Saskatchewan Green-Liberal Merger?
You know you are not doing so well as a political party when the greens try to buy you out.
The Greens!
Needless to say, this isn't getting a super warm reception from John Murney. I would link to other Saskatchewan Liberal Blog reactions, but I don't know any.
What was far most interesting was that the Greens used the occasion to officially serve notice they'd like to see a formal merger with the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan.
[snip]
Interim Liberal president Frank Proto was quick to note in an interview Tuesday that this isn't the first time he's heard such overtures since the November election.
9 comments:
Other Saskatchewan Liberal blogs...hmm... Perhaps Abandoned Stuff, but beyond that are there any? You would need to have an active Liberal party to have an active Liberal blogging community. Does Ralph Goodale have a blog?
Saskatchewan Liberals have completely lost their way and stand for nothing in the 21st Century.
Old Saskatchewan Liberals like Murney want them to return to their right wing, free-market policies that highlighted them in the 1950's, 60's and 70's.
The Conservative Party was wiped out in Saskatchewan during those decades and the Libs filled the role of the 'right wing' option for voters in Opposition to the New Democrats who ran the province:
1944-1964
1971-1982
1991-2007
After Ross Thatcher's government (1964-71), the Conservatives made a comeback and the Libs have never recovered.
After the Conservatives were shamed by the Devine era, Linda Haverstock had some success in trying to forge the Libs back into the right wing option in Saskatchewan. The Libs themselves undermined her leadership and they went back into the political dumper once again.
Murney and others would like to see the Libs be much further 'right' than they currently are. That simply is not going to happen now with the Saskatchewan Party filling that part of the political spectrum here.
Karwacki tried to turn the Libs to the 'centre-left' and occupy the turf held by the New Democrats. That is NOT going to happen because the NDP are so rooted and so organized in Saskatchewan.
The Liberal Party of Saskatchewan is so completely dead that it is stinking the joint out. No amount of hoping, wishing, and wanting it to revive by Murney and others is going to make it so.
These right wing Liberals are merely an interesting historical remnant of Saskatchewan's past.
I dunno Leftdog. There is a growing appetite in Sask Liberal circles this days for a return to the party's roots, a 'back to the basics if you will'.
A quick perusal of the party's electoral history shows that Saskatchewan Liberals have always had their best electoral showings (i.e. formed government) when it runs on a 'classical liberal' platform. Think of Jimmy Gardiner's socially liberal campaign in 1964, and Ross Thatcher's economic liberalism from 1959 to 1971. Obviously it is not a platform that would appeal to you and Mouse, but it would attract the support of others. I think there is something to be learned from history.
"The Liberal Party of Saskatchewan is so completely dead that it is stinking the joint out. No amount of hoping, wishing, and wanting it to revive by Murney and others is going to make it so."
Methinks thou speaketh too soon, pale canine! ;)
Wheatsheaf - there are, in fact, a few of them. Come pop by my neck of the woods sometimes.
Leftdog - I am forced to agree with John...you ain't seen nothing yet! Politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum, and when I look at the political scene in Saskatchewan I hear a great sucking sound.
John, you historical approach masks the current situation in Saskatchewan politics.
First off, the Jimmy Gardiner Liberals did a good job of bringing progressives into their fold (e.g. the SGGA folks), which created a broad coalition. Also, he was facing a party that was hit by the Depression. Ross Thatcher as a former CCFer was not also able to mount a broad coalition of anti-CCF people with citizens wanting change.
Both of these scenarios had a two-party system. Today the Saskatchewan Party is the one forming the anti-NDP coalition by shifting to the centre. That leaves little room for a third party.
For the record, I am not against the revival of the Liberals because when the Liberals receive double digit support in an election, the NDP wins. The existence of the Liberals has help keep the NDP in power.
Prairie Fire - you are right, I should not have forgotten you. So there are at least three Liberal bloggers in the province.
"Today the Saskatchewan Party is the one forming the anti-NDP coalition by shifting to the centre. That leaves little room for a third party."
Hi Wheatsheaf - the anti-NDP position of the Sask Party has no foundation underneath it. The Sask Party is anti-NDP, and that's it.
Ah yes, Prairie Fire, I guess I forgot about you. Although, as a former candidate for the Liberal Party and one of the only names I have heard for leader, you aren't exactly disproving my point about rank-and-file types. :-)
John you are right, the Sask Party can only define themselves as Anti-NDP and that is only good for about 2 elections or so.
"the Sask Party can only define themselves as Anti-NDP and that is only good for about 2 elections or so."
That sounds about right.
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