Wildrose Roots Were Not Deep Enough

Ok, I am finished licking my wounds from the Alberta election.  Sure I was really wanting Wildrose to win.   I thought Danielle Smith would make terrific premier and I still do.  It's obvious Albertans were not quite comfortable yet handing them government.  Wildrose roots were just not deep enough yet.

 I know we all believed the polls and the pundits.  Most were projecting a Wildrose win.  The expectation was high.  It looks now like the polls were wrong.

But hey, thinking about it most of the day yesterday, it wasn't a total loss.  Wildrose came away with 17 seats including Danielle's. PCs came away with fewer seats than they had before. Wildrose is now the official opposition, the government in waiting.  Danielle and her team will keep hammering away at Red Ali and her PC minions as they keep mucking the province up. 

It was the same situation with the Lougheed PCs at first. They were in opposition first to prove themselves, then government.  Same too with the CPC. Look where they are now.

As the time passes, Wildrose will gain experience, get more media and public attention. Their roots will grow deeper.  Albertans will get to know them better and become more comfortable.  If they do a good job, keep their noses clean, keep getting their message out, they will gain the trust of Albertans come next election in four years, they will be rewarded and Danielle Smith, a smart, charismatic, articulate woman will be handed the keys to the premiers office.

I think we just have to be patient.  As the Wildrose roots grow deeper, the more stable they will be and next time will not be blown over.  The next election campaign is just starting.

Alberta PCs Have No Sense of Humor

 

Yesterday was April fools day.  All the parties in Alberta has some fun except, REDford's PCs. 

Alberta political parties tried their hand at humour on Sunday, with a smattering of April Fools’ jokes on a quiet day on the election campaign trail.
The Liberals issued a news release responding to a made-up PC party plan to build a Calgary airport overpass instead of a tunnel. Attached to the news release is a link to what appears to be the Calgary Herald’s political blog – until you look more closely at the web address.
The Wildrose issued a press release calling for a merger with Saskatchewan to form a new province called Saskberta. The merger would see the capital located in the border town of Lloydminster, which would be renamed Regimonton.
The tongue-in-cheek news release said the merger presents a number of important economic benefits for Alberta, including significantly expanded parking.
“Alberta and Saskatchewan are both blessed with abundant natural resources, which is clearly an area we can better pursue as a single province,” leader Danielle Smith said in the statement.  “We also have a shared commitment to eliminate pirate activity on the North Saskatchewan River.”
The Alberta Party announced a plan for reducing congestion on the QE2 with a new “high-speed” gondola connection between Edmonton and Calgary.
The party said the project would be designed to take advantage of corridor that will come with PC government plan for high-voltage transmission lines between Alberta’s two largest cities.
“The towers are already being built to accommodate the transmission lines,” said party leader Glenn Taylor. “We’re simply adding one new line, suspended between the towers. This is a shovel-ready program, no further regulatory approvals would be needed.”
The news release added “according to leading gondola transportation authorities, the commute time could as little as a blazingly fast 7 1/2 hours.”
Probably the best of the April Fools’ Day pranks is the NDP re-posting their video from the 2010 legislature Christmas party as an “attack ad” against the Wildrose. The joke video features NDP Leader Brian Mason in a drill sergeant role, trying to whip Wildrose party members into shape for question period. It will likely be the only time you see the Wildrose members dressed up in NDP orange, or Airdrie Wildrose incumbent Rob Anderson professing his admiration for Tommy Douglas (under duress).
 Albertans go to the polls on April 23.  (h/t) Calgary Herald

Election campaigns are long and grueling.  Issues are discussed hopefully and sometimes campaigns can turn nasty.    So it's nice at least to see some parties take a break and have some fun. 

Come on what's wrong with you PCs?   Do you have no sense of humor?

So Alison Redford Wants To Change "The Character" of Alberta

So Alison Redford said she wants to "change the character" of Alberta.    Excuse me, what do you mean by that Ms. Redford?  What's wrong with Alberta the way it is? 

In response to a question, Redford said: “I have a great deal of certainly and confidence in terms of where Albertans are viewing the future of the province, and I don’t think it’s the status quo and don’t think it’s going back 15 or 20 years.
“I think it’s about the future, understanding that we’re a different community, we’re a different society, that we have the opportunity to make some really wise and long-term decisions that will change the character of our province.”

It reminds me of Michelle Obama during the 2008 US presidential election musing about what Americans could expect from her husband about changing traditions,and history etc.

 “We’re going to have to make sacrifices, we’re going to have to change our conversation, we’re going to have to change our traditions, our history and we’re going to have to move to a different place.”

 All of this doesn't surprise me coming from Redford.  She spent some time working at the UN so she is of that kind of mindset.

The Secretary General of the United Nations Boutros Boutros-Ghali appointed and assigned Alison Redford to a post in the United Nations as a special legal adviser.^{[citation needed]}
Throughout the 1990s, Redford worked as a technical adviser on constitutional and legal reform issues in various parts of Africa for the European Union, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Canadian Government and the Government of Australia. Her work in Africa focused on human rights litigation, developing education programs and policy reform with respect to gender issues.^[3]

Danielle Smith was right in calling her out on it.    These are the kind of things we need to be alerted about.

 Smith says she doesn’t want to change the character of Alberta.
“I don’t think we need to be fixed,” says Smith, calling this election “a fight for the heart and soul of the province.”
She thinks Redford “doesn’t like Alberta all that much. She doesn’t like who we are. Do we need to be changed? Do we need Ms. Redford to change us? I think the answer is a resounding no.”

I like Danielle, like Alberta the way it is.  It doesn't need to be changed thank you very much!  The only change that needs to be done is a change in government! 

Fellow Albertans, We Go to the Polls April 23

 

  Well, it looks like we're off.  Premier Nanny Redford dropped the writ earlier this morning. We go to the polls on April 23.
This election will shape up to be a very exciting,hard fought and probably one of the most important elections in Alberta history.  This time for a long,long time Albertans will have a real choice between the PC's or Wildrose.  The Liberals,ND's and the new Alberta party are not expected  to a big factor.

Issues that will most likely be front and center is health care,mainly the so called public inquiry that Alison Redford promised to call on doctor intimidation but instead has called one on cue jumping.  Education will be another one in which the PC's attempted to pass Bill 2 which calls for especially Homeschoolers to be under the Alberta Human Rights Act. Property right will be another big one and of course corruption and the sense of entitlement will be on the agenda.

The PCs have been in power now for 41 years.  They first got elected in 1971.  They have become old, tired arrogant and corrupted. They've mismanaged our money and our resources.  We need some new fresh faces with new ideas at the helm.   If you want a true conservative government,Wildrose is your best bet.  The PC's are in no way conservative in any way shape or form.  Don't be fooled. Just because they have "Conservative" in their title doesn't mean a thing.  

I urge everyone to get informed. Don't just rely on the media.  Go and do your own homework. Visit each party's website, go to the debates and all candidates forums in your local area.  Get to know who your local candidates are and ask questions of each of them when they come to your door.

An informed electorate is good for democracy. So pay attention and don't let the candidates try and fool you. Decide where you want Alberta to go and vote accordingly.