If recent polling is to be believed, Alberta's ultra-conservative Wildrose Party looks poised to capture an electoral majority in the upcoming provincial election only a few years after its creation. While we could just chalk this up to Alberta's peculiar penchant for right-wing populism within it's unique political culture and shrug our shoulders, we would make a grave mistake if we were to believe that Alberta's choice in the next election only affects Albertans.

Edmonton mayoral candidate Daryl Bonar has signs that say "FIGHT BACK!" I suppose that locates him somewhere in the political spectrum, but I hope readers will forgive me if I say that this particular candidate's slogan really ought to be "STANDING UP FOR EDMONTON!"

Despite a great name and some excellent startup publicity, there’s little reason to believe the new and improved Alberta Party will blossom in this province's increasingly crowded political garden.

It’s a sign of Alberta's troubled political times that new parties are popping up like dandelions in springtime. Voters are discontented with the government of Premier Ed Stelmach, who is seen as a bumbler with no plan. But they are even less impressed by the traditional opposition parties.

So far, 2010 has been pretty rosy for Alberta’s far-right Wildrose Alliance Party.

Despite what you may have read in the media, however, the good times are not guaranteed to continue for the new political party. The Alliance's moment of maximum political danger is likely later this year and in early 2011 when it starts choosing local candidates to run in the provincial election expected in 2012.

They'll be laughing out loud in the oil industry’s towers in downtown Calgary this morning. At least, that's if the oilmen haven't already abandoned their offices to dash down 8th Avenue to the bank to arrange vault space for all the extra cash coming their way.

Getting Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach’s timorous Tories to scrap their short-lived and modest increases to Alberta's energy royalties turned out to be hilariously easy for the deep-pocketed oil and gas industry.

The release of a reputable Environics poll yesterday shows Ed Stelmach's Alberta Conservatives are still ahead of the Wildrose Alliance party, if only by a nose.

Does this mean Alberta's media -- which loves a horserace, even at the expense of accuracy -- will stop saying the far-right Alliance led by former journalist Danielle Smith "is leading the government in public opinion polls across the province"? After all, until yesterday there'd only been one poll that put the Wildrose Alliance is in the lead, and it was based on controversial methodology.

Who says the Prime Minister Stephen Harper won't make Raj Pannu Lieutenant Governor of Alberta? He is the best choice, after all.

OK, it seems unlikely when there are so many undeserving old Alberta Tory retainers hanging around with their paws sticking out. But if you think Stephen Harper doesn't have what it takes to name the former Alberta NDP leader the Queen's representative in Alberta, maybe you should consider Canada's new ambassador to Washington.

Sometimes a prime minister, even a Conservative one, just needs to send a political message –- either to wave a political carrot or shake a political stick in the general direction of whoever ought to be paying more attention.