At November’s annual meeting of Alberta’s PC party, a member of premier Ed Stelmach’s inner circle took me aside to explain how the party’s 77% vote of confidence was a sign that “Albertans” were generally happy, and confident, in the government’s direction. When I pointed out that it might not be quite accurate to presume the dyed-in-the-wool Tory delegates voting in support of Ed represented the average Albertan, he seemed puzzled at the suggestion. Stelmach himself argued this fall that slumping poll numbers must be the media’s fault, as if any fully informed Albertan must naturally support his party. So long has this province been a one-party state, that some in the party had apparently begun to think like Louis XIV, genuinely believing the motto “Je suis l’état. L’état c’est moi.”
Today’s poll, showing the Tories are no longer the first choice for voters anywhere in the province—if it holds up as accurate—suggests quite the opposite: so detached is this government from the concerns of most Albertans that the 38-year-old PC dynasty is now at real risk of being buried by a novice politician, running an untested party that, before last year, didn’t even exist.
This would be some feat. Not so much by the Wildrose Alliance Party, which is now the preferred choice of 39% of voters, 14 points higher than Stelmach’s party, but by the Tories. Sure, Wildrose leader Danielle Smith has been quietly working hard, traversing the province raising grassroots support from business circles, rotary groups and farm communities. But her most successful strategy thus far appears to have played things fairly cool since her leadership victory in October, careful not to interfere while her opponent is in the process of self-destructing. And that, the PCs have evidently managed to accomplish remarkably well.
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If the leadership vote had only allowed conservative members, with memberships of at least 3 months, the results would have been very different. Also, I know very strong liberals who have taken PC memberships and gone as delegates to conventions etc. The vote Ed because in their dreams they know he is ruining AB and their party might get elected. As for 1100 voting delegates giving him 77%, there are a lot more PCs in AB than that. They are not happy with him.
Can he turn it around, I doubt it.
The measure of a politician is how well he puts his stamp on his ministry. If the minister goes along with his mandarins he is never heard from unless the civil servants totally screw up. Special Ed in all his ministries was one of those unheard of ministers. He was under the thumb of his deputy ministers. The trend continues. The royalty fiasco was the civil servants wanting more money. Bill 5o is the civil servants wanting more power. Health Care is civil servants run amok and lacking adult supervision. The sooner Alberta gets out from under the thumb of the civil service and its proxy Special Ed the sooner Alberta will get back on to the road of prosperity.
What strikes me is that a member of the “inner circle” is so out of touch with the general populace.
It seems to me that this is a common affliction in all political parties.
Typical human failing, Lee. The party in power never wants to hear the bad news, just the good.
Smith’s Wildrose Alliance is surging ahead. I hope they’re able to get their riding associations in place and their policy platform polished in time for 2012. It’s nice to see fresh blood on the right side of the political spectrum for a change.