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The [[District of Columbia]], the [[national capital]] of the [[United States]], was formed in 1790 from 100 [[square mile]]s that were [[cession|ceded]] to the federal government by the [[U.S. state|states]] of [[Maryland]] and [[Virginia]].
{{Infobox_Canada_Political_Party |
party_name = Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta |
party_wikicolourid = Progressive Conservative |
status = active |
class = prov |
party_logo = [[Image:PCP Alb logo.png]] |
leader = [[Ed Stelmach]] |
president = [[Doug Graham (Alberta)|Doug Graham]] |
foundation = [[1905]]|
dissolution = |
ideology = [[Conservatism]] |
headquarters = 9919 106 Street NW [[Edmonton, Alberta]] T5K 1E2; 304-902 11 Avenue SW [[Calgary, Alberta]] T2R 0E7 |
int_alignment = none |
colours = [[Blue]] & [[Orange (colour)|Orange]] |
seats_house = 61 |
website = [http://www.albertapc.ab.ca http://www.albertapc.ab.ca]
}}
'''Retrocession''' is defined as the reversal of a [[cession]], returning land to the entities to which it originally belonged. The 32 square miles originally ceded by Virginia were returned to Virginia in 1847, and some have proposed that the remaining 68 square miles, or most of them, be returned to Maryland.
The '''Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta''' is a provincial [[Right-wing politics|right-of-centre]] party in the [[Canada|Canadian]] province of [[Alberta]]. The party has formed the provincial government, without interruption, since [[1971]] under premiers [[Peter Lougheed]] (1971-[[1985]]), [[Don Getty]] (1985-[[1992]]), [[Ralph Klein]] (1992-2006) and [[Ed Stelmach]] (2006-present).
== Virginia retrocession ==
==History==
Almost immediately after the "Federal City" was laid out north of the [[Potomac River]], the residents south of the Potomac in [[Alexandria County, D.C.]] began petitioning to be returned to Virginia's jurisdiction. Over time, a movement grew to separate [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]] from the District for several reasons:
===Origins and early years===
* Alexandria was an important port and market in the [[Atlantic slave trade]]. There was increasing talk of [[Abolitionism|abolition]] of slavery in the national capital, and Alexandria's economy would suffer greatly if slavery were outlawed.
The party was created from the [[Northwest Territories Liberal-Conservative Party]] that existed from 1898 to 1905. Unlike their predecessor party, that formed government during its entire existence, the Alberta Conservatives were a marginal party in Alberta for most of the province's early history. In the province's first election, the [[Alberta general election, 1905|1905 election]], the Conservatives, led by future Canadian [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Richard B. Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett|Richard Bennett]], won only two seats and were barely able to improve on that in subsequent elections. The main policy difference between the Tories and the [[Alberta Liberal Party]] was over the Tories' belief that the province should control its natural resources, which the province had been denied.
* There was an active abolition movement in Virginia, and the pro-slavery forces held a slim majority in the [[Virginia General Assembly]]. (Eighteen years later, in the [[American Civil War]], the most anti-slavery counties would secede from Virginia to form [[West Virginia]].) If Alexandria and Alexandria County were retroceded to Virginia, they would provide two new pro-slavery representatives.
* Alexandria's economy had stagnated as competition with the port of [[Georgetown, Washington, D.C.|Georgetown, D.C.]] had begun to favor the north side of the Potomac. The [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal]] was already helping Georgetown take more business from Alexandria, and the canal was still being extended.
* Alexandria's residents had lost representation and the right to vote at any level of government.
After a referendum, voters petitioned Congress and Virginia to return the area to Virginia. By an act of Congress on [[9 July]], [[1846]], and with the approval of the Virginia General Assembly, the area south of the Potomac (39 square miles [101 km²]) was returned, or "retroceded," to Virginia effective in [[1847]].[http://www.citymuseumdc.org/gettoknow/faq.asp]
===On the political sidelines===
In the [[Alberta general election, 1913|1913 election]], the Tories achieved a breakthrough, winning 18 seats and 45% of the vote. Despite this result, and an even better result in the [[Alberta general election, 1917|1917 election]], they were still unable to beat the Liberals. The Tories then split into 'traditional' and 'radical' camps. The party collapsed, and was unable to run a full slate of candidates in the [[Alberta general election, 1921|1921 election]]. Only one Conservative [[Member of the Legislative Assembly]] (MLA) was returned to the [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta|Legislative Assembly]] in this election, in which the new [[United Farmers of Alberta]] (UFA) defeated the Liberals, and took power.
The retroceded land was then known as [[Alexandria County, Virginia]], and now includes a portion of the [[independent city]] of [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]] and all of [[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington County]], the successor to Alexandria County. A large portion of the retroceded land near the river was an estate of [[George Washington Parke Custis]]. It would be passed on to his daughter and her husband, [[Robert E. Lee]], and would eventually become [[Arlington National Cemetery]].
For the next fifty years, the Tories were unable to elect more than a half dozen MLAs. The party was marginalized after the UFA was able to negotiate the province's control of its resources from Ottawa, denying the Tories their major policy plank.
== Proposed Maryland retrocession ==
In [[1935]], the UFA collapsed. The [[Social Credit Party of Alberta]] took power on a populist and Christian conservative platform. Social Credit attracted conservative voters for decades, particularly after the party moved away from its radical [[social credit]] economic theories, and embraced fiscal conservatism.
It has been proposed that the remainder of the District be given back to Maryland. Retrocession would take a simple act of [[U.S. Congress|Congress]], though it is generally accepted that Congress would not take such a step without the approval of Marylanders and Washingtonians via referenda. Currently, there is little support for retrocession, though some see it as a solution to the twin problems of [[D.C. voting rights]] and [[D.C. home rule]].
===The party in the 1940s and 1950s===
In the late [[1930s]], the Conservatives and Liberals formed a united front in an attempt to fight Social Credit and, as a result, no Conservative candidates ran in [[Alberta general election, 1940|1940 election]], [[Alberta general election, 1944|1944 election]] and [[Alberta general election, 1948|1948 election]]. Supporters of both parties ran instead as ''independents''.
Such a move, according to some, would be [[constitutional]] if at least the part of the District that contains the main offices of government (the National Capital Service Area) were to remain in the District officially; the [[U.S. Constitution]] requires a national capital "not exceeding ten Miles square", but does not specify a minimum size for the District. However, it is unclear if the Constitution even requires the creation of a District to begin with; after all, the country did not have such a district until Washington was founded. If it does, then such a move would require, as a technicality, the repeal of the [[Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution|23rd Amendment]] due to there being no citizens of such a district. The only residents of such a rump district would be the [[First Family of the United States|First Family]], who vote in their hometown (plus, possibly, some [[homeless]] people).
The failure of the coalition strategy led to the reemergence of separate Liberal and Conservative parties in the early [[1950s]]. The Tories only nominated five candidates in the [[Alberta general election, 1952|1952 election]], only one of whom won election.
The remainder of Washington would become a city in Maryland, allowing residents to vote for Maryland's Congressional delegation like any other resident of the state, as well as in state elections.
The Tories became ''Progressive Conservatives'' in [[1959]] in order to conform with the name of the federal [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada]]. The party continued to be unable to improve their fortunes, and lost their only seats in the legislature.
===The partyArguments underfor Peterretrocession Lougheed===
In March [[1965]], [[Peter Lougheed]] became leader of the party, and began transforming it into a political force by combining fiscal conservatism with a modernist, urban outlook. This approach was in stark contrast to the parochialism and rural agrarianism of Social Credit. In particular, the party started gaining support in [[Calgary]] and [[Edmonton]]. Social Credit was slow to adapt to the changes in Alberta as its two largest cities gained increasing influence.
Proponents like the Committee for the Capital City feel such a move would be of financial benefit to Washington; the city would be relieved of burdens not shared by other American cities such as running a [[prison]] system and a [[Department of Motor Vehicles]], and it would finally be free from the veto power of the [[United States Congress]]. Maryland would benefit from the prestige of being the home state of the national capital of the world's [[superpower]] and would gain additional tax revenue. Congress would benefit from no longer having to scrutinize the decisions of the city government; committees overseeing DC government have traditionally been amongst the least prestigious jobs for members. Further, it would give most residents of the District a say in federal government, as they would be able to vote for a representative and senators, and thus have representation.
In [[Alberta general election, 1967|1967]], Lougheed's Tories achieved an electoral breakthrough, electing six [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta|MLA]]s. Lougheed became [[Leader of the Opposition]].
=== Arguments against retrocession ===
In [[1968]], Social Credit [[Premier of Alberta|Premier]] [[Ernest Manning]] resigned after 25 years, and was replaced by [[Harry Strom]]. After 33 years in power, Social Credit had grown tired and complacent. Albertans, particularly those associated with the booming oil industry, began to turn to the young and dynamic Lougheed Tories. Over the next four years, Lougheed saw his small caucus grow to 10 members as a result of two [[by-election]] wins--one of which was Manning's old Edmonton seat--and two [[crossing the floor|floor-crossings]].
Proponents of [[D.C. statehood]] are against the idea of retrocession because they feel that the city, having been separated from Maryland since the [[18th century]], has a separate identity; although Maryland is mere city blocks away from many Washingtonians, there is no connection to the state for them. Others see it as a means to block proper representation, which they feel includes two senators. Because the city is a stronghold of the [[U.S. Democratic Party|Democratic Party]], [[U.S. Republican Party|Republican]]s in the [[U.S. Senate|Senate]] would not be eager to admit the District as a state. Republicans would have less of a problem giving the city back to Maryland, as that would, given the city's current population, add only a single Democrat to the [[U.S. House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]. Many in Washington object to Maryland's use of the [[death penalty]], which has been abolished in the District. Many in Maryland, meanwhile, object to retrocession because they feel that the city, which has relatively high crime and poverty rates, would be a burden on state government agencies. Others feel that the federal government should have a role in running the national capital; such a role allows for proper management of the city as a symbol of the nation and can be used to reject projects that would be seen by a majority of Americans as ruinous to the capital. Finally, the measure still fails to completely solve the problem of voting representation for all Washingtonians, because any transfer of less than the entirety of the District could still leave some citizens without representation.
In the [[Alberta general election, 1971|1971 election]], the Progressive Conservatives campaigned on a simple theme--'''NOW!'''--symbolizing their goal of increasing Alberta's clout in Canada. On [[August 30]], the Tories won power for the first time in Alberta's history. They finished only four percentage points ahead of Social Credit. However, they swept Edmonton and took all but five seats in Calgary. Due to a quirk in the [[first past the post]] system, this gave Lougheed a strong majority government, with 49 of the 75 seats in the legislature.
== Current legislation ==
In power, the Progressive Conservatives fought a long battle with the federal government over control of Alberta's natural resources (particularly oil). The oil industry provided the Alberta government with large revenue surpluses that allowed it to maintain Alberta as the only province or territory in Canada without a provincial retail [[sales tax]]. Alberta experienced a large development boom, particularly in Calgary, in the [[1970s]] and [[1980s]].
On April 16, 2007, Rep. [[Louie Gohmert]] ([[Republican|R]]-[[Texas]]) introduced H.R. 1858, the "District of Columbia-Maryland Reunion Act," which would transfer the bulk of Washington to Maryland if Maryland will have it.[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1858.IH:]
During the Lougheed years, Alberta became a virtual one-party state, carrying almost all the seats in the provincial legislature. Lougheed's successor, [[Don Getty]] was unable to match the Lougheed Tories' dominance in the provincial legislature, but he enjoyed large majorities nevertheless.
==See also==
===Recent history under Ralph Klein===
*[[Washington, D.C.]]
While the popularity of the Tories sagged somewhat under Don Getty, it was revived under [[Ralph Klein]], who has moved the party sharply to the right. In contrast, under Lougheed and Getty, the party was considered a classic example of a [[Red Tory]] government. The party was reduced to 51 seats in the 1993 election, but gained stronger majorities in 1997 and 2001.
*[[District of Columbia voting rights]]
*[[District of Columbia home rule]]
Tensions have developed within Albertan society and perhaps even within the party between social conservatives and fiscal conservatives as the former have raised concerns about issues such as [[same-sex marriage in Canada|same-sex marriage]]. This has motivated Klein to use the Canadian Constitution's [[Section Thirty-three of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms|notwithstanding clause]] to preserve the traditional definition of marriage over the objections of the courts.<ref>[http://www.canlii.org/ab/laws/sta/m-5/20060217/whole.html Marriage Act], R.S.A. 2000, c. M-5. Accessed URL on [[March 10]], [[2006]].</ref> However, this would not apply to federal jurisdiction. Alberta under the Tories has also been the province most vocal about challenging Canada's system of [[publicly-funded health care]], threatening to introduce private clinics and to opt out of the [[Canada Health Act]], despite the claims of some that he does not have a mandate from the electorate to do so.
*[[District of Columbia Vote in House of Representatives]]
*[[D.C. Statehood]]
It was always viewed as unlikely that a centrist or left-leaning opposition party (the [[Alberta Liberal Party]] and the [[Alberta New Democrats]], respectively) would be in a serious position to challenge the Conservatives for power in the [[Alberta general election, 2004|2004 general election]]. The Liberals, New Democrats, and a new [[right wing politics|right wing]] party, the [[Alberta Alliance]], all campaigned aggressively against the Tories in 2004. The Klein government was re-elected, but lost a dozen urban seats. Many pundits expected losses in Edmonton, the traditional heartland of the provincial Liberals. However, the Conservatives unexpectedly lost three seats to the Liberals in Calgary, where the Tories had previously held every seat.
The Alliance did not seriously challenge the Tories' majority either, but it was competitive in several rural districts that could formerly have been described as Tory bastions. Although the Alliance only won one seat, from the Tories' perspective that seat was a formerly ultra-safe southwestern district. This has led many pundits to conclude that although the Alliance gained less than ten percent of the popular vote in 2004, it could potentially be in a position to launch a more serious challenge to the Tories in the future.
On [[July 20]] [[2005]], after receiving a 55% vote of support from his party, Ralph Klein issued a press release expressing his intent to retire. A number of candidates stepped forward as possible replacements for a leadership vote in late 2006. Klein officially resigned on [[September 20]], 2006. The first round of voting on [[November 25]] eliminated all but three candidates - [[Jim Dinning]], [[Ted Morton]] and [[Ed Stelmach]]. None received the required 50& of the vote, so a second round was held on [[December 2]]. In the second round, Stelmach was declared the winner. He assumed the premiership on [[December 14]].
*''See also: [[Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership election, 2006]]''
== Party leaders ==
'''Northwest Territories Liberal-Conservative Party'''
*[[Frederick W. A. G. Haultain|Frederick Haultain]] (1897 - 1905)
'''Alberta Conservative Party'''
*[[Richard B. Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett|Richard (R.B.) Bennett]] ([[Alberta general election, 1905|1905 election]])
*[[Albert Robertson]] (1905-1909)
*[[Richard B. Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett|Richard (R.B.) Bennett]] (1909-1910)
*[[Edward Michener]] (1910-1917)
*[[George Hoadley]] (1917-1920)
*[[James Ramsey]] (1920-1921)
*[[Albert Ewing]] 1921?
*[[Alexander McGillivray (Alberta politician)|Alexander McGillivray]] (1925-1930)
*[[David Milwyn Duggan]] (1930-1942)
*[[John Percy Page]] ([[Alberta general election, 1952|1952]], [[Alberta general election, 1955|1955 elections]])
'''Alberta Progressive Conservative Party'''
*[[Cam Kirby]] ([[Alberta general election, 1959|1959 election]])
*[[Ernest Watkins]] interim (1959-1962)
*[[Milt Harradance]] (1962-1964)
*[[Peter Lougheed]] (1965-1985)
*[[Donald Getty]] (1985-1992)
*[[Ralph Klein]] (1992-2006)
*[[Ed Stelmach]] (2006- )
== See also ==
*[[List of Alberta general elections]]
*[[List of Canadian political parties]]
*[[Northwest Territories Liberal-Conservative Party]]
==References==
<references/>
== External links ==
*[http://www.albertapc.ab.ca/ PC Association of Alberta]
{{Alberta politics}}
{{Canadian Conservative Parties}}
*[http://www.washingtonmd.org Committee for the Capital City (pro-retrocession)]
[[Category:Provincial political parties in Alberta|Progressive Conservative]]
*[http://www.dcvote.org/pdfs/mdrretro062004.pdf The Debates over the Retrocession of the District of Columbia, 1801–2004]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1905]]
[[Category:History of the District of Columbia|Retrocession]]
[[fr:Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta]]
[[Category:Home rule and voting rights of the District of Columbia]]
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