Alberta Tories step into the present

EDMONTON — Alberta’s Progressive Conservative party is rewriting its constitution for the first time in decades, and members will be asked to vote on significant changes at the party’s annual general meeting in the fall.

An interim report by the party’s constitutional review committee suggests the Tories could change rules about how the leadership vote is conducted, enshrine a statement of principles, and may create a president’s council.

The Conservatives will also change the language in the constitution to ensure all references to the leader are gender neutral; currently, the leader is referred to as a man.

Premier Alison Redford is the first woman to lead the party, and the province.

“We haven’t really opened up our constitution for 20 years — probably the last time there was a big kick at it was before (former premier Ralph) Klein,” party president Bill Smith said Thursday.

“These proposed changes are intended to get the conversation started. These are the big points the committee has come up with. That doesn’t mean there won’t be more.”

Currently, three candidates move to the second ballot during a Tory leadership race and the party uses a preferential ballot, where voters rank their preferred candidates in order. Under the proposed changes, just two candidates will move on to the final ballot, and voters will select one or the other.

The party will also consider the creation of a president’s council, which would “foster more ‘politically focused’ communication.

“The president’s council could be a powerful tool,” the review committee says in its interim report. “It would meet several times a year and its intent would be to give constituency presidents a direct line to the party leader and president.”

Finally, the Conservatives will look at enshrining the party’s statement of principles in the constitution.

“The statement of principles go back to the early Lougheed years. We have always had them ... They stand as a document of the party, but they are separate from the constitution,” party executive director Kelley Charlebois said.

“The constitution is seen as the governing document of the party, some have suggested including them would reinforce those principles.”

Party members and constituency associations have until Sept. 6 to submit their ideas to the review committee.

The amendments will be voted on during a daylong plenary session that coincides with the party’s annual general meeting in Calgary on Nov. 9 and 10.

Original Article
Source: edmonton journal
Author: Karen Kleiss