Wildrose Alliance shut out

Alberta's new Wildrose Alliance Party has been shut out of the provincial legislature. The party's best hope,leader Paul Hinman, was defeated by just 39 votesin aback-and-forth race in his home riding of Cardson-Taber-Warner.

The fiscally and socially conservative party finished second ineight rural ridings:

• Airdrie-Chestermere.
• Cardson-Taber-Warner.
• Strathmore-Brooks.
• Dunvegan-Central Peace.
• Little Bow.
• Rocky Mountain House.
• Whitecourt-Ste. Anne.
• Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills.

Hinman was first elected to the legislature in a 2005 byelection as leader of the Alberta Alliance party.It merged with the Wildrose Party in January its foundershoping to capitalize on feelings that the governing Conservative party had moved too far toward the centre.

Hinman raised eyebrows in 2006 when he asked Alliance members to buy Conservative party memberships so they could support Ted Morton's bid for the PCparty's leadership. At the time, Hinman said Morton's values were most in line with the Alberta Alliance.

The newly-formed party is said to have a debt of about $200,000, which will be difficult to fund with no representatives in the House.