Orange is the new blue.
At least in Alberta it is.
Last week Alberta made a change that no one could have ever seen in a crystal ball, they chose NDP.
The provincial government has been PC strong for 44 years, a fact that changed all after Premier Jim Prentice called an early election to give Albertans a say in how the government should respond to Alberta’s current fiscal situation.
If you haven’t heard the news, Prentice announced his resignation as Leader of the PC Party and his role as MLA of Calgary-Foothills after losing to NDP Leader Rachel Notley.
Prior to the election, high schools across the province predicted the results of the election, and just like the past two years, they were right.
For the Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock riding, it was Glenn van Dijken of the Wildrose Party.
I may not have been in Alberta long, but even I was surprised by the overall election. I woke up this morning wondering, what happens now.
Tristan Turner, local NDP, said to expect one thing, change, but aren’t we as humans afraid of change?
I agree, that raising taxes in order to continue the same level of services is the answer, and cutting back on teachers, or school budgets may be the PC way, but it’s not necessarily the right way.
In Ontario, we pay 13 per cent in taxes but are able to sustain out level of care across the province.
Seeing Alberta take on higher taxes in response to the current fiscal situation reminds me of where I came from.
I spent the election night sitting in this very desk, typing vigorously as the poll numbers came in. What kept me going as 11 p.m. rolled around? Readers.
As I was working away I noticed several comments on our Facebook page, telling me in my little dark office that they were following.
It was nice to hear that I wasn’t typing away for nothing, and that some people were relying on my updates to keep them informed.
It’s hard to predict whether or not Albertans made the right move last Tuesday night, but as time goes on one thing is for sure, Alberta made this choice.
