EDMONTON, Alberta, April 24 (UPI) -- Canada's provincial Conservatives in Alberta have won their 12th majority government after 41 years in power, drubbing a well-publicized far-right party.
Incumbent Premier Alison Redford's Conservatives shook off a challenge by the rightist provincial Wildrose party challenge and lost five seats to take 61 in the Legislature in Monday's election, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Wildrose is led by former journalist Danielle Smith. It had four seats in the Legislature before the election and gained 13 more to become the official opposition, the Calgary Sun said.
The Liberal party won five seats and the socialist New Democratic Party took four, the reports said.
A CBC political analysis suggested some voters who would traditionally vote for the leftist Liberals or NDP voted Conservative to prevent the Wildrose party from dominance.
The party named for the province's official flower suffered setbacks last week when two of its candidates made what many considered to be "racist and anti-gay comments," the broadcaster said.
