Interesting, isn’t it, that there seems to be all manner of hints out there that our provincial government may call an early election?
The latest suggestion this may be the case comes in the news that incumbent MLA Ron Casey is again seeking the Progressive Conservative party’s nomination.
Here at the Outlook, we’d like to point out that there is no need for any speculation – our next provincial election is to be held in 2016, between March 1 and May 31.
That date, supposedly, was set in stone and is per a Progressive Conservative edict in 2011 concerning fixed election dates.
The concept of fixed election dates is a good one – fixed dates should stop a party in power taking advantage of a boost in approval rating to call an election to its advantage.
Advantage is the key word here. With new Premier Jim Prentice at the controls, and with a floor crossing by former opposition Wildrose leader Danielle Smith and eight other Wildrose MLAs having taken place, possibly the PCs perceive now is an advantageous time call an election – while the Liberals and NDP are in disarray.
Recently, Prentice commented calling an election will be in the best interests of Albertans.
We’d like to point out that the best interest of Albertans lies in waiting until between March 1 and May 31, 2016. That date is what voters are expecting, that date is the one the PCs knew they would be dealing with when elected. Candidates and voters alike expected a four-year term; there’s no need to change anything.
It’s bad enough that Smith and her tagalong Wildrose MLAs jumped ship while leaving their voting supporters in the dust, wondering what happened. Worse yet, would be for the PCs to see that power move as one that should spark an early election.
Should an early election now be called, it should be viewed as nothing more than a political party with a vast sense of entitlement taking advantage. Elections are costly, the PCs have their mandate, nothing needs to change.
If anything, here at the Outlook we feel that floor crossing of the Wildrose kind should spark byelections, as all those Wildrosers were put into power by voters supporting them; not just any party with conservative leanings.
Should an early election be called, what’s to stop it from happening again and again, with taxpayers picking up the cost? Should a political party in power be allowed to call an election every time it has a surge in popularity?
We think not.
Every party in power will eventually face pendulum swings of support and opposition as tough decisions are made. But that’s the reality of politics. Like they say, you can’t please all of the people all of the time. Politicians know this.
Does Prentice feel an early election is needed to move ahead with a provincial sales tax? Certainly no Alberta government would raise the issue of a sales tax any time close to an election. Proposing a provincial sales tax during a campaign would surely signal political suicide. But call an early election, sweep to a PC majority, as always, then initiate a sales tax with four years for the public to get used to it?
With the price of oil currently in the toilet, we would urge our Progressive Conservative government to be progressive and come up with a plan to deal with what is a serious, today, situation rather than planning for its next mandate.
