On Wednesday, the Alberta Liberals ran full page newspaper ads in the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal urging other parties to co-operate with them to offer a progressive alternative to the Progressive Conservatives.

Even though it’s hard to keep track of all the new parties that keep springing up in Alberta, at first glance it would seem this is targeted towards the NDP (who have said they won’t work with the ALP) and the Alberta Party (who are only a party in the loosest sense of the word). And, I guess the Greens, who were desanctioned and don’t even exist anymore.

But I’m sure the Liberals recognize that formal co-operation on the left isn’t going to happen any time soon. After all, you don’t negotiate mergers through ads in the Calgary Herald. Rather, this would appear to be targeted towards disillusioned and disenchanted voters looking for a home. Portray Swann as a leader who does politics differently, who puts partisanship aside, who listens.

Is this the start of a larger campaign, or just a one-off to put the “cooperation resolution” behind them? Hard to say, but I think the point has been made and I wouldn’t spend much more time or money on this one.