Albertans have spoken. They elected another PC majority government with a Wildrose official opposition. Locally, voters chose Wildrose candidate Shayne Saskiw with 47 per cent. Including votes for NDP and Liberals, 58 per cent of Lac La Biche – St. Paul – Two Hills residents voted against the incumbent PC MLA, a top ranking minister in government. That’s four per cent more than the incumbent candidate received in 2004.
This 58 per cent voted against a cabinet minister despite unfounded claims the region would suffer as a result. There is no reason to immediately think the Redford PCs will punish northern voters, and if they do, it’s all the more reason to fight back against a sick political culture in Edmonton.
The election shows rural people stood up for property rights and didn’t buy the ridiculous bull the PCs tried to push. Comments from the previous MLA indicate a view that the people of the area did not understand several bills that affect property rights, basically, that voters are easily lead like a herd of cattle by any ol’ fool travelling through town.
It’s not a surprising thing to hear, nor is it a new comment, but follows along the nanny state view that electors are dumb and don’t know what’s best for themselves. They need a governing elite to tell them what’s best.
Well, voters in this area responded with a resounding “No,” on April 23, “It’s you, government, that doesn’t understand property rights.”
Already they were forced to admit as much by amending two of the problematic bills. With further pressure from rural areas, they may be forced to scrap them altogether. Now is not the time to sit back and accept the assault on rural values. While this message resonated most strongly in the south, where the Wildrose swept 16 seats, many PCs won with less than 1,000 votes in other rural areas. Lac La Biche – St. Paul – Two Hills residents now have a big responsibility to ensure the property rights message spreads further and stronger in the coming years in our neighbouring constituencies.
Rural communities need to band behind the new MLA and continue to press for change. A key part will be finding a way to share this message with the urban electorate. Our friends from the city love to come out and play and hunt in rural areas and friendly persuasion can be used to get them onside with rural concerns.
As Saskiw put it on election night, one job is finished, but another has started.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the election was the effectiveness of the anti-conservative smear campaign waged by the PCs, and the party’s enveloping of the Liberal vote. It shows the PCs are now the true liberal party of the province.
The Wildrose win shows local voters were fed up with the PCs accepting illegal donations and wanted a cleaner government that operates by the rule of law. It shows local people want a real solution to the health care mess and the 21-day provincial menu, not more of the same gruel.
All of this is still achievable, but may take more time than the pre-election polls would have indicated.
Addendum
After a great year and a bit here at the Journal, I’ve decided to get back in the saddle and move on to pursue other career goals. I want to say a big thanks to everyone who has helped with stories, submitted items and provided feedback. An especially big thank you to the Journal and the Bonnyville Nouvelle staff and newsrooms.
