AnAlberta Liberal Party leadership election was held at theAlberta Liberal Party's 2017 Annual General Meeting in order choose a permanent successor toRaj Sherman who resigned on January 26, 2015. Sherman, who was under investigation over alleged illegal campaign donations,[2] indicated in a statement to the media that he was resigning as leader immediately for personal reasons and did not run for re-election as aMember of theLegislative Assembly of Alberta at theprovincial election held on May 5, 2015.[3] The leadership election was originally scheduled for April 23, 2016 but has been delayed for a year to give prospective candidates more time to organize.[4]David Khan was elected.[5]
January 26, 2015 –Raj Sherman announces his immediate resignation as leader.[6]
February 1, 2015 – Party board of directors elects former leaderDavid Swann asinterim leader overLaurie Blakeman and rejects Blakeman's proposal for a merger with theAlberta Party, at least until after the next provincial election.[7] Swann is expected to lead the Liberals into thenext provincial election, widely expected to be called for the spring of 2015.[8] The party says it will hold a leadership election within a year but will not be setting a date for the vote until the fall.[8][9]
April 7, 2015 – Alberta legislature is dissolved for a general election.
May 30, 2015 – Party holds its Annual General Meeting but does not schedule a leadership election. Swann indicates he wishes to see a leadership election "within a year" and that he intends to continue as interim party leader until then.[2]
January 9, 2016 – Liberal executive met inRed Deer.[10] The executive voted to postpone the leadership election until 2017, in order to give candidates and the party more time to prepare, and decided unanimously to have Swann stay on as interim leader until then.
Other prominent supporters: (8) Brian Gold (formerLiberal Party of Canada in Alberta president),[17] Kara Levis (National Women's Liberal Commission president),[18] former MLA candidates Pete Helfrich, Avinash Khangura, Mike Hanlon, Harbaksh Sekhon, Iqtidar Awan, and Ali Bin Zahid.[19]
Khan is aCalgary lawyer who practices indigenous law. He was previously the party's 2014 by-election candidate inCalgary-West and2015 provincial election candidate inCalgary-Buffalo. Prior to entering the race, Khan served as the party's executive vice-president.[20]
Other prominent supporters: (2) Grant Dunlop (former Alberta Liberal Party president),[23] Robbie Schuett (Liberal Party of Canada in Alberta president)[22]
Organizations:
Policies
Khan does not support co-operation with theAlberta Party or other provincial parties, however, he does support forging closer ties with theLiberal Party of Canada.[24] Khan's policy platform includes abasic income pilot project, elimination of the small business tax,proportional representation for theLegislature, more free votes for MLAs, bringing private schools into the public system, and establishing universal pharmacare for those under 24.[25]
Other information
If elected, Khan would be the first openly gay leader of a major Alberta political party.[26]
Crouse has served three terms as mayor ofSt. Albert, beginning in 2007. Previously, he was acity councillor for one term. Outside of politics, Crouse has held a variety of careers, including hockey coach, chemical technologist, and small business owner. Previously unaffiliated, Crouse joined the party in November 2016.[27][28]
Date candidacy registered: January 17, 2017[29][27]
Crouse, at the time the sole leadership candidate, withdrew two days before the deadline for candidate registration. He said his reasons for withdrawing "will be kept private".[31]
Dan MacLennan, executive director of the Alberta Construction Safety Association, former president of theAlberta Union of Provincial Employees, vice-president of constituencies for the Alberta Liberal Party.[34]
Russell Scantlebury, Calgary resident and TEDxCalgary contributor.[35]
