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Thursday, November 01, 2007
A snowflake, not yet an avalanche
A director of a provincial Tory riding association quit over Stelmach's royalty tax hike:
That's just one director -- there are probably 1,000 Tories of that rank in Alberta. How many care about policy enough to make a statement like Rolstone? How many are just Tories for the partisan perks?
As another Tory said in reply:
“Derek’s got to do what he’s got to do... But both the Liberals and the NDP think the royalties didn’t go far enough. If he thought it was too much, where’s he going to go?”
Practically speaking, that's probably true -- the anti-tax-hike Alberta Alliance is only at 3% in the polls, if you believe polls. But having nowhere else to go is hardly an inspiring reason to stay with the Tories.
It's the kind of language that the federal PC's used in the late 1980s when Westerners complained about Brian Mulroney. "Where are you going to go?" was asked enough that an answer was soon furnished: Preston Manning's Reform Party. Funny enough, Preston broke his silence today and criticized Stelmach's regime as sowing seeds of unpredictability in the marketplace:
Manning said Stelmach's plan tears up agreements with two major oilsands players, is unlikely to be implemented before a general election and misses a big-picture view of energy policy.
"This creates long-term uncertainty, not about the sincerity or integrity of the premier but about the competence of his government to lead on major energy issues,"...
If the Stelmach Tories keep acting like the Mulroney Tories -- taking conservatives for granted -- they might just see an alternative rise from nowhere to fill the void. That's the Alberta tradition, actually. Manning himself would be a shoo-in to lead such a new movement; Gwyn Morgan, formerly of EnCana, would do well, too.
Even if no such party forms before the next election -- and, given the timing, none likely will -- Stelmach can expect to see hundreds of thousands of formerly enthusiastic Tories simply staying home come election time. Ralph Klein's last term was so uninspiring that even he lost 15% of the vote. With an uncharismatic Edmonton-area premier whose sole calling card is his demonization of the oil patch, expect those numbers to fall further.
Stelmach's "sack the rich" routine will alienate Tory voters, but it won't attract Liberals or NDPers over to him. At least when Bill Aberhart tried this schtick 70 years ago, he had the sense to demonize Eastern bankers -- not his fellow Albertans.
Posted by Ezra Levant on November 1, 2007 | Permalink
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Comments
This situation might become an eye opener.
How come this thing can happen all of a sudden? Where democracy has gone?
People should react much more.
Should we let the cat out of the bag?
Posted by: Rémi Houle | 2007-11-01 6:12:07 PM
I say let the valium out of your bottle.
Posted by: set you free | 2007-11-01 6:46:08 PM
Farmers should stick to farming. In Ed's case "collective" farming might be the way to go.
Posted by: John | 2007-11-01 7:11:52 PM
Just watched the clip. As usual, good job Ezra. Your straight shooting and accurate reporting of the situation is much appreciated and rate on that particular media.
Posted by: John | 2007-11-01 8:24:20 PM
The Wildrose Party of Alberta is in its infancy, and still needs signatures to register it with the province. Should this party get registered in time for the election, look for it to open some eyes. Its policies are online, and I would think fit the political views of many visitors to this site. Go to www.wildroseparty.ca.
Posted by: MikeP | 2007-11-01 9:32:44 PM
Perhaps the Premier should be compelled to take an intelligence test. Here in the Picture Province Premier Howdy Doody wants to eliminate Federal
equalization support by making the Province "self supporting" almost impossible to attract investment to New Brunswick. Premier's senior flunkies advised
him that NB Business and Citizens will not object to
the massive tax increases the Plan requires -of course only one of them has actually had a real job
-Tiny perfect Frank McKenna is driving the Plan for
some obscure reason. NB cannot survive without Federal financial support. Macleod
Posted by: Jack Macleod | 2007-11-02 8:15:27 AM
John:
Just curious.
Today's farmers must be good businessmen.
What were Ralph Klein's qualifications to run a province?
TV anchors should stick to TV anchoring?
Or do TV anchors who do the bidding of Calgary oil companies fulfil the qualification?
Posted by: set you free | 2007-11-02 10:21:54 AM
Let's examine the work history of Alberta's premiers:
Ed Stelmach, farmer
Ralph Klein, TV reporter
Don Getty, football player and oil company executive.
Peter Lougheed, football player and lawyer.
Which occupation would you say would make a candidate ineligible to be premier?
Posted by: set you free | 2007-11-02 10:33:10 AM
set ~
If you are compiling a list, I would start with lawyers.
Posted by: obc | 2007-11-02 11:46:40 AM
So, Lougheed should never have been premier of Alberta and the rest of the pre-premiership occupations are fine?
I have one rule when I'm voting. I would never vote for a teacher for school board.
All other occupations have their strengths.
Posted by: set you free | 2007-11-02 11:49:16 AM
Wildrose Party. Link Byfield. it's time. 'nuff said.
Posted by: shel | 2007-11-02 3:07:59 PM
Hey Shel, did you ever see the movie based on Link Byfield's life? I think it was called "Being There" with Peter Sellers.
Posted by: dph | 2007-11-02 3:11:58 PM
So now we've added magazine publisher to accepted pre-premier occupation.
Everybody agreed?
But, according to obc, lawyers would be ineligible.
How about trained lawyers who parlayed their talent for bluster into a position of being a magazine publisher?
Posted by: set you free | 2007-11-02 3:58:15 PM
dph~
"i like to watch" - Chancey Gardner
Posted by: shel | 2007-11-02 3:59:35 PM
The best leaders in history seem to have been those who were forced into leadership. (Washington)
The absolute worst were those whose entire lives were spent preparing for it. (Trudeau)
Posted by: dph | 2007-11-02 4:04:58 PM
dph~
you're correct on both counts.
you're obviously not from Alberta. Link Byfield will never be Premier of Alberta, but a party with his name on it is a powerful drawing card around here...
...and i'm pushing it.
Posted by: shel | 2007-11-02 4:27:26 PM
shel-
I'm not "from" Alberta, but I've been here 30 years. We probably do need a change. Push away.
Posted by: dph | 2007-11-02 4:35:56 PM
I have to laugh at the obsession some people have with 'farmers'.
Just recently one stated that only the big ciddy guys created 'real wealth'.
So why have the central banks around the world have to throw, what is it up to now, $600 bil or $700 billion dollars into the markets to save the a$$ of all that 'real wealth' created by the big ciddy guys.
What's next - Lawrence Solomon opining that Ontario's auto industry needs big federal govt aid to fight off them thar dratted fureigners, after ridiculing western agriculture as taxdollar sucks.
Some big ciddy guys are confusing the work (play) of paper shuffling and wild speculation in creating 'real wealth', as opposed to the real work creating the real food that sits on their plates every day.
That is, if they have their 'play' money to buy it.
Posted by: rockyt | 2007-11-02 4:47:07 PM
rocky:
No big secret about what's causing the financial market meltdown in the US.
Lending institutions willing to bend the rules to try to squeeze an extra buck out of people who cannot handle mortage terms.
In the US, mortage interest is deductible, so that acts as an incentive to built bigger houses than necessary.
Can you imagine the tax writeoff Algore gets on his mansion?
It is a pretty stupid argument to use a person's occupation as an indicator of his ability to govern. On the other hand, if a guy ran for office and his previous job involved asking ‘would you like fries with that,' I'd have to think twice about that.
I would rather vote for an honest farmer than a bitter Calgarian any day.
Posted by: set you free | 2007-11-02 5:21:39 PM
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