(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Some adults in Alberta are open to the possibility of an opposition alliance, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 44 per cent of respondents would support, in principle, a coalition of opposition parties before the next provincial ballot, while 31 per cent are opposed.

In December 2006, former Alberta international and intergovernmental relations minister Ed Stelmach became the new leader of the Progressive Conservatives and Alberta’s premier. In March, the Progressive Conservatives won the provincial election with 52.66 per cent of the vote and 72 of the Legislative Assembly’s 83 seats. The party has governed the Canadian province since 1971, with 11 consecutive majorities.

In May, Alberta Liberal party executive director Lieran Leblanc discussed the possibility of a merger with the provincial New Democratic Party (NDP) and Green party, saying, "Everything’s on the table. We need to do something urgently to get some traction with the electorate, so that they start seeing us as a viable alternative. We need to broaden our base. And it needs to be something real, because Albertans are too smart to be fooled by something cosmetic."

Polling Data

In principle, would you support or oppose a coalition of opposition parties before the next provincial election?

Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 802 Albertan adults, conducted from Jun. 24 to Jun. 26, 2008. Margin of error is 3.5 per cent.

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