Running a province-wide election is a costly exercise.
It’s a little incongruous that a government that was two weeks ago bemoaning the poor state of the provincial coffers, is now throwing that same money up against the wall in a purely political exercise.
Seems a little odd to us, but then again, nothing about this election will be normal.
Take for example its timing. Why go to the effort of passing a law that sets out when elections are going to take place if you don’t subsequently stick to it?
It just makes those who passed the law, and then ignored it at the first opportunity, look like a bunch of mercenaries who will do anything to hold onto power.
Premier Jim Prentice will tell you he’s seeking a mandate for his “10-year plan.”
But again, like the confected budget crisis, and the not-worth-the-paper-it’s-printed-on fixed election date law, the need for a mandate is just a made-up excuse for the PCs to jam their agenda down our throats and smother any opposition.
The premier doesn’t need a mandate for his budget. His party was elected for a four-year term in 2012 with a huge majority.
If that’s not a mandate to govern, we don’t know what is.
Chances are the ruling party wont go near its 2012 numbers. So if that happens, should we infer that the PCs don’t have a mandate for their reasonably restrained and targeted financial plan for the year ahead?
But it’s important to remember that the current Barrhead-Mornville-Westlock MLA Maureen Kubinec isn’t Jim Prentice and that Glenn van Dikjen isn’t Brian Jean or former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith.
Both are good local candidates who seem to genuinely care about improving the quality of life for the people of the riding and Albertans in general.
Albeit with different focuses and different ways of doing it.
We could do a lot worse than electing either of them, but they both also need to stand by the actions of their respective parties and own the narratives that their leaders have spun us.
