PC's are going down in AB

[AttilatheGorilla]

We are on the verge of a provincial election very soon. Due to the lack of a charismatic leader with little to show for his turn at the helm of the richest province in confederation. I strongly believe the tide of political change is coming to Alberta. The Conservative government is attempting to buy another term. Hopefully the people of Alberta use this opportunity to change the guard in Edmonton. Long overdue for some new blood. New people bring a stronger work ethic, competence and fresh ideas. Same old boys club turns into being a corrupt broken wheel. We all know the PC's put the oil in the ground & there righteous right to govern is seldom challenged. Change is good, let’s give it a try.

[Mitch]

I definitely agree, the conservatives are going to lose the next election. Hopefully Alberta will be a democracy for once, we've had the same party for longer than most dictatorships :p
The most probable winner will probably be Kevin Taft and the Liberals. I'll be volunteering for the Liberal candidate in my area. ;) and publicize these forums at the same time.

Also, Welcome to Politics On Fire!!

[Locke]

An uplifting statistic appeared in the Herald the other (which I chanced upon - I don't habitually read it). Approximately 75% of voters in a poll did not believe that Ed Stelmach was leading Alberta into a phase of sustainable development.

[Mitch]

That's good to hear! I don't read the Herald either, I usually read the Globe and Mail or the free ones (FFWD, etc.)
Thank goodness that this 30-some year rein of the conservative government is coming to an end!

[Locke]

That's good to hear! I don't read the Herald either, I usually read the Globe and Mail or the free ones (FFWD, etc.)
Thank goodness that this 30-some year rein of the conservative government is coming to an end!

That's somewhat premature, yet there is some cause for hope.

[Mitch]

Well, the election has been called! March 3rd, geez, only 4 weeks.
I just sent an email to Pat Murray (my MLA) to see if I can volunteer :)

[PaitChow]

Personally I don't think the change would matter that much, granted I've never seen a liberal provincial government here. The provincial government just doesn't seem to affect anything. Sure they keep the schools and hospitals and stuff going but the most radical thing that's affected me would be those 800 ralphbucks a couple years ago, man that was great! Hopefully the liberals can change a couple things for the better. But I'm pretty happy with things as they are.

[AlbertaCitizen]

I think the PC's need to go down (although I do like Ed Stelmach). I can offer one simple example why....but I know there's way more stories on this guy than this small one. The Re-Elect Guy Boutilier Facebook site is censored. I have seen a couple of postings to this site removed within 24 hours because they were not supporters. I think it's crazy that the candidate and his supporters do not engage in a dialogue with people about their position. Instead, anyone with a negative experience to share is banned from doing so.

In the interest of not losing "the other side's" information, I have committed to posting copies of any negative postings I find on Guy's site to our "GUY BOUTILIER: WE WILL NOT VOTE FOR HIM" Facebook site. Let's help build this antic PC movementin the north!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12178295375

[Mitch]

I've never really heard too much about Guy Boutilier, but I guess I better do some research as I hear he ain't the sharpest, nor most liked, tool in the shed.
Thanks for the post. And i know exactly where you found the link. :D :p

[Cattraknoff]

I think the PC's need to go down (although I do like Ed Stelmach). I can offer one simple example why....but I know there's way more stories on this guy than this small one. The Re-Elect Guy Boutilier Facebook site is censored. I have seen a couple of postings to this site removed within 24 hours because they were not supporters. I think it's crazy that the candidate and his supporters do not engage in a dialogue with people about their position. Instead, anyone with a negative experience to share is banned from doing so.

In the interest of not losing "the other side's" information, I have committed to posting copies of any negative postings I find on Guy's site to our "GUY BOUTILIER: WE WILL NOT VOTE FOR HIM" Facebook site. Let's help build this antic PC movementin the north!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12178295375

I'm very glad you decided to create an account just to share with us this extremely interesting and useful bit of advertising...

[Mitch]

Hey, better than those Viagra and Pr0n spam we get. He actually is a person and registered, so don't worry about it :D
I'll be upgrading the forums to vBulletin 3.7 after the contest, then it will be AWESOME!

[AlbertaCitizen]

I could tell tonnes of stories, but then I might come across as someone with a vendetta. The truth of it is, I've heard and experienced so many things associated with this person that I know it's impossible for me to be alone. I'd like some other people to step up, be brave and tell their stories. This man simply frustrates everyone he works with!:confused:

[ronit3746]

No, I do not think Mr. Dinning is a lock - but I think he has a better chance than Morton because he has the opportunity to pick up votes in Edmonton and a few rural areas, something I do not think Morton can offset rurally. Further, I think Stelmach is well positioned to come up the middle depending on how this all plays out and how people decide to vote preferentially - however, I take the point that this scenario is probably a “political junky” one. I have also noted though that it appears that Stelmach is closer to Dinning on a number of issues than he is with Morton, which would make a third ballot interesting.

Admittedly, what surprised me about Morton is that his support is primarily concentrated in rural southern Alberta and he did not carry any Calgary or Edmonton urban areas. I did not think that Morton would out perform Dinning in those urban areas, but Dinning had a better mix of urban and rural - which is important for a number of reasons. It will be interesting to see how the map shifts.

[Locke]

Well, upon learning a very interesting fact the other day, I have foreseen the future of this election.
Ed Stelmach will not be amongst the victors.
Why not?
His riding, comprised mostly of rural agricultural area, has been promised to a coal company who plan to "strip mine" the entire region (or a large portion of it), thus alienating most of the farmers who currently live on the land.

[Scribe]

It's pretty much a lock that the Tories will retain the government after March 3. The only real question is what kind of a majority will he have. Most agree that he will lose ground, primarily in Edmonton and Calgary but will retain the rural area. The NDP policies don't resonate outside of Edmonton and the Liberals don't seem to be connecting with rural voters either and any party that forms government needs the rural constituencies to do it. The Liberals have done almost nothing to counter the "Tax and Spend" stereotype of Liberal parties and there's still a perception of Alberta Liberals and Ottawa Liberals being connected in some manner. Had Taft taken the party on a path of fiscal prudence and increased Heritage Trust Fund savings instead of taking part in the mad money race that this election has become he might have started turning the heads of people who usually vote blue but have become disenchanted with the current PC government.

[Nug]

Todays election day, I doubt very much the conservatives will fall. One slightly less charismatic leader does not just switch 30 years of habit, a habit that has resulted in nothing bad happening. Short of a scandel like with the liberals on the ferdal level I don't see the conservatives losing their chokehold on the rural areas. Some urban area's may vote liberal, but personally looking at advertisement I feel more inclined to vote conservative simply because of all the attack ads against them. Every ad the Liberals come out with are trying to bash Ed Stelmach, saying he has no plans, or his plans are not good, but yet they don't give any information on their plans, they are wasting money, their time, and mine. I might feel more inclined to vote for someone else if I see a informative commercial saying why a party's platform is better than the conservatives platform, and I think many of the my type of voters (aka, not very politcally active but decide to vote come election time) will think this way as well, because unless we know the other party's platform then attacks do nothing to sway us.

[Mitch]

However, the social credit did fall after 35 years, there is a high chance that the PCs will fall as well, habits change!
You can't compare and provincial party to a federal party, they are very different. Alberta had Social Credit party for 35 years and PC for 37 years, so no one knows how the other parties would work out.
Tell me what plans Stelmach does have... everything he said was complete BS, he said all this stuff years back and nothing happened.
The NDP, Liberals and Greens platforms are quite similar, mostly regarding the oil sands projects and affordable housing, both of which would take my vote (if I could).

[Mitch]

Well, so much for that... **cry**

[Locke]

Bring on demographically representative democracy! The Conservatives. having only received slightly more than 50% of the vote, were duly elected into 73 of the 83 seats.

[Mitch]

Yes, I've always thought proportional representation was the way to go. They would have WAY less seats in the legislature :frust:

[Cattraknoff]

Yes, I've always thought proportional representation was the way to go. They would have WAY less seats in the legislature :frust:

It would also mean that the party chose each representative, not the people choosing who they wish to represent them.

[oboehart]

Reading some of the earlier posts in this thread is almost humorous after the election is over. As much as many of us would like it, Conservatives in Alberta are stronger than ever, and I can't see that changing any time soon.
Just for the heck of it, I think everyone should vote green next Alberta election, just to confuse the Conservatives in power.
Can you imagine the look on Stelmach's face if he was beaten by the green party? In Alberta??
*chuckles*