politicalmatch.ca
Some time in the early 90’s I became dissatisfied with the provincial government. I wasn’t really thrilled with 5 percent cuts across the board. I was definitely unhappy with the direction post-secondary education was taking at the time. The thing that really upset me the most was when I heard over and over again that the government was talking with ordinary Albertans.
“Well,” I thought to myself, “They haven’t been talking to me. I’m an ordinary Albertan too, but they sure aren’t acting like they’re listening to me at all.”
The good part about voting against the political dynasty is that it’s very freeing - I could vote for pretty much anyone else I wanted to and it didn’t seem to make a damned bit of difference. Vote for the Marijuana Party just to throw out a protest vote? SURE! I don’t even smoke it, but I got to vote for their candidate once.
It was two or three elections back where someone used the phrase, “A lot of Albertans are looking for somewhere else to park their vote.“ I equally liked and disliked it. I was very much parking my vote, but it was also very ineffective and really hadn’t spurred much change.
Today, it’s a whole different world. We have genuine options with different visions of Alberta. And, unlike so many elections in Alberta’s past, we have a genuine chance to change our government and reshape our future. Not that it’s all been bad, in fact Albertans have for the most part been very well off and well governed. However the revelations of the past few weeks have clearly shown that we can definitely do better.
So here’s your chance. If you don’t like how the government has behaved you can create the change you want. This is participatory - if you want change you must be involved to bring about change. That’s a good thing, it’s time the government respects the people it represents.
My choice has clearly been the Alberta Party. I like the new outlook, I appreciate they don’t feel the need to demonize any of the other parties, I love the fact that there are members of all political stripes and they don’t rigidly subscribe to Left or Right wing doctrine. Pragmatism and a willingness to listen to alternative viewpoints and try to find consensus is a big change that appeals to me.
I appreciate not everyone will believe the Alberta Party is the best choice. That’s okay too, we don’t all have to wedge into a single belief system. What is clear is that Albertans are really looking for choice right now, and there are a lot of people working hard to be heard and to be better represented at the Legislature. So, if you’re looking around for choices, try out politicalmatch.ca. It’s a quick quiz and gives a pretty good idea of the kind of person affiliating with the Alberta Party. If you’re not a match, that’s okay too. Find the home that suits you best.
At the end of the day, we’re all Albertan and we have more things in common than we have differences.