…and running!

The “exciting days” began with this afternoon with the swearing in of Rachel Notley’s cabinet. Only twelve people, six men and six women, including herself. This is a whole new thong in Alberta – women taking the lead. The expectation is that by the time she brings in a budget in autumn, she will shuffle her cabinet and bring in some more people. But the message is clear: we will run a lean, mean and hard working government. The Conservative’s shredding of documents (how many skeletons in closets were destroyed?) was ended, and the work started this afternoon.

The swearing in was a public event on the grounds of the legislative building, with many thousands in attendance. There were myriad children, many of them frolicking in the fountain pool on a 26 degree afternoon. It was incredibly exciting to watch young people assuming huge loads of responsibility.  One article reminded people that when Peter Lougheed took over the reins of government forty three years ago, the press made the same doom-and-gloom predictions about his youthful cabinet. But his party remained in government for forty-three years! Another government that remained in power longer was that of the Soviet Union!

Ice cream was handed round at the end of the formalities, and the doors of the Legislature were thrown open for the public to get to know “their” legislature, as Notley called it. A great start to what we all hope will be a new and fruitful era in Alberta politics. Stephen Harper, shake in your boots. Rachel Notley in Minister on Intergovernmental affairs. You will face her soon enough!

They're off!

Once our election was behind us, it’s as if I collapsed, or rather scuttled into some kind of hiding. Consciously, I was trying to return to a more orderly and “habitual” life. Calmer, routine…the sort of life I like most of the time; the life of a tired elderly person. Oh, I renewed my morning walks, and managed well in my adjusted swim plan – snorkel mask, hands on float board, kicking like mad for close to an hour.

The outcome of our election has produced a very youthful ND caucus, much more in line with the demographics of our province. Of course, the white-haired PC crowd are lamenting “these kids have no idea what to do.” We’ll see. No Cabinet named yet. Exciting days ahead!

Free at last!

Finally, a moment to catch you up on the last couple weeks of election fever. Being the Official Agent for a candidate sounds pretentious…important…powerful. The job consists of accompanying the candidate to all-candidate forums, helping people find out where they vote, paying bills, and responding to requests for lawn signs. Mostly, it’s busy! Surprisingly, I found attending the all-candidates forums the most stressful activity. Crowds of people, lots of questions, interaction, talking, handing out literature. Although I don’t often appear to be an introverted person, this kind of activity underlines the truth of it. So much interacting with strangers wipes me out. Of course, age could have something to do with it.

The election, for the first time in forty years, was exciting. Anger at the current government (Progressive Conservative) for financial decisions and personal arrogance, couple with the charisma of a fresh, new female leader for the New Democratic Party, kept the pundits guessing. Some thought the ND’s would win; some thought the Wild Rose Party (distant right; main slogan, “We will not raise your taxes.”) In fact, the final result gave the ND’s – a moderate left of centre party, a majority of 20 seats over its nearest rival, and a clear majority in the legislature.

This was a profound shock for the Conservatives, who have been in power for a continuous forty-three years! Shock…and dismay. Immediate cries of, “Business will flee the province!” “Modified communism will shatter our democracy!” And so on.  In fact, the new legislative government presents a very strong mirror of Alberta society. Almost half its members are female; there are Aboriginal members, one woman is from the Middle East originally, and the median age of the group is just under forty…exactly the same as our province! The rule of the old white boys is over for now!

A number of long-term Conservative cabinet ministers were tossed out with very few votes to their name. The Premier, who’d been parachuted in to “save the country” was soundly beaten in his riding. He resigned as party leader, and resigned his newly won seat before all the ballots were counted! So the once-mighty Conservative party has 10 sets in the house, and is leaderless to boot. They face a bye-election and a leadership convention in the next year. They face possible suicide, or some other form of disappearance. All because the arrogant Premier called an election a t=year earlier than he needed to – cost $40 million – and brought down a budget that introduces 59 new taxes, and fees on the voters, while not raising an extra penny from the corporations who fund him (and clearly call the shots).

As a life-long member of the New Democratic Party, I am ridiculously ecstatic, and excited to see what creative legislation Rachel Notley, the Premier elect, will introduce. First caucus meeting was today, and a cabinet will be forthcoming shortly. All “green” members. In opposition to the Conservative gloom and doom, I say, “You can’t strike a new path with old ways.” Carpe Diem!

Once more into the breach…

It’s been quite a few days since I have written here. Election fever. For the first time in two decades there is an actual race going on in Alberta. The NDP (slightly left) has been leading, the Wild rose (far right) has been second, very close, and the Progressive  Conservative (right wing also, emphasis mine) has been third. Currently, the Cons have been gaining a bit, getting a boost from the Federal Conservatives and some very aggressive advertising. The ND’s are still in the lead, but it is much closer now. However, I keep reminding myself that polls are often quite inaccurate. Last election, they had the Wild rose winning a strong majority. In fact, they elected just over a dozen members.

I have been busy delivering signs, banking money and paying cheques…and going to candidate forums…’for a, I guess. Three in six days, in three communities, plus a rural one…quite small. We have done well in these. Our support seems strong, but our budget is small –we have no corporate support – and we do the best we can with what we have. Our candidate did some research and found that our Cons opponents receive millions in corporate support, headed, of course, by an oil company and a pipeline company. The Wild rose gets considerably less, and we don’t accept any corporate sponsorship…not that we are offered much. One of our platform points is that Corporations and Unions not be allowed to donate to parties. He who buys your vote, gets the gravy. We believe support should come from the people of the Province, and they should be served.

Anyway, a busy two weeks. Election day is Tuesday, after which all signs have to be gathered up within 48 hours. I voted in the Advance Poll, so who knows what I will be doing on Election Day.

The play's the thing…I hope!

Well, it’s April 16 today, ten days since I last wrote. In some ways, things have gone downhill since then. My shoulder got worse, and I began to notice similar problems in my right arm. That shoulder I injured over a decade ago when I slipped and fell on sloped ice in Banff. Severed the rotator cuff tendon. It had to be stapled together. And now the left one is very sore. The physio tells me I have strained the left rotator cuff. No arm swimming for at least two weeks, perhaps a month. Solution? Snorkel mask and leg kicks only. If only I can learn how to assemble the mask and breathing tube. THAT kind of stupidity doesn’t happen when you are twenty-two years old either! Again…the joys of aging!

Political life has picked up speed. With a Provincial election of May 5, and a government sinking in popularity each day because of the high-flying Premier’s awkward statements, it’s getting interesting. I am sticking New Democrat sights beside every community mailbox, and have had one election sign stolen from y lawn. The same thing has happened in other parts of town as well. I think such behaviour is against the law, but I have to check to be sure. I know that defacing signs is illegal, and carries a fine.

Of course, this situation has prompted me to think of ways to exploit it for political gain! One way I thought of is through sardonic humour. Apparently, when I use this sort of thing in letters and columns, it gets some positive response. So here is the “Letter to the Editor” I have drafted for submission later in the week:

Dear Editor;

Recently my “DOUG HART” election sign was stolen off my lawn in the dark of night. I understand a similar thing is happening in other parts of Ponoka.

I wondered if they have been taken by disillusioned and frustrated members of other parties, embarrassed over their own candidates, or by their party’s election promises. Perhaps they wish to support Doug in a surreptitious manner, as well as obtain a keepsake of his campaign.

It would be so much easier if they just called me to ask for a sign. I would gladly deliver and mount the sign in the light of day, thus saving them both blame and embarrassment.

James Strachan

I giggle even as I read it, because although it is a preposterous idea, it will make some people smile, and will let the thieves know, if they should read the paper, that their actions have been interpreted in a manner to make them look stupid. And if none of this is true, at least it makes me smile, which is almost enough!

Until I can figure out how to assemble my snorkeling mask, I will be walking in the morning. Yesterday, as I walked, I figured out three places to strategically place election signs. I set them out last evening. Today, I even got to sign a few checks for the Party, thus felling like an Important Cog in a very minor wheel!

The weekend is almost upon us, and it is one of those weekends where I am responsible for worship in a nearby town, and committed to attending two dramatic presentations. One is a one-woman show at the Canadian Legion (my spouse’s choice, the other a High School presentation of Dracula. Supporting amateur theatre is fun, but sometime wearying. More in a few days, with reviews of the stage presentations included.