Comments on: Thoughts on Alberta and the Federal Election http://ablawg.ca/2008/10/16/thoughts-on-alberta-and-the-federal-election/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:25:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Jennifer Koshan http://ablawg.ca/2008/10/16/thoughts-on-alberta-and-the-federal-election/#comment-13490 Jennifer Koshan Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:12:14 +0000 http://ablawg.ca/2008/10/16/thoughts-on-alberta-and-the-federal-election/#comment-13490 Thanks for your comment, Chad. I think you are right that many people in Alberta feel their vote doesn't matter in the same way it does in highly contested ridings. On the other hand, I bet conservatives in Edmonton Strathcona are wishing they hadn't taken Rahim Jaffer's seat for granted. At least he and Helena Guergis made the best of it and got married the day after the election. One of the best post-election quips I read was Jane Taber's column in the Globe on Saturday (p. A9), where she said: "Several months ago, Ms. Guergis had complained that she and Mr. Jaffer could not set a wedding date because she was waiting for Liberal Leader Stephane Dion to defeat the government. In the end, her leader made it easier for her and her new husband by breaking his fixed-election date law." Thanks for your comment, Chad. I think you are right that many people in Alberta feel their vote doesn’t matter in the same way it does in highly contested ridings. On the other hand, I bet conservatives in Edmonton Strathcona are wishing they hadn’t taken Rahim Jaffer’s seat for granted. At least he and Helena Guergis made the best of it and got married the day after the election. One of the best post-election quips I read was Jane Taber’s column in the Globe on Saturday (p. A9), where she said: “Several months ago, Ms. Guergis had complained that she and Mr. Jaffer could not set a wedding date because she was waiting for Liberal Leader Stephane Dion to defeat the government. In the end, her leader made it easier for her and her new husband by breaking his fixed-election date law.”

]]> By: Chad Conrad http://ablawg.ca/2008/10/16/thoughts-on-alberta-and-the-federal-election/#comment-13228 Chad Conrad Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:47:35 +0000 http://ablawg.ca/2008/10/16/thoughts-on-alberta-and-the-federal-election/#comment-13228 re. "Do 48% of Albertans feel that this province is so big and strong that they do not need to vote?" I had a conversation on election day with a colleague who was debating whether it was worth the time in his busy schedule to drive from the university out to his 100% true blue conservative riding to cast a vote that almost certainly would not make a difference. The low turnout might be explained just that simply. We know we're good and conservative here, and if there is no danger of the vote going otherwise, then why bother? (Even Calgary Centre, where I live, and which I thought might be contended, turned out hardly to be.) As for the Conservatives' plan to enact legislation regulating the export of bitumen, I suspect that many feel that Steve's our man in Ottawa, and would not actually do anything to screw Albertans. Those people might be wrong, but I'll bet that's the general sentiment. (Can I say "screw" on a public forum?) re. “Do 48% of Albertans feel that this province is so big and strong that they do not need to vote?”

I had a conversation on election day with a colleague who was debating whether it was worth the time in his busy schedule to drive from the university out to his 100% true blue conservative riding to cast a vote that almost certainly would not make a difference.

The low turnout might be explained just that simply. We know we’re good and conservative here, and if there is no danger of the vote going otherwise, then why bother? (Even Calgary Centre, where I live, and which I thought might be contended, turned out hardly to be.)

As for the Conservatives’ plan to enact legislation regulating the export of bitumen, I suspect that many feel that Steve’s our man in Ottawa, and would not actually do anything to screw Albertans. Those people might be wrong, but I’ll bet that’s the general sentiment. (Can I say “screw” on a public forum?)

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