THE ISSUE Alberta’s Premier Review of 99 NEWS Politics and Government Vitality JANUARY/2020 from UNPRECEDENTED DECADE IN ALBERTA POLITICS Jim Prentice, although victorious, renounced his seat right after the provincial election, sending Calgary Lougheed voters to the polls for the 3rd time in roughly one year. In the September 3, 2015 by-election they elected Prassad Panda of the COMES TO AN END Wildrose Party. Tragedy struck in the fall of 2015 with the unfortunate death of former Cabinet Minister Manmeet Bhullar. Robert Reynolds, Q.C. He was killed in a traffic accident on Highway 2 around Red Deer when he attempted to help a motorist during a snowstorm and was struck himself. His successor in Calgary-Greenway was Prab Gill who ran as a PC, but would ultimately become an Independent amidst accusations of participating in voter irregularity. How amazing were the 2010s in Alberta politics? The decade saw the demise of the Progressive Conservative Party, which had governed Alberta from 1971 – 2015. It saw the first NDP government in the province’s history, which also turned out to Undoubtedly the biggest political move during the period was the creation of the United Conservative Party (UCP) from the merger of the PC and Wildrose parties. Jason Kenney won the leadership by defeating Wildrose Leader Brian Jean and now Senior Editor: Pascal Ryffel be the only one-term government since Alberta entered Confederation and became a province in 1905. There were 6 Minister of Justice Doug Schweitzer. The resignation of long-time PC and then UCP MLA Dave Rodney led to Kenney Publisher: Alberta Counsel premiers in the decade (Stelmach, Redford, Hancock, Prentice, Notley and Kenney). In comparison, between 1905 and the end of Ralph Klein’s term of office in December 2006, there had been 12 premiers. In fact, between the election of the running in a by-election in Calgary-Lougheed on December 15, 2017. Social Credit in 1935 and 2006 there had been 6 premiers (Aberhart, Manning, Strom, Lougheed, Getty and Klein). The ALBERTA COUNSEL With only the UCP and the NDP represented in the Legislature, Alberta is now a two-party province. Following the 1993 number of premiers in this past decade equaled the number in 71 years! Legal and Lobby Professionals provincial election, Alberta was also a two-party province with Laurence Decore’s Liberals in Opposition and Ralph Klein’s Management Consultants The 2010s also saw the death of 4 former Premiers: Lougheed, Getty, Klein and Prentice. Progressive Conservatives elected as Government. In that case, the defections and floor-crossings meant that the Liberals were to start their long slide to now where they have no seats. Trade-mark Agents The decade marked an important step in gender equality with 2 female premiers (Redford and Notley). Alberta had a woman as premier for most of the decade. After the 2012 general election there was woman as premier and a woman as In the last Legislature before the 2019 provincial election, the NDP and the UCP (having merged the Wildrose and most of LEDGEVIEW BUILDING Leader of the Official Opposition (Danielle Smith). She was not, however, the first as Nancy MacBeth was the Leader of the the PC Members) sat with 3 Alberta Party Members (one elected, one crossed from the NDP and one originally from the PC 800, 9707-110 Street NW Official Opposition in the early part of this century (Bettie Hewes had served as Acting Leader before). caucus). Richard Starke was still a Progressive Conservative Member although the party was gone, David Swann was the Edmonton AB T5K 2L9 sole Liberal, and Derek Fildebrandt ended the Legislature as a Freedom Conservative having been an Independent after The merger of the Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose into the United Conservative Party (UCP) marked a slightly P: 780-652-1311 being elected as a Wildrose Member and then departing from the UCP Caucus. In addition, there were 3 Independents. chilling moment in the sense of history repeating itself. How strong is history? The United Farmers of Alberta (UFA) served F: 780-652-1312 From this multi-party Legislature, the electorate chose two parties. E: [email protected] as government after the Liberals from 1921 to 1935. The Social Credit governed from 1935-1971. Both parties eventually www.AlbertaCounsel.com disappeared from the political landscape. One would be hard pressed to find someone who would have predicted the end of Given what has occurred in the past decade, one wouldn’t want to say, “well, that has never happened in Alberta.” the Progressive Conservatives at the start of the decade. Yet the PCs joined the historical ranks of the two parties that held Notwithstanding the warning, some things to consider are that Alberta has never had a minority government. Of course, to office before them.The Liberals were the first party to govern Alberta and still exist but without any seats in the Legislature have a minority government requires 3 or more parties having seats in the Assembly. The emergence of a 3rd party with The News from Alberta Counsel is at present and as a Victorian novelist might have said “without any prospects”. vote-gathering momentum is not on the horizon right now, although it is worth observing that challenges to a governing Alberta’s premier review of Conservative regime may not only come from the centre-left, but from the right so as to divide the vote as occurred in the Although there were 6 premiers in the decade, there were only 3 elections (2012, 2015 and 2019). The decade started with provincial politics and government 2015 election. Ed Stelmach in the Premier’s chair having won the 2008 election with a resounding victory. Alison Redford succeeded vitality. As an original source of Stelmach in 2011 and surprisingly won the 2012 provincial election which was widely seen as belonging to the Wildrose For years, Alberta politics was seen as being dull with the Social Credit under Manning or the Progressive Conservatives political news and commentary, The and their leader Danielle Smith. However, the Wildrose only won 17 seats in comparison to 61 for the PCs. Divisions under Lougheed. However, there was seldom a large opposition during those periods. The changing nature of Alberta News will provide a fresh look at appeared in the governing party not long into Redford’s term and she resigned in March of 2014 amidst a scandal over the society might tend to suggest that Alberta politics will continue to be feisty and dynamic as in the past decade. However, legislation, policy, committee use of a government aircraft for questionable purposes. She did not enjoy much support from her caucus. David Hancock, the current Government’s hold on the Legislature may point to a less exciting decade in 2020s. One thing the last decade debates, the civil service, along with the long-time Government House Leader and Minister of many different portfolios succeeded Redford and served until taught us is that the unlikely is likely. Another is that longer term predictions are not worth much. Enjoy the decade. party updates and events. mid-September of 2014 – Alberta’s shortest serving premier. Former Federal Minister Jim Prentice assumed the reins of power, winning the leadership of the party on September 6th and being sworn in as Premier on September 15th. He appointed two non-elected people to Cabinet, former Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel (Minster of Health), and Gordon Alberta Counsel Dirks, (Minister of Education). Prentice, Mandel and Dirks along with now whip Mike Ellis, won by-elections on October 27, We work with organizations to 2014. navigate their way through the Although a short-lived government, it was notable with 2 confusing network that is Wildrose caucus Members defecting to the governing PCs The number of Premiers associated with government. We in November of 2014 and 8 more on December 17, 2014 “in this past decade equaled help our clients connect with those including Danielle Smith. None of them were given cabinet who are important in shaping public positions, although that might not have been their the number in 71 years! policy and ensure your messaging is understanding. Eventually, Doug Horner and Doug Griffiths ” would resign from the PC Caucus. Interestingly, and a statement about the values of Albertans, none of the defecting effectively communicated to Wildrose members were in the Legislature after the next provincial election. decision makers. That election came sooner than most expected. Prentice called the election roughly a year early. Prior to the election he brought in a rather tough budget warning Albertans that the drop in oil prices would not be a temporary thing. He also suggested that high expenditures were partly due to the expectations of Albertans suggesting that people “look in the To subscribe to The News from mirror”. This proved remarkably unpopular and the election of May 5, 2015 marked the end of the Progressive Conservative Alberta Counsel, please visit Government, which had governed Alberta since 1971. Tragically, Prentice would die in an airplane crash in October of 2016. www.albertacounsel.com/news The results of the May 5, 2015 election were: NDP 54; Wildrose 21; Progressive Conservative 9; Liberal 1; Alberta Party 1. The split between the centre-right parties is evident in the popular vote; the NDP won 40.6% of the popular vote, the Wildrose won 27.8% and the Progressive Conservatives had 24.2% (2015 Provincial Election Results, Elections Alberta). In contrast the UCP won 54.9% of the popular vote in the April 16, 2019 provincial election while the NDP won 32.7%. Article continues on page 2 THE Alberta’s Premier Review of NEWS Politics and Government Vitality from UNPRECEDENTED DECADE IN ALBERTA POLITICS Jim Prentice, although victorious, renounced his seat right after the provincial election, sending Calgary Lougheed voters to the polls for the 3rd time in roughly one year.