The biggest political news in Alberta in the past few days, pretty obviously, is the fact that whether we like it or not we’re in for another federal election.
But just because it’s in the news doesn’t make it a “news story” in the way journalists would define the term anywhere else in Canada. That’s because it’s pretty well a sure thing what Albertans, those few who bother to vote anyway, are going to do on May 2.
With the possible exception of our eccentric neighbours in Edmonton-Strathcona, it’s pretty much a given we’ll all go out and vote in overwhelming numbers for Conservatives. That’s just the way we do things in Alberta.
Meanwhile, the week before the Opposition in Ottawa decided the political bathwater they’ve been drinking tasted enough like champagne for them to pull the plug on Parliament, one of the big political stories here in Alberta was Premier Ed Stelmach’s vociferous complaints about the terrible deal we get from Ottawa on health transfer payments.
We’re being shortchanged close to $900 million in health care payments by the federal government, Stelmach said. “Our call for equal treatment under the Canada Health Transfer has been ignored, with no indication whatsoever of a plan to bring us up to the same level as other provinces,” he stated in his official blog. “Alberta remains the only province in Canada that receives below average federal support for health care.”
Stelmach complained — with justice — that Ontario receives $773 per person each year under the transfer, while Alberta gets only $533. “This is highly discriminatory,” he wrote in his March 22 post. “This translates to nearly $900 million that the federal government owes the people of Alberta.”
The silence from our Conservative Members of Parliament about this issue was deafening. Well, maybe they knew they’d soon have bigger fish to fry.
Actually, the studied silence of our Conservative MPs was probably preferable to the reaction the city of Edmonton got back in November 2010 when it complained about Ottawa’s lack of support for its Expo 2017 bid. The message of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government to Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel’s cry of pain could be paraphrased in two words: “Drop dead.”
Then there were our Edmonton-area folk and fringe festivals in recent years. Same story, although similar events across the country do not go short of federal cash.
It’s pretty clear what motivates the Conservative government in Ottawa. If you live in a constituency with a feisty electorate that looks out for its own interests, they’ll look after you. If you don’t, they won’t.
Now, people, there’s a fundamental disconnect here. Does anyone remember the story of Charlie Brown, Lucy van Pelt and the football? Lucy always whips the ball away, and Charlie always falls for it, but that never keeps him from trying again.
Charlie Brown must be an Albertan! We’re consistently ignored, shortchanged and treated with disrespect by our Conservative federal government in Ottawa. We complain loudly and bitterly about it … and then we rush right out and vote overwhelmingly for the same people over and over.
No wonder our silent Conservative MPs take us for granted! Our message to them is pretty clear, election after election: go ahead, no matter what you do, we’ll give you our votes.
The solution to this problem — and it is a serious problem — is to send them a message on election day by voting for someone else!
Even if Alberta still sends a large herd of tongue-tied Tories to Ottawa, a dip in their vote totals would speak loudly. If we went and elected two or three Opposition members, that would shiver their timbers.
That’s the only way that they’ll ever pay us any heed. But I’m not optimistic. This is Alberta, after all, where we seem to take perverse pride in our self-destructive political behaviour.
So quit complaining, already! You’ve got a rare opportunity to actually do something for Alberta on May 2!
This post originally appeared as David Climenhaga’s column in today’s edition of the Saint City News, a weekly newspaper in St. Albert, Alberta. It is also posted on his blog, Alberta Diary.
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