This is the anniversary of the NDP victory in Alberta. This is what I wrote in my personal diary one year ago today.
“Well, the sun rose, and I am now calm, but deeply ashamed and disappointed. Alberta exceptionalism is over. The right wing myth is shattered, and it was always a myth. Higher per capita government spending and corporatism, a history of left wing or statist thinking masking as conservatism. Done like a steak, put a fork in it.”
One year later, do I still feel this way or was this a reaction of the moment?
I do not feel this way. I think that there is great truth in what I wrote one year ago today, but I am more enthused and infused with a desire to push, cajole, move, and persuade my fellow Albertans that we can become exceptional, and that a good way to become exceptional is to go back to the future and restore our finances to a Debt Free and Prudent Spending level.
We are Albertan; we can be exceptional. We are Calgarians; we can be better.
Our hallmarks are prudence and thrift, leaving people alone and helping anyone who needs a hand (such help characterized with prudence, thrift, and love).
Well Andy, as I look back on what the late Jim Prentice, unquestionably a fine and upstanding person, caused with poor judgement in attempting to take over Wild Rose and thereby creating a divided, conservative mess (the “right” will never unite, by the way), plus calling the election when he did, then look back to Alison Redford, Ed Stelmach and even Ralph Klein (who some people would like to see beatified), I don’t see a lot to be proud of.
The PC’s had by the end of their 43 year tenure definitely lost their way and moved really far from what Peter Lougheed created, which was a very sophisticated fiscal model together with a socially and culturally liberal, civil society. We were exceptional and in many ways still are, but I do believe we need to give this government more than one year to get settled, make some false moves, and become operationally smoother, especially dealing with the economic conditions they didn’t create. We would not expect a new, or even remodelled corporation to achieve everything and be on track in one year.