A New Era for Alberta

I was a little concerned a few months ago with the election of Allison Redford as PC leader and premiere in Alberta. My concern mainly came from the fawning coverage the eastern media was giving the "human rights lawyer" and "UN employee" Redford.  They fully expected that Redford was going to bring Alberta more into line with, you know, "Canada", or at least the Canada that Easterners believe in.  There was even talk about Alberta moderating the federal Conservatives as their base shifted to the the more moderate Redford-style.

Since then, Alberta has been led by more insular-minded leaders, happy to pit the province’s interests against those of the rest of the country.

That could well change after this election.

Since assuming the reins of the Conservatives last October, Ms. Redford has hinted at a more activist role in the national political agenda. She wasn’t in office a month before she was touring Central Canada talking up a national energy strategy – one that integrates the power dynamics of the entire country.

That is a decidedly different approach than the one taken by recent Alberta premiers Ed Stelmach and Ralph Klein who possessed more us-versus-them mindsets. And it is certainly a contrary vision to the one being offered up by Danielle Smith, leader of the Wildrose Party.

Oh well, I guess those rednecks will never learn...