EDMONTON — An all-party committee of the Alberta legislature has blocked giving extra money to the Wildrose Alliance caucus.
Tories on the Members’ Services Committee voted against the motion that would have seen the three-member Alliance caucus get as much funding as the two-member NDP.
The Wildrose caucus currently gets just under $395,000, according to figures read out at the meeting, and the motion would have added another $233,000 to pay for research, communications and staff.
The NDP currently gets just under $561,000.
Government members of the committee argued that the Wildrose was asking for a leader’s allowance and party leader Danielle Smith does not hold a seat in the legislature.
Meanwhile, the Wildrose and NDP have noted that precedent suggests the funding should be awarded.
Opinion polls have suggest the Wildrose Alliance is taking a bite out of Tory support and two of the party’s three caucus members once called the government benches home.
Some political pundits says the Wildrose Alliance might even defeat the Tories in the next provincial election.