And that’s why the only poll that matters is election day.
After a long campaign that predicted the Wildrose Alliance would come away with at worst a minority government, the results last Monday night put lie to that notion in emphatic fashion.
A twelfth consecutive Progressive Conservative majority government means Albertans are clearly satisfied with the job the Tories have done since 1971, and are not looking to change the direction the province is headed.
So what does this mean for Alberta in general and Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock in particular?
With Maureen Kubinec winning the riding narrowly over Wildrose challenger Link Byfield, the Progressive Conservative dynasty that has served Barrhead since Hugh Horner was first elected in 1971, and continued through Ken Kowalski’s tenure since 1979, endures.
Of course, it must be said — congratulations to Kubinec for the win.
And a hearty thank you must go out to Byfield, NDP candidate Trudy Grebenstein, Liberal standard-bearer Leslie Penny and the EverGreen Party’s Lisa Grant for putting themselves out there and standing by their convictions.
Now, with the election out of the way, it’s time to get back to the task of governing this province.
The Tories’ strong mandate gives them the right to move Alberta in whichever direction they wish, but they cannot forget whom they were elected to represent.
They do not represent only the people who voted for them — they represent all Albertans of all political stripes.
They need to remember that if they are to be successful over the next four years and potentially beyond.
Even though the polls turned out to be dead wrong, for the longest time it looked like the Tory dynasty was at an end. That’s a fact the Tories need to be aware of at every turn.
The people of Alberta showed they were open for change for the first time since they swept the SoCreds out of power. Voters can be fickle, treat them with contempt and they can turn quickly and viciously.
By virtue of their name, the Progressive Conservatives answer to two different factions of Albertans — the progressives and the conservatives. Alienate one or the other over the next four years and we could be looking at a new party in power for the first time in a generation in 2016.
Until then, we have a province to run.
