I am breaking my own rule here by commenting without the requisite consideration.
Clueless is what we are. Fracking and utterly clueless. A n’er do well premier, a redneck, socially conservative electorate, with a rape-the-Earth, all guns blazing, economy uber alles philosophy. A province in which rural voters have 50% more seats.
Eddy says that Calgary will get four cabinet ministers. One third the population, and four representatives at the cabinet table. That seems real fair.
I am embarrassed to be an Albertan.
Yeh, the people have spoken. And we will get what we deserve.
Sober Second Thought
It’s the day after, and I’ve spent most of the day listening to analysis on our local “redneck radio”.
I remain embarrassed and disgusted with my fellow Albertans. Not for staging Eddie’s surprise victory (although that does bother me), but rather for simply not showing up. With a 52.67% share of the 41% who bothered to show up, it means that less than 22% of Albertans created four year super majority.
Steady Eddie can now reign with impunity. I suspect that he will now “revisit” the royalty issue, and revise it in the oil companies’ favour.
We seriously need to consider the idea of mandatory voting. Belgium, Mexico, Australia, and almlost forty other countries have it. It’s time to fine those who can’t be bothered to remember why, amongt other things, our boys are dying overseas. Make it a $250 income tax surcharge for the first offence. Bump it up to a grand for the second.
I’d feel much much better about our province if 52% of two million Albertans voted to continue the dynasty. I’d still not like it, but I’d feel better.
Anyhow, the world is not about to end. One of the reasons Eddie won was due to his shift to the political center, which we liberalls have done very little to protect. The sky will not fall, and we will live another day.
I’m no less disgusted with 78% of my bretheren, though. Sigh.
For an in depth analysis of the election – one that I don’t entirely disagree with – you could do worse than drop by the Enlightened Savage.