David's Swann Song?

Back in December of 2008 I wrote the following: 

The new Liberal leader is attempting to woo Albertans with a myriad of new and higher taxes including a provincial sales tax, and a "progressive" rate system to replace the current flat tax.

Swann has also targeted the energy sector with a promise of a moratorium on oilsands development, a tripling of the carbon levy and a carbon tax to boot.

Either he really believes this is how to reclaim the political centre or he thinks Albertans will be fooled into thinking such an agenda is centrist --I'm not sure which is worse.

It may be good strategy in winning over NDP voters--in fact a quick perusal around the NDP website finds many of the same policy positions, with the exception of the sales tax idea.

I suggested last week that the Tories would be most welcoming of this new Liberal leader, and I don't doubt that many a Tory strategist was salivating over the policy ruminations of this new opponent.

I suppose it will be easier to blame me for all of this. --Chase accused me of trying to "undermine" David Swann, suggesting any criticism of the new leader disguises a fear on my part that Swann "threatens the status quo."

My motivation is precisely the opposite -- if I perceived Swann to be a threat to the Tories, I'd have never written the column in the first place (nor this one, obviously). The status quo ought to be threatened, but it's more likely that its defenders are sufficiently placated at the moment.

For if the Stelmach government is indeed entering rough waters, I'm sure they'd rather face an opposition advocating the above.

With the possibility looming of a "technical deficit" next year--the first in 16 years --the Tory government may suddenly find itself on the political outs with Albertans. The only saving grace for the Tories is the fact that their chief rivals are now suggesting new and higher taxes as a way to deal with it.

In the meantime, the Liberal government of New Brunswick plans on taking Alberta's claim of having the lowest corporate tax rates in Canada--any chance this "centrist" opposition might borrow a page from a successful centrist party and press the government on that? I'm not holding my breath

Where this government is most vulnerable is precisely where its opposition refuses to aim. This "new" and "centrist" leader seems intent on demonstrating that he is neither.

Now, in fairness, the Liberals have softened some of their positions on the energy sector, but would I be vindicated in my belief that the Alberta Liberals needed a centrist leader and that they did not get one in David Swann?

 

Well, that's the position of now Independent MLA Dave Taylor: 

In resigning from the Alberta Liberal caucus today to sit as an independent, Calgary-Currie MLA Dave Taylor criticized David Swann’s Grit leadership and called on him to resign.

“The trouble with today’s Alberta’s Liberals is that nobody is leading, nobody is following and nobody will get out of the way,” Taylor said at a media conference in Calgary, adding he’s lost confidence in Swann’s ability to head the party.

(...)

Taylor, however, accused the Liberals of drifting and lacking a coherent vision at a time when Albertans are looking for alternatives.

You can read David Swann's statement here. The Liberal leader has dismissed Taylor's concerns as merely sour grapes from a failed leadership candidate.

 

I don't know if Taylor's loss in that leadership race had any bearing on his decision today, but even if it did, it wouldn't mean that his critiques are wrong. In fact, they seem pretty bang on.

 

The Alberta Liberals have failed completely to capitalize on the political misfortunes of the governing Tories. The Wildrose Alliance has soared past the Liberals in the polls, and for the moment seem to be the de facto opposition party.

 

Even many on the centre-left, via movements like Reboot Alberta, Renew Alberta, and even the new Alberta Party, seem to be thinking about a pos-Liberal political landscape. Unless the Liberals are prepared to evolve, they may find themselves irrelevant.

 

Dave Cournoyer assesses Swann's challenges: 

The Liberals continue to have difficulty gaining traction on issues raised in the Legislature and appear completely irrelevant in the political narratives that have evolved around the PCs and the Danielle Smith-led Wildrose Alliance.

No matter how you put it, this resignation is a major blow to Dr. Swann’s leadership and to the Liberal Party. The loss of Mr. Taylor leaves the Liberals with only 8 MLAs and without the public persona that Mr. Taylor perfected during his many years as a radio host on QR77.

Dr. Swann faces a tough and perhaps impossible challenge: as Alberta’s political sands continue to shift, he needs to prove to the Liberal Party membership and his fellow MLAs that he can grow his party’s political support and create a strong presence that can compete with the insurgent Wildrose Alliance in the next election, otherwise his leadership face more serious internal dissent.

You can listen to our interview with Dave Cournoyer via our podcast page.