We have become...a very strict two party system
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153.2161
Summary
It's election day in Alberta and the two parties are locked in a two-way race for the next election. What does that mean for the future of the two-party system in Alberta? And what does it mean for Alberta's political landscape?
Transcript
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Edmonton. So, yeah, it wouldn't be out of the question for the NDP to get more votes and
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to get fewer seats. But I don't expect that to happen because every poll that's been taken in
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the last few weeks has shown some degree of UCP majority of votes. You're right about the two
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party, strict two party competition, but that's new in Alberta. This is the first time,
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you know, last time there was still a 9% vote for the Alberta party. I think many of those voters
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have probably migrated to the NDP. But in recent elections, the multi party split has actually
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been the most important thing. When the Tories lost, it was because while Rose was still running
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separate candidates. And before that, for many years, the liberals in the NDP were carving up the
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left of center vote. You know, there was almost always more than 40% of voters, sometimes more
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than 50% of voters who were choosing liberal and NDP. But because they were more or less evenly
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divided, they couldn't win very many seats. That's all changed. Now we have become, at least for the
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time being who knows for the future, but for the time being, it's a very strict two party system.