Infighting and division within political parties is par for the course. Strongly held ideological positions coupled with strong personalities are always a recipe for trouble..It is found on both the left and the right. The federal Green Party is practicing political self-immolation as they battle their own leader while the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) is facing no fewer than three splinter movements led by former MPs from once within their ranks..Some movements come and go with little notice while others endure for a while and often fold back into the party that they broke away from in the first place. Right now, Maxime Bernier is leading the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), Jay Hill is leading the Maverick Party, and Derek Sloan is running as an independent with plans to create the “True North Party”, ostensibly as a social conservative party. Each party is staking out a distinctive spot in the conservative constelation..What’s curious is that they are all coming to a head in the Alberta constituency of Banff-Airdrie..Banff-Airdrie is a solidly conservative Alberta riding, with the CPC incumbent Blake Richards winning his seat in the 2015 election with a comfortable 71% of the vote. Alternative parties need not fear splitting the right as left-leaning parties struggle to break into double-digit support within the riding. This makes Banff-Airdrie a natural target for alternative conservative parties to try and make their mark..Independent candidate Derek Sloan lit up the battle when he parachuted in from his Ontario home. Sloan’s campaign kickoff was attended by former Reform Party MPs Art Hanger, Rob Anders, and Eric Lowther. While Sloan doesn’t have a party at his disposal, he has clear support from the established social-conservative right. Sloan is unapologetically socially conservative and he is courting that segment of the electorate effectively. Sloan truly ignited the conflict when he called for the candidates from both the Maverick Party and the PPC to stand down during an interview with the Western Standard’s James Finkbeiner. Sloan claims to be the only candidate who can win the riding..PPC Leader Maxime Bernier dismissed Sloan’s call as being arrogant. Bernier has been making multiple appearances in Banff-Airdrie to shore up candidate Nadine Wellwood who is running for her second time in the riding for the PPC. During an exclusive interview with me in the Western Standard‘s Calgary studio, Bernier said that O’Toole’s CPC is splitting the vote with the Trudeau Liberals. Bernier then referred to Jay Hill’s Maverick Party as being “muppets” of the Tories..Incensed at being labeled a muppet, Jay Hill said “I would say that I have never figured out why he called his party, the People’s Party when he’s had no convention, no constitution and never had any input from anybody other than Max Bernier.” Hill also invited Bernier to go back and campaign in Quebec..The Maverick Party has vowed to remain exclusively a Western Canadian party and to stand up for provincial rights. There has been some ambiguity on their independence stance, but they are unapologetically a party that puts Western interests first..Tariq Elnaga is a strong local candidate from the Airdrie region. Elnaga is inviting democratic competition and is hoping that tones can stay civil between parties for the duration of the campaign. Time will tell if that comes into being. He’s caught some attention for his unusual profile as a candidate. An Arab from Dubai, he is now a gut-totting rancher fighting for Western independence..We have a grumpy and volatile electorate right now, particularly in Alberta. While it is unlikely that the CPC will be dethroned in Banff-Airdrie, we may see some interesting showings from the alternative parties. We certainly are seeing some interesting interactions between them..A riding that has normally been considered a lock for the CPC is turning into a microcosm for the broader conservative movement and its internal battles across Canada. It surely will be a riding to watch on election night..Cory Morgan is the Alberta Political Columnist for the Western Standard and Host of the Cory Morgan Show
