Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman proposes merger with Alberta Party

Edmonton-Centre MLA Laurie Blakeman says the Liberal Party should take steps to cooperate and eventually join with the fledglingAlberta Party in an effort to unite progressive voters.

"I believe that voters are ready for a progressive alternative to the governing PCs," Blakemanwrote in a proposal shared online Sunday morning.

In it, she wrote that she would be willing to become interim leader of the party if she was given a mandate to negotiate "a structured cooperation and eventual amalgamation with the Alberta Party."

In the proposal, she said the party should talk with the Alberta Party "and possibly others" to nominate candidates in competitive areas of the province and "run anelection together."

Blakeman's proposal was effectively rejected by the party, who chose Calgary-Mountain View MLADavid Swann as the party's interim leader. After the announcement, Swann told reportershe would not seek a merger with any other party before the next election, largely assumed to be set for this spring, although he did leave open the possibility of talks afterwards.

Former Liberal leader Raj Shermanresigned as the head of the party Monday and declared he will not run in the next election.

The Alberta party, which bills itself as a centrist,currently holdsno seats in the Alberta legislature. The party has not responded publicly to Blakeman's proposal.

The party's leader, Greg Clark, is currently out of the province and could not be reached for comment.

See Laurie Blakeman'sproposal:

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