Canada's online magazine: Politics, entertainment, technology, media, arts, books: backofthebook.ca

Politics, tech, media, culture and more, from a Canadian point-of-view

  • Politics
  • Media
  • Culture
  • Science and Tech
  • Living
  • Arts and Books
  • Features
  • The Video
You are here: Home / Politics / In Alberta, democracy is due for a comeback

In Alberta, democracy is due for a comeback

05/04/2015 by the editor

Alberta legislatureBy Kenneth Brown

As the NDP has steadily climbed the polls in Alberta, it has become evident that there is a real possibility of them forming the next government. As this has happened, many people, including people I like and respect, have expressed doubts about whether they are capable of managing something so difficult and important as the Alberta economy.

To those people I say, democracy is an unwieldy and difficult thing, and we haven’t really exercised it much in Alberta. The Social Credit Party was elected in 1930, and held power for 41 years. The Conservatives, a party built by and for the oil lobby, were elected in 1971, and have held power for 44 years. As a lifelong supporter of the NDP, I believe that the very worst thing that could happen to this province would be to have an NDP government that lasted even half that long.

No democracy that is not willing to exercise the right to change its rulers can stay healthy. Democracy requires change. Governments must be challenged, parties shaken up, bureaucrats must learn to look over their shoulders. Not to do so is to allow their necks become calcified and stuck in one position. Alberta has given power to one party for almost two generations: even if that party had done a perfect job of governance (a notion that is spectacularly risible), it would be necessary to replace them.

The Alberta Conservatives have forgotten what life is like outside the comfortable chambers of power. If you care about Peter Lougheed’s party, you should be celebrating its coming fall from grace. Perhaps it will learn and grow. For the first time in decades, we are daring to think like a democratic electorate. If we elect the NDP, they will be as imperfect as all governments are, but they will know that they are in power by the grace of an active electorate. (And a word of warning to those who think it will be easy: they will be facing an entrenched bureaucracy and a very hostile conglomerate of corporate interests.) If they manage the economy poorly we have not only the right, but the responsibility to vote them out of office in the following election.

Perhaps it’s a habit that we’ll grow used to.

Kenneth Brown is a writer and actor living in Edmonton.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Alberta, Alberta New Democratic Party, Canada, Conservative Party of Alberta, Peter Lougheed, Social Credit

Subscribe to BoB by e-mail or RSS
Google+
  • Living
  • Politics
  • Media
  • Culture
  • Arts and Books
  • Features
  • The Video
Fire sale sign

Fort McMurray: Shopping time!

By Brady Tighe We’re now officially in the aftermath phase of the northern Alberta wildfire crisis. The fire is long gone, and everyone with a home to return to is back in its … [Read More...]

Nathan Cullen

Electoral reform: Hashtag fresh thinking

By Alison@Creekside The most interesting and innovative idea to come out of the first meeting of the all-party Special Committee on Electoral Reform, or ERRE, was Nathan Cullen's suggestion, … [Read More...]

Trudeau on quantum computing

The Trudeau gush fest is getting old

By Jim Henshaw There have been several bewildered as well as angry accounts coming out of the USA lately about how little media time has been spent covering the Democratic Presidential Primary … [Read More...]

Rick Meyers in Nanaimo Pride Parade

My friend, Rick, at the Pride Parade

By Frank Moher On this dreadful day, I don't want to write about the shootings in Orlando. I want to write about my friend, Rick. Rick lives just outside of Nanaimo, a city of about 80,000, … [Read More...]

Stephen Colbert on Late Night set

Triumph of the drama nerds

By Frank Moher Two drama nerds have recently moved into high profile positions. Before I name them (or perhaps you’ve already guessed who they are; or perhaps you’d like to scroll down and look at … [Read More...]

From “Our Rape Blog”: Shooting the Moon

Originally published on Our Rape Blog, the author's account of the aftermath of a violent sexual assault. By Mary Fraughton Have you ever played Hearts? It’s a card game. For our purposes, … [Read More...]

First Nations defending Lelu Island

The video: Lelu Island: “They will come.”

From Creekside: The B.C. provincial government is trying to green light the construction of a massive LNG terminal on Lelu Island in the Skeena Estuary -- Pacific Northwest LNG, backed by Malaysian … [Read More...]

Google

Follow Us!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

RSS CBC News



Recent Posts

  • Fort McMurray: Shopping time!
  • From “Our Rape Blog”: Shooting the Moon
  • Electoral reform: Hashtag fresh thinking
  • The fish hotel
  • Hatred on an Alberta golf course
  • The video: Lelu Island: “They will come.”
  • My friend, Rick, at the Pride Parade
  • Our selective sympathy
  • The Water Bomber, The Frogman and The Great Canadian Novelist
  • Komagata Maru: The story behind the apology

Tags

9/11 Afghanistan Alberta bad behaviour books British Columbia business Canada Canadian military Canadian politics CBC celebrity computers Conservatives crime environment family film G20 Globe and Mail internet Jason Kenney journalism Justin Trudeau law Liberals Maclean's music National Post NDP newspapers oil sands online media Ontario Quebec RCMP religion sports Stephen Harper television theatre Toronto U.S. Vancouver women

Archives

The Video: Lelu Island: “They will come.”

Pages

  • About
  • Privacy

Copyright © 2025 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in