Did the left keep the PC's in power in Alberta?

[Choice2U]

Popular vote: PC's down from 52 - 44% (drop of 8%). WRP up from 14% - 34% (up 20%). Something here tells me that there were many liberals and maybe even some NDPer's that voted PC to keep out the WRP.

If this is correct, is Redford beholding to the left who kept her in power or will she reach back to the WRP members?

Bottom line....Redford's Alberta will make Saskatchewan an even more attractive place....Thanks!

[ColevilleH2S]

I guess a large chunk of Albertan's don't care about property rights. Weird.

[blackpowder]

Agree. REDford and Olsen etc are NDP/Lib at heart.
WRP are the new right.
PC the new Libs.
Alberta has become increasingly urban/labor/social etc. It's a shadow politically of what it once was. Perhaps a symptom of too much success for too long. I now envy to some degree Sask.
On the bright side we have an opposition. WRP was obviously green and was very reminiscent of early Reform. Now is not the time to quiet our libertarian beliefs.
Note the close percentages between WRP & REDs in some ridings. Certified bum-kins losing to PC by only a few votes. Will the REDs pull this knotted rope thru their ears? Hopefully makes for an interesting legislature.

[blackpowder]

Property rights are not enshrined in our constitution (if it helps).
They certainly aren't on the radar for the majority of voters (obviously).
What do they mean for the majority of voters? 8-5 fixed incomes with a house and lot if their lucky.
Remember, we are a few generations removed from anyone who earned these rights.
And they don't seem to hold a large place at the core of Canadian culture in general.
In short, you can't win a three-legged race in Canada on property rights alone. Sad but true.

[charliep]

[URL="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/albertavotes2012/#/5"]results[/URL]

[nicolaas]

THis is reminiscent of the early reform days, lots of my friends continued to vote PC instead of Reform for a couple of elections federally. Old habits die hard, and lots of their parents had engineering contracts with the Government. People are slow to change. ONce the provincial P.C.'s continue to not balance the books, 1/2 of the voters will move to WRP and they will win the next election. All and all, VERY scary times in Alberta, and very disapointing.

[grassfarmer]

H2S, I think an awful lot of Albertans don't know
anything about the property rights issue. I think
that the biggest mistake the WR made was to limit
the property rights discussion to rural
constituencies. They needed to scare the urban
voter that they too could lose their property titles
under current PC legislation.
Instead the urban voters got scared by a few social
media stunts and a fair bit of general media bias in
the last few days over pretty insignificant issues.
The fools that voted PC because the WR was
portrayed to be bigoted on the gay issue just re-
elected the party that gave themselves power to
rescind everyones marriage status as well as their
property rights. Conservative majority = worst
possible result.

[Burbert]

Lesson learned! Rural framer votes in
Albertie are no longer meaningful! Not
enough framers left out on the land, we
dun it ta ourselves. Lectricity needed in
the big cities, ta run their computin
machines in ipods who cares about property
rights gotta have power. AFTER ALL NOBODY
IN COMEDIA REALLY OWNS ANYTHING, THE CROWN
OWNS IT ALL AND WES SUBJECTS, TOILING ON
THE LANDSCAPE FER SC****S........

[TOM4CWB]

grassfarmer:

I totally agree... the average urban person has NO concept of rural private land ownership... where 90 percent of government industrial activity happens.

We got the government we deserve. 50 percent of people have gov. to thank for pay check (in some way)... so do not expect them to ask for a balanced budget (when the next generation they do not have a part in) will pay. These folks are not really socialist... they are just wanting a little more from their employer... which Alison promised to give them. VERY logical and predictable!

Same in the US with Obama.

Cheers!

God Bless Canada!

[GreenValley]

Thanks Goodness we in majority.
GF, don't see property right issue on
campagain on television so it is no
bigger deal issue to us and urban is
what urban get. Long live PC. I like
Redford statement at end of speech.
Waving Alberta flag whhooa.

[grassfarmer]

Looking at purely the rural constituencies can anyone
explain the north/south split? Only one seat north of
the Camrose/Ponoka/Rocky Mountain House line
went to the WR and only one south of that line didn't
go to the WR. Is there some ethnic background to that
or what's the reason?

[TOM4CWB]

grassfarmer,

It is the Culture... and also the Oil and Gas wealth. Big oil was saying if WR got in... economic activity was going to stop. Carbon Capture and enhanced recovery would have been restricted by WR... most likely... in the average person's view. Political animals like many of us... looked at Ab as No Debt... doing well thank you very much! No need to be put on a 'starvation diet' so to speak... to justify a balanced budget... especially when NO one else... with wealth like AB... is doing this.

Time will tell the story... if Alison is as Conservative (responsible) as she claims she is.

Cheers!

[ASRG]

For the most part the landowner "property rights" groups are in the south. I don't know why that is but it probably has something to do with the early prevalance of ranching in the south as opposed to farming in the north?
While the election was disappointing we were lucky to get rid of Morton and Berger. We were sure glad to skid Luke Ouellette in Innisfail/Sylvan and I sure was glad Joe Anglin got in at Rocky/Rimbey. Joe will make them sweat when they try to steal more property!

[GreenValley]

Tom, you nail this. Back to Lougheed
time, he was saying Trudeau is stealing
our oil and gas resource, using NEP
program, so PC is protecting our
resources. And if WR win and there is
possible chance Quebec might want same
repeat again or Oil and Gas pack and
head south. We must protect our wealth
resources. Boy that what I can best my
memory recall.