The Alberta Party is gaining steam across Central Alberta.
It was nearly standing room only as 400 people showed up at the party’s annual general meeting on Nov. 18 at the Radisson in Red Deer.
Phil Hyde, president of Red Deer South Alberta Party Constituency Association said interest in the party is growing steadily and expanding to places like Drumheller and Rocky Mountain House.
“It’s the largest crowd we’ve seen,” Hyde said about the sold-out general meeting.
In Red Deer, the party has about 150 to 200 current members, up roughly 30 per cent from 2016. In Central Alberta, there are an estimated 500 to 600 members, which has doubled since last year, said Hyde.
The turnout at the party’s meeting last year was much smaller with about 60 people, said Hyde.
Among the many faces in Red Deer was Greg Clark, interim leader of Alberta Party after he stepped down as the party leader few weeks ago.
On Wednesday he said he was undecided whether he would run again.
Clark was vocal about health-care issues in Central Alberta during his visit to Red Deer on Nov. 18. He said he often hears the need for better health care services and the need for a cardiac catheterization lab at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.
“It’s astounding to me such a vital medical service is not offered to the region of several hundred thousand people,” he said. “The hospital is at capacity or higher so we need to look at longer term and the overall health care needs for Central Alberta.”
Beyond health care, he said, if the Alberta Party came into power, it would think about the overall economy and focus on getting people back to work.
“It’s great to see the economy picking up this year but at the same time we need to make sure that growth is sustainable,” said Clark.
Central Alberta has a north and south Alberta Party constituency.
Hyde said the party needs a total of 87 candidates to stand in the 2019 provincial election — or whenever the government calls an election.
Clark said in Alberta politics “anything is possible” on the party’s chances of winning the next provincial election.
“I don’t think anybody would’ve thought the PC dynasty would end, and I don’t think they would’ve thought it would end to the NDP,” said Clark.
Hyde said the interest in the party has grown in recent weeks after the United Conservative Party leadership race ended.
“People want a party with fiscal responsibility and Albertans have a social conscience so they want social responsibility and our party offers both and people feel they are not getting both in their parties,” he said.
The Alberta Party is on the look-out for a new leader. The party announced Wednesday, it will have a new leader in place on Feb. 7.
Hyde said he hasn’t heard any names coming forward in Central Alberta. Right now the party has approximately 65 constituency associations and is looking for about 22 additional members.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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