XPost: can.politics, ab.politics, edm.general   
   XPost: calgary.general, bc.politics   
   From: Panca@nyet.ca   
      
   Read between his lines . . . .   
      
   There's a sales tax coming for Alberta and the PCs don't want any opposition   
   out there to challenge it.   
   ____________________________________________   
      
   Calgary Herald, Calgary Herald - December 18, 2014   
      
      
   Manning likes the look of PC and Wildrose unity   
      
      
   While the defection of Danielle Smith and the majority of the Wildrose caucus   
   to Premier Jim Prentice’s government has prompted an outpouring of scorn, the   
   former opposition leader has found some high-profile supporters.   
      
   Preston Manning — the founder of the Reform party and an icon of western   
   Canadian conservatism — backed the plan on Thursday, a day after the move of   
   the nine MLAs to the Tory benches became official.   
      
   Manning said he sees the logic of Prentice and Smith’s idea of bringing   
   conservatives together around a set of common principles,   
   especially with a financial crisis looming because of low oil prices.   
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   “It’s more important what Albertans’ blessing is, but I think it’s a   
   positive   
   development if it results in the government coming to grips with this fiscal   
   situation,” he said in an interview Thursday.   
      
   Manning said he spoke to Wildrose caucus members Tuesday as they met in   
   Edmonton to discuss the idea of crossing the floor to the Tories.   
      
   He said he didn’t encourage them to make the move but laid out options and   
   stressed the need for unity — either as a caucus or with the Tories.   
      
   “If ever there was a time for Albertans to pull together, no matter what the   
   political stripe, and particularly for conservatives to pull together, now was   
   the time,” said Manning, who now runs the Manning Centre for Building   
   Democracy.   
      
   Manning — who pushed efforts to “unite-the-right” federally after   
   Reform’s   
   breakthrough — said he also warned about the dangers of a new party   
   plateauing   
   and “slipping back” in public support.   
      
   But Jeff Callaway, the new president of the Wildrose Party, said Manning’s   
   arguments about the needs for conservatives to work together were “pretty   
   poor   
   and false” since the PCs and Wildrose have been the two dominant parties in   
   the   
   province for a number of years.   
      
   He said that makes the situation vastly different from Manning’s work to   
   bring   
   together two federal opposition parties in order to take on the Liberals.   
      
   Smith, the Highwood MLA who was Wildrose leader until Wednesday, has requested   
   that party members vote on a “reunification resolution” to come together   
   with   
   the PCs.   
      
   Manning said he would like to see that vote happen but the idea has been   
   rejected by the party’s executive committee.   
      
   Smith’s defection caused a torrent of criticism from Wildrose supporters,   
   party   
   executives and former candidates, particularly on social media where many   
   labelled her and the eight other MLAs who jumped ship as traitors.   
      
   But High River Mayor Craig Snodgrass — a constituent of Smith — said she   
   made   
   the best decision for her riding and dismissed much of the backlash as   
   “laughable.”   
      
   “To me it’s hilarious that people feel personally betrayed over this,”   
   he said.   
      
   “It’s the No. 1 reason I don’t like party politics,” Snodgrass added.   
   “Because   
   you get locked into this dogmatic party view on things and you cannot look   
   outside of it. And that hurts everybody around you.”   
      
     Snodgrass praised Smith for having “the guts to cross the floor and join a   
   leader that she views as being stronger.”   
      
   “People will come up with all of the conspiracy theories of this, that and   
   the   
   other thing,” Snodgrass said. “But I tell you what, I don’t care.   
   That’s a bold   
   move. And I love bold moves.”   
      
   But the Wildrose’s Callaway said it’s disturbing to see people celebrating   
   because their MLA is crossing the floor.   
      
   “I guess, what do we need a democracy for?”   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)