Oh boy, the election burnout is coming. So far this year I've voted in a federal and a municiple election, and now next month we're having a provincial election here in Alberta. Throw the suspense of the American elections on top of it and I'll be happy to not see another campaign sign or commercial for three more years (every three years for municipal elections).
The one that has me the most concerned is the one I can't vote in, of course. While my provincial government is more than happy enough to contribute what it can to ecological destruction and putting business over people, at least it won't directly kill thousands of people. Enough of my anti-Bushness though, let me tell you something about the people of Alberta...
The people of Alberta are a conservative bunch, they are. I say "they" because even though I am an Albertan born and mostly bred (there was a lot of time spent overseas), Edmonton is downright communist compared to the rest of the province. As far back as I've been following politics, almost every member of the opposition was elected in Edmonton. The rest of the province invariably votes for the same party. For over thirty years now it's been the Progressive Conservatives, for decades before that it was Social Credit.
They really don't like change.
There is hypocrisy of course. The provincial government here can get away with things that would send our fine conservative Albertans into fits of apoplexy if the federal Liberals did it. After 10 years of the Grits in office, people here were complaining about those arrogant bastards and how it's time for a change. Yet 30 years of arrogance is just fine provincially, because hey, it's the Tories! It's not that people really mind arrogance, as long as it's their guys in power you see.
It's a little funny yet a little tiresome hearing the complaining about how liberals aren't listening to the conservatives who aren't voting for them. In my riding we have one of the only two Albertan Liberals voted to parliament, and it really got to me when I'd read the paper and people were hoping that my MP, Anne McLellan, would "speak up for Alberta" while in Ottawa. The thing is, when they say "speak up for Alberta" what they mean is to speak up for conservative Albertan values, things like opposing same-sex marriage or abolishing the gun registry. Excuse me while I call bullshit on that. While it is Ms. McLellan's job to speak up for Alberta in Ottawa, it's the liberal Albertans who voted for her she needs to give voice to. If I wanted a conservative in parliament, I'd vote for one.
Oh! Another fun example of hypocrisy! A few years ago there was a far-right conservative columnist named Ted Byfield. I remember two columns he wrote, one for a federal election, one for a provincial election. For the federal one, he wrote how we in Edmonton needed to vote for a Reform (or was it PC at the time?) candidate so we have a strong opposition in parliament. For the provincial election, he wrote how we in Edmonton needed to vote for the PC candidate so we have a strong voice in the ruling government. In other words, vote for the conservative candidate. Pfff. Not a chance.
But here we are, ready for another provincial election. It's a foregone conclusion who's going to win, but at least in my riding the incumbent is a Liberal so I have a good chance of voting for a winning candidate. At least that's something.
So in conclusion, if you're eligible to vote in Alberta, on November 22nd vote for the Liberal or NDP candidate in your riding! Whichever one has the best chance of winning, vote for them! If you're eligible to vote in the good ol' U.S. of A., on November 2nd vote for John Kerry!
posted
by Tabby at 10/26/2004 02:50:00 p.m.
