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No right turn, yet

For Western Canadians who find themselves on the right wing of the right wing, it's been a gloomy week. Despite an experienced leader, able candidates and media attention, the B.C.

For Western Canadians who find themselves on the right wing of the right wing, it's been a gloomy week.

Despite an experienced leader, able candidates and media attention, the B.C. Conservatives only managed a disappointing third place in two byelections last week, handing the NDP a bizarre Bible Belt win in the process. Four days later, Alberta's Wildrose Party fell a long way short of victory despite a slew of polls that declared it the next government.

Both the B.C. Conservatives and Wildrose sold themselves as agents of change, the antidotes to centre-right governments that had lost their sense of purpose after some long years in power.

But youthful party vigour isn't enough. The B.C. Conservatives were underfunded, understaffed, and didn't have much in the way of policy to offer beyond trashing everything the B.C. Liberals did. Wildrose's lead evaporated after a string of racist and homophobic comments from undisciplined candidates. They got voters' attention, but not their trust - recalling the early days of the Reform Party.

Wildrose is now Alberta's opposition, and will have some years to both mature as a party and recruit smarter candidates. If the Chilliwack-Hope byelection is anything to go on, the B.C. Conservatives will help elect an NDP government, and those impending years in opposition will include some serious Liberal soul-searching and unite-the-right conversations.

Failures are what can lead you to success. This week was only the end of the beginning for Western Canada's new crop of hard-right parties.