Alberta's alt-weeklies take on the 'unite the left' question

A couple articles from two of Alberta's alt-weeklies caught my eye last week (sorry I've been sitting on this one for a little while.) In the first piece, Shannon Phillips provides some insight into the problems plaguing the Alberta NDP ('After a Dismal Election, What's Next for the NDP and the Left?') for this week's edition of Vue Weekly.

The article is an interesting read because it uncovers some of the internal rifts between the party and its traditional constituencies, such as their relationship with the labour movement. The not-so-veiled jabs exchanged between the ND's campaign chair (and caucus chief of staff),  Lou Arab, and the Alberta Federation of Labour head, Gil McGowan, illustrate the extent to which the NDP has drifted from the labour movement in Alberta (or perhaps the other way around). Traditionally, progressive parties have had to tread a careful line between environmental groups and labor unions, whose interests often appeared to be at odds, however it seems that the NDP has not jeopardized their relationship with labor for the purpose of growing closer to environment groups either.

I think David Eggen's comments about the true role of a political party not being about obtaining political power (unsurprisingly) reflect the fact that he comes down on the principled side of the eternal NDP principle/pragmatic divide. Eggen obviously feels that maintaining tight links to social movements should be a priority for the NDP. While this is a valid objective, one has to wonder whether Alberta's social movements are all that interested in putting all their support behind a party that not only has no real possibility of gaining power, but doesn't necessarily even aspire to it. This strategy may work in other provinces and even at the federal level, but it seems to me that here in Alberta (a place I sometimes lovingly refer to as 'the belly of the beast') desperate times may call for desperate measures.

The second article, 'The Party's Over: The Alberta Liberal Brand is Dead' by Ira Wells, discusses the fate of Alberta's other main opposition party for Calgary's FastForward Weekly. While this article, as a 'viewpoint' item, is a bit on the harsh side, I think the author ultimately makes a good point

In the wake of last Monday's disgraceful performance, Liberals will find themselves faced with examining their policies, their leader and their brand. When they reach the unavoidable conclusions - that it's impossible to image a concrete set of policy shifts that would have swung the election in their favour and that it is equally implausible that there is a potential leader out there who is charismatic and persuasive enough to compel the majority of Albertans to buy into a Liberal future - then, they are left with the issue of branding. The depressing reality is that Liberals are selling a product that Albertans haven't wanted for generations.

A large part of the reasons that I put off posting these two articles, is because I didn't know what I wanted to say about them. I don't like speaking for the members of these parties. I can't tell you want these parties' members want to do, but I can tell you what I think some progressive Albertans should do.  Alberta needs a new political party, possibly one that is composed of the pragmatic members of the left-leaning parties in this province, i.e. the Liberals, NDP and Greens. While some people may raise the objection that people who sympathize with the Liberals, NDs and Greens alike would never get along to the extent necessary to maintain a cohesive brand, I would say that this is precisely why the Tories have been so amazingly successful in this province: they have supporters that range from your typical Edmontonian family concerned about strong public healthcare and schools all the way over to the lunatic fringe of Ted Morton.

As Wells puts it, "individual donors, volunteers and wannabe MLAs eventually tire of giving their time and money to an organization that brings them round after round of disappointment." That being said, it may be hard to entice the members of a party that doesn't view two seats as a disappointment into any kind of union that forces them to compromise their principles and in return gives them something they don't necessarily want: electability.

I tend to agree with Wells about the ALP's days being numbered. The party and its members need to realize that the Liberal ship sailed long ago in this province, and it's time for them to begin investing their time and resources into a new strategy -- in light of this election, there could be no clearer evidence that the one they've employed isn't working.

The only real question to me is whether or not this strategy should involve the NDP. It's fairly obvious that any progressive party that is going to have a hope in hell of getting elected in this province is going to need to be pretty close to the "centre" of "centre-left," which is a place you'd have to drag many NDPers kicking and screaming. Besides, if a party is trying to attract votes from left-ward edges of Torydom (which is ultimately what such a party would have to do to get elected), having a rigidly ideological band of disgruntled former NDPers in the ranks might be more of a hindrance than a help. As well, I think that there are a lot of NDP supporters more pragmatic than Eggen who would likely be willing to compromise on some issues and would ultimately be attracted to such a party, regardless of the formal support of the NDP organization.

Although these are indeed dark days for the political parties of Alberta's left, it's very heartening to see that at least they're starting to ask the tough questions.