CBC Alberta - The Tories at 40

Future Leadership

On Saturday Sept. 17, 2011,members of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Partywent to the polls to vote for a new leader.

There were six candidates vying for the top job. And after 7 p.m., when the polls closed, the party and the province found outAlison Redfordwas chosen to lead the Tories and replace Ed Stelmach as premier of Alberta. Stelmach's last day in office was on Oct. 1, 2011.

"Steady Eddie," as he is affectionately known by some party faithful, won the leadership race in 2006 on the second ballot, replacing outgoing Premier Ralph Klein.

Redfordis the 14th premier in Alberta, and thefirst woman to capture the title. She was sworn in as premier on Oct. 7, 2011.

Leadership 2011 Candidates:

DOUG GRIFFITHS

Griffiths started off in provicial politics winning a by-election in 2002 and continues to sit as the MLA for Battle River-Wainwright. He has held a number of parliamentary assistant positions, most recently in finance. Griffiths is a former school teacher and co-wrote a book titled "13 Ways to Kill Your Community".

"We need a public discussion of our taxing, spending, and savings policies now."

DOUG HORNER

Horner is the son of Hugh Horner, a cabinet minister in the Peter Lougheed government, and, like his father, has served as minister of agriculture and deputy premier. He is the MLA for Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert, having first been elected in 2001. Horner's background is in business administration and banking and he also started an international trading company.

"We will acknowledge agriculture, natural resources, education and technology are our assets, and leverage those assets to create a powerful advantage for our province and its people."

GARY MAR

Mar was the MLA for Calgary-Nose Creek and Calgary-McKay from 1993-2007. During that time, he held a number of cabinet positions including health, environment and community development. He left the legislature after being appointed as the Alberta envoy to Washington, serving from 2007-2011.

"We are funding today's consumption at the cost of our children's fiscal security and creating a huge financial risk to taxpayers."

TED MORTON

As the MLA for Foothills-Rocky View (2004-present), Morton has served as minister of sustainable resource development and most recently as finance minister. He is a former senator-in-waiting, having been elected to the position in 1998. Morton is a former professor of political science at the University of Calgary. He ran in the 2006 leadership race, losing on the second ballot to Ed Stelmach.

"To control our economic future, we need to control our environmental future."

RICK ORMAN

Orman sat as the MLA for Calgary-Montrose from 1986-1993. In the Don Getty government, he served as minister of labour and minister of energy. Orman ran for the party leadership in 1993, finishing third on the first ballot. He then stepped away from elected politics to start a number of energy businesses.

"The world needs our resources, and in accordance with our principle of Alberta as an equal partnership in Confederation, we will manage them in a manner that gives the fullest expression to our principle of sound environmental stewardship."

ALISON REDFORD

Redford was elected as the MLA for Calgary-Elbow in 2008 and served as minister of justice until earlier this year. Trained as a lawyer, she worked in Ottawa for Secretary of State Joe Clark and in the prime minister's office from 1988-1990. Redford was also an election commissioner in Afghanistan's first parliamentary elections, having been appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

"With foresight, careful planning and a relentless effort to track down savings, I will keep Alberta growing."

On Demand

All-Candidates Leadership Forum

Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership candidates in a public forum debate.

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