A few proud prominent Albertans have come out to express their views and relish in this momentous occasion. Here is a comment from Premier Ed Stelmach
"I congratulate Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada on their resounding election victory tonight," said Premier Stelmach. "Canada can now move forward with a stable government that can continue to build our economy, balance the federal budget, get tough on crime, and keep taxes low for working families. I applaud all of the candidates who stood for election - whether they won or lost. I appreciate their commitment to our nation's democratic process. And on behalf of the Government of Alberta, I continue to look forward to working with Prime Minister Harper and his government on matters of mutual interest."Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith weighs in too.
“On behalf of the Wildrose, I’d like to congratulate Prime Minister Stephen Harper on his victory tonight and the election of a Conservative majority government. Tonight’s election result is the best possible outcome not only for Alberta, but for the entire country. Under his leadership, I believe Alberta and Ottawa will continue to have a strong relationship, based on co-operation and mutual respect for jurisdictional authority. Further, a Conservative majority led by Prime Minister Harper brings with it never-before seen opportunities to reform the Senate, strengthen the criminal justice system, lower the tax burden on families and reduce government spending. The Wildrose looks forward to working with the new Conservative government toward these ends.”It all started with Preston Manning another proud Albertan. His father was Premier for many years. It was Preston who took disaffected PCs, formed and lead the Reform party, then later pressed for the right to be reunited. Here's what he had this to say:
Former Reform Party leader Preston Manning is pleased the Harper Conservatives are being returned to Ottawa with a strong majority. But Manning tells QR77's Dave Rutherford he's almost more pleased by the losses sustained by the separatist Bloc Quebecois.To all the candidates who didn't win, thanks for your effort and hard work. Best wishes for the future and I hope to see you back in four years.
Manning says, "I don't agree with Jack Layton on very much, but I congratulate Jack on wiping out the Bloc in Quebec. I think that was a national service that had to be done."
Sitting in Alberta it's a sweet victory but we also expect some things done like the wasteful gun registry should go, choice for farmers and senate reform. We also expect the Conservative majority government to reduce the size of government and put us in the black again in the time frame they have set out. We expect them too,to run a clean majority government and not get arrogant! That's what did the Liberals in.
Once again it's a good day for Alberta and the rest of Canada too. Now it's time for the new parliamentarians to get to work and do some good things to make a great country an even greater one.
