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Election landslide an Alberta surprise |
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Tuesday, 04 March 2008 |
The 2008 provincial election promised change - at least that is what you heard from everyone along the campaign trail.
Many were predicting it was also going to be the beginning of the end for the Progressive Conservatives.
Instead, Monday night rang in the beginning of a new political dynasty, that of Premier Ed Stelmach.
With a huge landslide victory, the magnitude which had not been witnessed in this province since 2001, when the PC party took 74 of Alberta's 83 seats in the legislature, Alberta has cemented its status as "PC Country."
It was not supposed to turn out this way, as the Alberta Liberals were expected to make some modest gains in 2008, and build off the 16 seats collected in 2004.
Even PC party insiders were on record as expecting about 50 seats in 2008, down slightly from the 61 in 2004.
But in the end, the PCs won the day with the type of win that was much more common back in the mid-1970s and early 1980s, when no one came even close.
During the three elections in 1975, 1979 and 1982, the PCs won 69 of 75 seats, 74 of 79 seats and 75 of 79 seats for staggering majorities.
Simply put, no one saw this PC landslide coming.
As it is, Alberta has not had a real race since 1971, the first year of the PC party's dynasty, when 49 of a possible 75 seats went their way, while the ruling Social Credit government could only muster 25 seats.
The Liberals had a brief resurgence in 1993, when the party collected 32 seats to the 51 PC seats.
So, where does this leave Alberta's political scene?
Where do the Liberals and the New Democrats, who were both looking for big gains in 2008, go from here?
Well, it is clear Albertans are not ready for a change of government, while a new premier has re-energized his old party.
With an overwhelming majority and a strong mandate, it will be interesting to see where Premier Ed Stelmach takes us now.
Locally, it will also be interesting to see how Cardston-Taber-Warner's switch back to PC representation will impact us. |
