The UCP is not acting as a "conservative" government. Ideologically, many or most of them seem to be christian-nationalists. They are not interested in sharing power or making concessions which might get in the way of providing financial gain to a combination of themselves, their friends/families and big $ supporters. Alberta is a wealthy province and far too many of the UCP higher-ups want to make sure they benefit from that wealth ahead of providing health and security for the average Albertan.
I was out this morning collecting signatures for the Forever Canadian Petition. One of the people who had called me to come over to their home was a former conservative organizer. She like many others I've encountered is incensed at this separation nonsense. She was also looking for a new home for her political views saying the UCP "ain't it". Perhaps this new party will strike a chord and path down the middle - if so, good. Both Mrs Moretta and Naheed Nenshi should be looking over their shoulders.
I think we need our options back. It might have different if people just stopped voting for the party; like the liberals, but that’s not what happened with the PCs. I’m even okay if that’s what Albertans decide some time down the road but in the meantime…
Tremendous respect and gratitude due to Thomas Lukasak. If there are 2,000 signature collectors engaged then that’s 150 signatures each. Very doable.
While Thomas has outlined Mrs Moretta will have only two possible choices if the signatures are reached there’s no doubt in my mind she’ll ignore what she doesn’t want to hear.
And so I once again offer to personally pay for Mrs Moretta’s moving expenses south of the 49th so she can be amongst her chosen people.
I'm delighted to see you return to the Alberta Party, as have I. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to creating a pluralist party that takes the best elements of the traditional conservative and classic liberals.
We can't be a mushy middle compromise to the divisive polarized Left vs Right hyperpartisanship two party system we see today.
We must rise above and beyond 19th century political ideologies on off today. We can survive if all we have to choose from are theatrically manipulated debates between mortal enemies with different sets of "facts."
My take on the challenges and opportunities in a revived and reomsgined Alberta Progressive Conservative Party are at kenchapman.substack.com if you are interested.
All I know is the corruption and absolute dictatorial policies she brings will make me support the saner Alberta Progressive party under Peter Guthrie. The entire UCP caucus left under her are cowards, Republicans, maga droolers. We need the entire party gone. Nenshi is still almost nonexistent, but there could be a snap election. Hopefully Guthrie is out there. I haven’t heard much, yet, hopefully the elections board decision is quick. Ugly, ugly government we’ve got right now, for sure. Spread the word.
A real word salad leaving the impression of a very confused individual. BTW, if you haven't noticed, (ok you haven't) the current iteration of the NDP fits almost perfectly the definition of a Progress yet Conservative Party imo.
To be fair, I don’t always reiterate positions I’ve held for years (my bad). I agree NDP is basically PC 2.0 (not that they wanted to be but that’s what circumstances dictated) — but they’re not a PC party, they’re the NDP. PCs won’t vote NDP (or the “lend us your vote” campaign would have worked) and conservatives won’t vote NDP and if the floor for conservatives is higher than the ceiling for the NDs, then something needs to change or we get Danielle freaking Smith’s version of la-la-land. If the PCs flame out on their own, then I have no problem accepting it; but that’s not what happened. Que sera, sera; whatever will be, will be.
I feel like vote splitting is going to be a thing in the next election once again. Some combo of UCP/NDP/APC will split the vote allowing one a lane up the middle. Either way I think the UCP is in trouble. Smith is stuck and has to placate her base but alienates more and more of the mainstream by doing so.
Thus name change, like changing from Reform, to Alliance and finally stealing the conservative name is designed to conceal what this party intentions are.
Alberta has been running on a two party system for the last two elections. Inserting a third party will take votes from either of those two. Which do you want to weaken?
Which of the two do you want to form the next government? Because let's be realistic, the APCP has no chance of winning, just disrupting.
Now, I am all in for a minority government. We've seen how effective that can be in the last federal Parliament.
But...
We've also seen how badly vote splitting can turn out. Edmonton-Griesbach, for example. For this reason, the APCP should concentrate their efforts on rural ridings. The goal in the next provincial election must be to remove Smith & the UCP, not to take seats from the NDP.
I truly don’t care which party forms government so long as they don’t think they’re above accountability to more than 0.01 percent of the population. If the UCP understands they don’t have carte blanche, and the NDP doesn’t think they can sit back as an Edmonton-based party, and the PCs don’t take it for granted, I can at least hope we’ll get good government. I don’t care what colour they’re wearing to do it.
“It probably would cause them at least some concern electorally, but since separatist sentiment is stronger in rural, where they have no competition, it wouldn’t cause too much alarm.”
They don’t care about the general election. It would cost them their own nomination contests. Smith gets to remain leader for exactly as long as the rural activists get catered to.
“I also don’t care if the UCP were to remain government, so long as… they stop making ideologically motivated policy”
So you don’t mind them being in charge as long as they don’t do any of the things they say they stand for? How does that make any sense?
They're currently doing things they say they don't stand for -- it's all about the willingness of the electorate to vote them back in. If they call a snap election, they will probably win; unless the PCs and Republicans have full slates. But if they can catch them before that? Oof.
They have to be afraid to lose and right now they aren’t — it’s why they’re pandering to <20% of the population. Change that, change the things the government does, imo.
The UCP is not acting as a "conservative" government. Ideologically, many or most of them seem to be christian-nationalists. They are not interested in sharing power or making concessions which might get in the way of providing financial gain to a combination of themselves, their friends/families and big $ supporters. Alberta is a wealthy province and far too many of the UCP higher-ups want to make sure they benefit from that wealth ahead of providing health and security for the average Albertan.
💯
We all see it — we just needed someone to stand up for it :)
I was out this morning collecting signatures for the Forever Canadian Petition. One of the people who had called me to come over to their home was a former conservative organizer. She like many others I've encountered is incensed at this separation nonsense. She was also looking for a new home for her political views saying the UCP "ain't it". Perhaps this new party will strike a chord and path down the middle - if so, good. Both Mrs Moretta and Naheed Nenshi should be looking over their shoulders.
I think we need our options back. It might have different if people just stopped voting for the party; like the liberals, but that’s not what happened with the PCs. I’m even okay if that’s what Albertans decide some time down the road but in the meantime…
That’s great Bill! Hopefully we blow past the 300k signatures by double.
Tremendous respect and gratitude due to Thomas Lukasak. If there are 2,000 signature collectors engaged then that’s 150 signatures each. Very doable.
While Thomas has outlined Mrs Moretta will have only two possible choices if the signatures are reached there’s no doubt in my mind she’ll ignore what she doesn’t want to hear.
And so I once again offer to personally pay for Mrs Moretta’s moving expenses south of the 49th so she can be amongst her chosen people.
I'm delighted to see you return to the Alberta Party, as have I. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to creating a pluralist party that takes the best elements of the traditional conservative and classic liberals.
We can't be a mushy middle compromise to the divisive polarized Left vs Right hyperpartisanship two party system we see today.
We must rise above and beyond 19th century political ideologies on off today. We can survive if all we have to choose from are theatrically manipulated debates between mortal enemies with different sets of "facts."
My take on the challenges and opportunities in a revived and reomsgined Alberta Progressive Conservative Party are at kenchapman.substack.com if you are interested.
Fabulous — thanks, Ken!
All I know is the corruption and absolute dictatorial policies she brings will make me support the saner Alberta Progressive party under Peter Guthrie. The entire UCP caucus left under her are cowards, Republicans, maga droolers. We need the entire party gone. Nenshi is still almost nonexistent, but there could be a snap election. Hopefully Guthrie is out there. I haven’t heard much, yet, hopefully the elections board decision is quick. Ugly, ugly government we’ve got right now, for sure. Spread the word.
A real word salad leaving the impression of a very confused individual. BTW, if you haven't noticed, (ok you haven't) the current iteration of the NDP fits almost perfectly the definition of a Progress yet Conservative Party imo.
To be fair, I don’t always reiterate positions I’ve held for years (my bad). I agree NDP is basically PC 2.0 (not that they wanted to be but that’s what circumstances dictated) — but they’re not a PC party, they’re the NDP. PCs won’t vote NDP (or the “lend us your vote” campaign would have worked) and conservatives won’t vote NDP and if the floor for conservatives is higher than the ceiling for the NDs, then something needs to change or we get Danielle freaking Smith’s version of la-la-land. If the PCs flame out on their own, then I have no problem accepting it; but that’s not what happened. Que sera, sera; whatever will be, will be.
I feel like vote splitting is going to be a thing in the next election once again. Some combo of UCP/NDP/APC will split the vote allowing one a lane up the middle. Either way I think the UCP is in trouble. Smith is stuck and has to placate her base but alienates more and more of the mainstream by doing so.
Thus name change, like changing from Reform, to Alliance and finally stealing the conservative name is designed to conceal what this party intentions are.
Be careful what you wish for...
Alberta has been running on a two party system for the last two elections. Inserting a third party will take votes from either of those two. Which do you want to weaken?
Which of the two do you want to form the next government? Because let's be realistic, the APCP has no chance of winning, just disrupting.
Now, I am all in for a minority government. We've seen how effective that can be in the last federal Parliament.
But...
We've also seen how badly vote splitting can turn out. Edmonton-Griesbach, for example. For this reason, the APCP should concentrate their efforts on rural ridings. The goal in the next provincial election must be to remove Smith & the UCP, not to take seats from the NDP.
Tread carefully.
I truly don’t care which party forms government so long as they don’t think they’re above accountability to more than 0.01 percent of the population. If the UCP understands they don’t have carte blanche, and the NDP doesn’t think they can sit back as an Edmonton-based party, and the PCs don’t take it for granted, I can at least hope we’ll get good government. I don’t care what colour they’re wearing to do it.
“It probably would cause them at least some concern electorally, but since separatist sentiment is stronger in rural, where they have no competition, it wouldn’t cause too much alarm.”
They don’t care about the general election. It would cost them their own nomination contests. Smith gets to remain leader for exactly as long as the rural activists get catered to.
“I also don’t care if the UCP were to remain government, so long as… they stop making ideologically motivated policy”
So you don’t mind them being in charge as long as they don’t do any of the things they say they stand for? How does that make any sense?
They're currently doing things they say they don't stand for -- it's all about the willingness of the electorate to vote them back in. If they call a snap election, they will probably win; unless the PCs and Republicans have full slates. But if they can catch them before that? Oof.
Like what policies? Anti-renewables? The anti-trans positions? The provincial police force? The Alberta pension plan? The anti-vax policies?
These are all things they have explicitly supported before and after the last election
They have to be afraid to lose and right now they aren’t — it’s why they’re pandering to <20% of the population. Change that, change the things the government does, imo.