new parties can't use the name of the former legacy parties that merged to form the UCP, to avoid confusing voters. "We expect the law to be followed, and we're going to be following up with Elections Alberta accordingly," Smith said. On Saturday, Guthrie said Elections Alberta made the party name available after the most recent provincial election. Earlier this week, an Elections Alberta spokesperson said the chief electoral officer would make a final determination on a party's proposed name during the registration process. While the new PC party could also take votes from the NDP if their supporters look for a different alternative to the current government, Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said his party remains "the only choice for positive change" in Alberta. "The decision by these two former UCP MLAs to revive the PC party is another clear sign that Albertans are unhappy with this current UCP government and are demanding better for our province," said Nenshi in a statement on Wednesday. Guthrie and Sinclair expect to remain the party's only members until the party is officially registered, and aren't pushing for other MLAs to join. But they said they've had interesting conversations since their plans for their party were announced. There's no evidence more MLAs will follow Guthrie and Sinclair, Williams said, and the UCP is likely to work hard to keep its MLAs in the fold. But she noted the new party creates the possibility Smith may have to respond to a split in her party's centre. Williams points out that while no party outside the UCP and NDP have picked up significant support in polling or electoral results since the 2019 election, what could make the PC party different is if more credible people throw their support behind it, especially if any MLAs cross the floor, or join the party after being removed from the UCP like Guthrie and Sinclair were. "United Conservatives are not terribly united. They disagree on a lot of things. Some of them belong to parties previously that fought against one another in the legislature," Williams said.
CTV News
05-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Progressive Conservative Party gets an Alberta relaunch
Alberta MLAs Peter Guthrie and Scott Sinclair announced plans to relaunch the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta Saturday in Calgary.
Edmonton Journal
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Lorne Gunter: Effort to revive old PC party in Alberta appears futile
This week, two Independent MLAs who used to be UCP caucus members announced that they would be reviving the Ghost of Elections Past, the old Progressive Conservative party. Article content Peter Guthrie of Airdrie-Cochrane and Scott Sinclair of Lesser Slave Lake, both of whom were separately expelled from the UCP caucus earlier this year for dissing the government in public, believe there is a demand for a centrist party that is committed to keeping Alberta in Confederation. Article content Could Guthrie and Sinclair have hit on a winning idea? I suppose it's possible. But it's much more likely their efforts to bring back the once-might Tories will be as unsuccessful as the umpteen bids since the 1980s to resurrect the also once-mighty Social Credit party. Article content Or the flat-on-its-face efforts to create a centrist Alberta Party. Article content Or attempts to keep the Alberta Liberal Party alive. (Psst. It's not working. In the 2023 provincial election, the Liberals managed to field just 13 candidates and finished eighth overall with a total of only 4,259 votes provincewide.) Article content One of my assignments as a novice journalist during the 1993 provincial election (the Miracle on the Prairies election won by Ralph Klein) was to follow all the also-ran parties on the right. Article content Article content There was the Alliance Party of Alberta, not to be confused with the later Alberta Alliance Party or the much later Wildrose Alliance Party. Article content In '93, there was also the Confederation of Regions and perhaps the most robust effort to revive the Socreds led by Red Deer businessman Randy Thorsteinson which, despite a lot of sound and fury, nominated just 39 candidates (out of 83 constituencies) and garnered only 2.4 per cent of the total vote. Article content The most successful attempt to mould a centrist alternative was likely former Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel's Alberta Party campaign in 2019. That's the year the UCP replaced the NDP as government. The we're-above-partisan-politics Alberta Party earned nine per cent of the vote, but Mandel failed to win his own bid for a seat and his party lost all three legislature seats it held at dissolution. (In 2023, the Alberta Party's vote was well under one per cent.)
