Harper’s victory lauded here

Stephen Harper claiming the Canadian Alliance leadership in one ballot is possibly the best thing that could have happened to the party, the president of the Kenora-Rainy River riding association said.
“I’m very happy about the Alliance vote, very happy about the outcome,” Brian Williams said over the weekend. “I think Harper has the best chance of any candidate to reunite the party.”
Harper, a 42-year-old economist and former Reform MP, received just over 55 percent of the mail-in ballots counted last Wednesday to capture the leadership.
Former leader Stockwell Day garnished just over 37 percent of the vote.
Williams said he was sure Harper would win, but was surprised he came out with a majority on the first ballot. In hindsight, he said the decisive majority was in the best interests of the party.
“If he hadn’t gotten a majority in the first ballot, it would be another two weeks before it would have been decided and that could be very divisive,” he explained.
“If you have two people battling each other fairly strongly, [voters] get really involved picking one side over the other and it takes longer for the party to heal,” he reasoned.
Under Harper’s leadership, Williams hopes the rift in the party—caused when some Alliance MPs lashed out against Day’s leadership and left to join a coalition with the Progressive Conservatives, will be behind them.
Harper’s first task will be to run for a seat in Parliament so he can take his place as Opposition leader. The riding of Calgary Southwest, which was left vacant when Preston Manning retired, is seen to be one he may seek.
While a new face could help the party move forward, Williams said a leader doesn’t have as much influence in driving the Alliance party as it would in a more traditional one.
“Even though we changed leaders, the policies don’t change,” he said, explaining party members vote on policies at conventions as opposed to other parties where leaders decide in what direction they will head.
Still, Williams hopes Harper will be able to present the party to the rest of the country—healing rifts and reaching out to new voters.
“Harper is a policy guy. He’s going to push policies and want to explain them to the people,” he said.