204:
automatically eliminated, and
Gerhart, in a disappointing fifth, dropped out as well. The third place Reierson made his way to the stage to make an announcement, but was physically obstructed by Kennedy. Breaking free, Reierson complained "I never thought I'd live to see the day that a Social Credit candidate would be denied the right to speak to his own supporters" announcing his withdrawal and endorsement of Taylor. Walt Buck, in fourth place, stayed on the ballot, despite entreaties from the Taylor and Reierson camps.
112:- Strom had served in Manning's cabinet since 1962, and was the favourite of many young Social Crediters because of his perceived openness to reform. As a senior cabinet minister, he also attracted the support of many members of the party's ruling class, including Aalborg. John Barr, a party functionary at the time and later chief of staff to Strom's education minister
175:
The campaign aroused little interest, and a poll in the Spring of 1968 found that well over half of respondents had not selected a candidate (the same poll placed Taylor in the lead with 9.8% of the vote, followed by Strom at 5.3% and
Reierson and 3.6%). Strom enjoyed the strongest organization, and
203:
The convention was attended by delegates elected by party members by constituency. A candidate required a majority of votes to win. On the first ballot, Strom led with 47.6% of the vote, well ahead of the other candidates (Taylor, in second place, had 16.5%). Hooke, in last place, was
122:- Taylor served as Minister of Highways for almost Manning's entire time in politics. A lifelong bachelor, he was well respected and popular, but was perceived as a single issue politician and did not have a record of achievement outside of transportation issues.
138:, Gerhart was seen as a possible renewal candidate. He was one of only two lawyers in the rural-dominated Social Credit caucus, but did not have the significant cabinet experience of most of his rivals, having served little over a year in cabinet.
184:
As delegates arrived at the
December 4 convention, they were greeted by an enormous red and white billboard supporting Reierson and a rock band supporting Gerhart. Inside the convention centre, an
75:
in 1943. Though still not an old man, he had decided to retire as premier after a record-setting 25 years, sensing the mood of change that was beginning to grip the province - his son,
441:
377:
Harry Strom became premier of
Alberta a week after the convention. However, his government proved unable to deal with the province's desire for change, and was soundly defeated in the
93:, Manning's provincial treasurer. He wanted the job, but declined to enter the race due to health concerns. This left the field open to other, less well-known, candidates.
456:
386:
60:, long-time Minister of Agriculture and later Minister of Municipal Affairs in Manning's government, came out on top of a six-person field on the second ballot.
389:, marking the end of the thirty-five year Social Credit dynasty in Alberta, and the beginning of the Progressive Conservatives' still-longer tenure.
207:
On the second ballot, Strom retained his large lead, although Taylor gained ground. Well above the majority threshold, he was elected leader.
451:
82:
Social Credit had never held a leadership contest before. As founder, Aberhart had emerged as the unquestioned leader in advance of the
21:
431:
412:
154:- Hooke entered the race just before the convention. He had been in the legislature since Social Credit's landslide win in the
41:
71:
had been Social Credit's leader and premier of
Alberta since he was selected by his caucus to succeed deceased party founder
45:
37:
378:
155:
83:
446:
436:
345:
249:
119:
196:
was trying to prevent a resolution in favour of the Social Credit youth branch, endorsing the legalization of
159:
148:, Buck was the campaign's dark horse. He was a rookie MLA having been elected for the first time in 1967.
404:
128:- Reierson had held a number of portfolios in Manning's cabinets, and was seen as able and confident.
135:
113:
163:
86:, and Manning was the obvious and unanimous choice of his caucus after Aberhart's death in 1943.
79:, claimed in 2003 that his father was concerned that Social Credit might lose the next election.
53:
408:
145:
48:
asks the leader of the largest party in the legislature to form government, the contest was a
25:
262:
125:
72:
76:
382:
90:
68:
33:
425:
288:
193:
131:
301:
151:
102:
332:
236:
189:
158:—as long as Manning himself—and campaigned on a conservative platform attacking
109:
57:
101:
There were five candidates for most of the pre-convention period, with veteran
116:, characterized Strom as "just a tall, good-natured guy whom everybody liked".
358:
275:
197:
141:
407:: Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. pp. 185–189.
162:
abusers and perceived disloyalty in the Strom camp, proposing a return to "
105:
entering at the last minute before the convention. The candidates were
185:
29:
399:
Barr, John J. (2004). "Harry Strom". In
Bradford J. Rennie (ed.).
40:. Because Social Credit enjoyed a substantial majority in the
32:, on December 4, 1968, to select a candidate to replace
44:
at the time and because convention dictates that the
200:from making the convention floor (he succeeded).
18:Alberta Social Credit leadership convention, 1968
442:Political party leadership elections in Alberta
8:
457:1968 political party leadership elections
401:Alberta Premiers of the Twentieth Century
176:entered the convention as the favourite.
214:
134:- The son of long-time Manning minister
313:
217:
7:
22:Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
14:
144:- A dentist and backbencher from
42:Legislative Assembly of Alberta
46:Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta
38:Social Credit Party of Alberta
1:
452:Alberta Social Credit Party
365:
362:
352:
349:
339:
336:
308:
305:
295:
292:
282:
279:
269:
266:
256:
253:
243:
240:
473:
89:The initial favourite was
387:Progressive Conservatives
188:band was trying to get a
432:1968 elections in Canada
192:going. Party secretary
52:selection of the next
405:Regina, Saskatchewan
20:, took place in the
447:Politics of Alberta
437:History of Alberta
164:traditional values
54:Premier of Alberta
370:
369:
146:Fort Saskatchewan
36:as leader of the
26:Edmonton, Alberta
464:
418:
263:Raymond Reierson
215:
126:Raymond Reierson
73:William Aberhart
472:
471:
467:
466:
465:
463:
462:
461:
422:
421:
415:
398:
395:
375:
213:
182:
173:
99:
77:Preston Manning
66:
12:
11:
5:
470:
468:
460:
459:
454:
449:
444:
439:
434:
424:
423:
420:
419:
413:
394:
391:
383:Peter Lougheed
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180:The convention
178:
172:
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167:
149:
139:
129:
123:
117:
98:
95:
91:Anders Aalborg
69:Ernest Manning
65:
62:
34:Ernest Manning
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
469:
458:
455:
453:
450:
448:
445:
443:
440:
438:
435:
433:
430:
429:
427:
416:
414:0-88977-151-0
410:
406:
402:
397:
396:
392:
390:
388:
384:
380:
379:1971 election
372:
360:
357:
356:
347:
346:Gordon Taylor
344:
343:
334:
331:
330:
326:
323:
320:
319:
316:
315:Second ballot
312:
303:
300:
299:
290:
289:Edgar Gerhart
287:
286:
277:
274:
273:
264:
261:
260:
251:
250:Gordon Taylor
248:
247:
238:
235:
234:
230:
227:
224:
223:
220:
216:
210:
208:
205:
201:
199:
195:
194:Orvis Kennedy
191:
187:
179:
177:
170:
165:
161:
157:
156:1935 election
153:
150:
147:
143:
140:
137:
136:C. E. Gerhart
133:
132:Edgar Gerhart
130:
127:
124:
121:
120:Gordon Taylor
118:
115:
111:
108:
107:
106:
104:
96:
94:
92:
87:
85:
84:1935 election
80:
78:
74:
70:
63:
61:
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
39:
35:
31:
27:
23:
19:
400:
376:
314:
302:Alfred Hooke
219:First ballot
218:
206:
202:
183:
174:
152:Alfred Hooke
103:Alfred Hooke
100:
88:
81:
67:
49:
17:
15:
333:Harry Strom
327:Percentage
237:Harry Strom
231:Percentage
190:snake dance
110:Harry Strom
58:Harry Strom
426:Categories
393:References
321:Candidate
225:Candidate
97:Candidates
64:Background
373:Aftermath
359:Walt Buck
276:Walt Buck
198:marijuana
142:Walt Buck
114:Bob Clark
171:Campaign
50:de facto
211:Results
186:oom-pah
160:welfare
411:
353:36.3%
340:54.9%
324:Votes
283:10.8%
270:14.9%
257:16.5%
244:47.6%
228:Votes
30:Canada
366:8.8%
309:2.2%
296:8.0%
409:ISBN
363:147
350:606
337:915
293:137
280:184
267:255
254:282
241:814
16:The
385:'s
381:by
306:38
56:.
24:in
428::
403:.
166:".
28:,
417:.
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