Wildroser floor crossers begin first day in legislature on government benches

EDMONTON – Eleven former Wildrose MLAs who crossed the floor to join the government will be scattered throughout the chamber when the Alberta legislature’s spring sitting begins Tuesday.

A seating chart shows most of the floor-crossers have been kept apart on the Progressive Conservative backbenches.

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The former Wildrosers, including their leader Danielle Smith, joined Premier Jim Prentice after the fall legislature sitting wrapped up late last year.

READ MORE: 5 issues to heat up the Alberta legislature spring session

Smith herself will sit in the second row on the government side, about four desks down from Prentice’s front-row centre seat.

READ MORE: Wildrose party floor-crossing fodder for leadership candidates’ debate

The Tories now have 70 caucus members, including Speaker Gene Zwozdesky, in the legislature.

The Wildrose and the Liberals each have five members and the NDP has four.