Dear Editor,
Despite the hype of the PC leadership election, first round results must worry the Alberta Government. Compared with 2006, the turnout was abysmal – just 60 per cent. So where have all those last time supporters gone? Is it complacency that Gary Mar is a shoe-in? Or a more general disenchantment with the way the Provincial government has mishandled Alberta in recent years?
Recent legislation, including Bill 36 has severely eroded landowners’ rights and has had a highly unsettling effect on rural residents with the result that the prime architect of the Land Stewardship Act got his comeuppance – and rightly too! It will be interesting to see whether the three remaining candidates have the guts to formally declare their intention to strike these highly intrusive bills from the statute book, legislation which is so clearly big business orientated while riding roughshod over rural landowners.
Here in Southern Alberta we have a heaven sent chance to elect an intelligent, motivated and focused Calgary MLA by the name of Alison Redford. Last time around complacency allowed someone to be elected as premier who has proven entirely unsuitable, with predictable and highly negative results for Albertans. Surely, we cannot allow this to happen again?
The problem is complacency and whether Southern Albertans will make the effort to vote second time around to get Alison Redford elected as Premier. If we don’t then just remember the less than memorable record of Gary Mar in Education and Health during the Klein years. And do we really want to trust leadership in yet another MLA representing the boonies in northern Alberta. Been there, done that – does not work!
Whether you like it or not, the PC Party is most likely to win the next provincial election, and the individual elected as premier will head the government for the next four years or more. With luck a new and dynamic opposition party will be elected in sufficient numbers to be effective and robustly call the government to account. Redford has the dynamism to bring about the much-needed change in the way Alberta is governed and at the same time counter far right conservatism. Southern Albertan’s — time to get out and vote on Saturday, Oct. 1, whatever your political persuasion. If you don’t, then you have no reason to complain if the wrong man gets elected and it’s just a case of “more of the same.”
Nicholas Worthington
Millarville
