Article content

The Alberta Liberals have put off the race for a new party leader by one year, endorsing leader David Swann to hold the fort in the interim.

The party must use the time to rebuild and find a charismatic new leader after Premier Rachel Notley’s NDP nearly wiped them out in the last provincial election, political scientists say. Swann is the only Liberal MLA.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Alberta Liberals put off leadership race for one year Back to video

“The provincial Liberals barely have a pulse,” said Duane Bratt, a political scientist at Calgary’s Mount Royal University. “There is no momentum.”

Swann disagreed, saying the party is on the upswing politically and financially. Between July and September 2015, the party raised $29,901 compared to $15,576 raised by the Progressive Conservatives and $4,131 raised by the Alberta Party.

“It’s certainly on the growth curve,” Swann said, noting the party has 3,000 to 4,000 members. The executive voted to hold its leadership race in spring 2017 rather than April 2016. “We feel that there’s momentum building, young people coming into the fold, especially perhaps in response to the federal election.”