[LINK] Two CBC items on the Wildrose Party and Preston Manning

[rfmcdonald]

In "Wildrose turns to Heather Forsyth as party reels from defections", the CBC noted that the Wildrose Party of Alberta has picked an interim leader.

The Wildrose Party has chosen Heather Forsyth as its new interim leader and announced the caucus has been "re-energized."

"I am deeply humbled to receive this endorsement from my colleagues," Forsyth said in a release after the announcement was made in Calgary.

Forsyth was elected in 1993 as a Progressive Conservative MLA, but crossed the floor to join the Wildrose Party in 2010.

[. . .]

The Wildrose Party is still reeling after nine MLAs crossed the floor to join the governing PCs last week, including former leader Danielle Smith. The change leaves the PCs with 72 seats.

"We need a few days to just relax and we need to reach out to Albertans, reach out to our candidates, find out what the next step is, work with the party," Forsyth told CBC News. "I think more important than anything is to talk to Albertans, obviously."

Meanwhile, "Preston Manning apologizes for role in Wildrose defections" tells that remarkable story.

Preston Manning is now apologizing for the role he played in last week’s defection of Danielle Smith and eight other Wildrose MLAs to Jim Prentice’s Progressive Conservatives.

In a Facebook post, the former leader of the federal Reform Party said he was asked by the caucus to share his experience in uniting his party with the federal PCs 15 years ago.

Reports state that Manning's talk was the turning point in the MLAs' decision to cross the floor.

But Manning now says that he failed to mention that the unite-the-right decision back then was approved by democratic means -- discussions with the grassroots, a vote by members and ultimately the 2000 federal election.

Manning now regrets not making that more explicit to the Wildrose caucus.