No one believed it could really happen. Despite all the predictions that the NDP could form Alberta’s next government, it was hard to fathom that four decades of Conservative governance could actually be toppled. But in the morning after May 5, Albertans awoke and had to give themselves a pinch – it was true, they had rode the orange wave and elected an NDP majority government.
This election should have been a slam-dunk for the PC premier, Jim Prentice. Last year, he won the party leadership handily, won praise for his first moves as premier, won four by-elections, took the wind out of the Wildrose’s sails by reducing their party to five sitting MLAs, and then took advantage of the other parties’ disorganization by calling the spring election one year ahead of schedule.
It should have been his election, but it wasn’t. It started with his middle-of-the-road budget that pleased no one – not conservatives that hated the proposed tax increases, and not others that derided the fact corporations got a free pass while everyone else saw tax and user fee increases. Prentice and his party were the architects of their own defeat, presiding over PC nominations that were plagued with in-fighting and problems, Prentice’s infamous mirror comments blaming Albertans for the fiscal crisis, and his poor performance in the leaders’ debate topped by his snide remarks to Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley that “math is difficult.”
He was seen as an ally to the business leaders that arrogantly threatened to cut their charitable funding if Albertans were to elect an NDP government, and all the stench of former PC scandals rose up and condemned his party to the rot of perceived entitlement, taking down candidates like Darrell Younghans with him.
The fact that Younghans came in third place in this riding, behind a young, inexperienced NDP candidate - who was not from the area and put in a fraction of the same effort and time into the race as he did – spoke loudly to the profound level of dissatisfaction with his party.
Prentice put forward a decent plan to help get the province off its dependence on oil, but his foot in mouth disease was the nail in the coffin of the government, the dynasty made into a dinosaur. Following his party’s near total obliteration last Tuesday, his defection as leader - tail firmly between his legs - was inevitable, but his resignation as MLA smacked of poor sportsmanship, a lack of grace and a failure to live up to the belief his constituents put in him. As such, goodbye Mr. Prentice, you are the weakest link.
And now what is next for the province? Despite the doom and gloom of some Conservative and PC supporters, it is unlikely anything will radically change in the next four years for your average Albertan. Notley has already indicated she is willing to work with the energy industry, and certainly, it is in her best interests not to create more economic havoc or loss of jobs for everyday Albertans.
To his credit, Wildrose MLA David Hanson has said he will work with the NDP for the province, and we wish him luck in his new role representing the constituents of this riding and holding the NDP to account, as part of the Official Opposition. It is a vital role, to provide balance and the fiscal accountability that Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills residents demand and deserve.
We’ve given the PCs nearly 44 years in government. Let’s give our new MLAs and our new government 48 months before writing them off, and give them a chance to prove themselves of being worthy of the trust Albertans have put in them.
