I've been saying for some time that Alberta requires a party to the right of the Tories to keep the government in check. I guess Ed will have to try and siphon votes from the dippers and the Libs which is right up his alley.

As a Saskatchewanian, I'm hoping Albertans enshrine Mr. Stelmach as "Premier for Life".

Good ole Stephane Stelmach, a man far, far, far out of his league.

Special Ed's lasting legacy: Won the leadership by renting out Conservative memberships to Liberals and NDPs then lost the party because there were too many Liberals and NDPs in the party.

Fox news happening right now gunmen kill7 wound20 more!!Terrorists or???

The dream scenario is Stelmach getting 68%. If i read him (and his cabal) right, he will hang on to power. This would result in a few - probably less than 5 - MLA defections and dozens of revolts in local riding associations.

At that point Stelmach and the pcs are deadmen walking especially south of red deer.

Danille needs to keep her head down, work on building up the grassroots recruiting and vetting riding board members and then propective candidates.

The real underlying strength of the Wra is this:

There are give or take 100000 federal CP members in AB. The vast majority are far more to the right than the provincial PCP which has a membership that usually runs between 25000 and 35000.

Danielles connections with the federal CP are very good and the federal membership is a natural fit for the Wra. Expect membership levels to grow possibly to a number greater than the pcs have within a year if everything goes well.

Worst case scenario is Mr ed gets 55% and steps down.

Should be an interesting day in red deer tomorrow.

From my view here in Ontario, the current Stelmach administration mirrors the Bill Davis Ontario PC administration of a few years abck,, .... Red Tory / Liberal mush!

Pity that Ted Morton was bypassed for STELMACH.

Danielle Smith's Wild Rose Alliance party seems like a breath of fresh air wafting into Alberta... Good on her and her conservative outlook!

Don't forget that he won 72 seats. This is politics, the goal is winning. It will be close, but a massive majority buys a lot of time.

I was watching a thing on TVO I think it was, about sour gas wells in alberta.

the prosperity from oil exploration in that province comes at the expense of countless homesteaders unlucky to have their farm within less than a kilometer from the well head when the hydrogen sulphide gas pops out of the ground like the stench of gangrene.

so much for the Conservative tradition of independence and enterprise.

all fall down and worship Big Oil. all hail the almighty dollar especially in the coffers of Big Oil and SCREW THE CITIZEN THAT GETS IN THE WAY OF PROSPERITY of the province with the buffalo on the flag.

David: agreed. However what us weighing on the minds of at least thirty of that 72 is that if there was a vote today they would be out of a job. Do they want to stick with ed? I think a lot of them do not.

Um curious george, Manitoba has a buffalo on its flag not Alberta. That's OK you can go watch TVO they are such a reliable source of information.

Curious George: TVO airs Gore's movie and michael moore's fliks too. Do you believe what they say too?

"the prosperity from oil exploration in that province comes at the expense of countless homesteaders unlucky to have their farm within less than a kilometer from the well head when the hydrogen sulphide gas pops out of the ground like the stench of gangrene."

As someone who lives between a bunch of sour wells, it's not the problem you folks out east think it is. The real problem is to get the f###wits at Breaker Energy to understand that we don't want them fraccing directly under our well. Makes us nervous, and it's the only water we've got. If they think it's so safe then they can sign the bloody contract saying they'll truck in water for life (with funds set aside in escrow for this) if the well dies within a year of them blasting under it. If they can't, then the f###ers can look forward to more EUB hearings.

I wish like hell that Penn West had the resource rights in our area -- they're decent to deal with. Instead we get knuckle draggers like Breaker. It's the small operators who have to nickel and dime everything that scare the crap out of us.

I know a lot of people who belong to the AB PCs but have also recently joined the WRA. They intend on voting their support of Ed. I think Ed will get over 60% which will be enough, in his mind, to stay on.

I agree with Joe Molnar. The WRP is the answer to the Special Ed problem. When people (esp Albertans) see a solution to a stupid problem, they adopt that solution. Ed will rot in the 'stink' hole, in Alberta, along with PET, crouton and Martin Jr.

Um curious george, Manitoba has a buffalo on its flag not Alberta."

thanks for that correction joe, I realized that a split second after I hit the post button. I notice you dont say what alberta's flag *is*.

as far as the veracity of sources, I tend to cherry pick. you go on now and watch Fox news. they REALLY set the standard eh?

I hope premier rainman sticks around long enough to hand over the reins to Danielle and the WRA. I decided the WRA was getting my vote as soon as Ed and his gang helped themselves to that raise right after the election and called his office to let him know, so they7 shouldn't be too suprised when they are thrown out.

Time for Albertans to take their government back from this now entitled elitist cabal.
What really makes them unforgivable as leaders is the utter incompetence of this group of phony baloney Conservatives.
Socialists passing as 'Moderates" have infiltrated this group a while ago.
Boot em all out. We know have a real alternative with new blood.
JMO

"Don't forget that he won 72 seats."

I suggest you look at how the Liberals lost to the United Farmers of Alberta, how the UFA lost to the Social Credit Party, and how the Socreds lost to the Progressive Conservatives. When the winds of change blow in Alberta NO level of majority is safe ground.

curious, at least Fox allows commentators from all sides and political parties to present their points, not like CBC or CTV that generally only gives the point of view of liberal heavy, liberal medium and liberal light. Tom Clarke for example, has a segment that has an NDP and two Liberals commenting.

Ah, how Calgary misses the days when the oil companies had Ralph Klein in their pockets.

Can't have somebody from north of the Chuck paving the roads and building hospitals for the people of Alberta like Ralphie did. Hang on, didn't Ralphie shut down hospitals?

Oops, got a bit off topic there. Don't you know Alberta's wealth belongs to those who exploit its resources? To heck with everybody else. Yah. Go, Wildrose, go. Let only those who live in Calgary keep all of Alberta's money.

Eddy Getty will survive the vote but not by much. It's close to 3 years before the next election, he has a big majority and time on his side. The bottom line is this. After almost 40 years in power it is time for a change. Democracy is not well delivered in a one party state.

Posted by: curious_george at November 5, 2009 4:57 PM

You're about 100 times more likely to have your life ruined by a pig farm, than a sour gas well. At least the EUB has some control over gas wells.

Sean- What makes you think Penn West is any better than the rest? If you have a problem, it's probably because you had poor representation, when you signed the lease agreement. I doubt that fracturing a production zone, at least 400 meters below your well, will do anything to your water supply. Seismic, and drilling operations are much more risky to water wells.

The linked article states:

"The survey also comes as the government grapples with its controversial handling of the H1N1 flu vaccine, which saw the province assailed for long lineups and few inoculation stations. etc."

I'm on fan of Stelmach, but if this is one of the reasons for his unpopularity, then I do wonder whether Albertan's are not becoming as capricious as any other Canadian voter.

That should have been "I'm no fan..."

Sorry.

Free: you've been sucking on the Alberta PC tit too long to figure out that when the oil companies don't make money, Alberta in whole doesn't make money.

I have a pick and shovel if you want to prove me wrong, or do you expect the government should provide you with the capital(tax money) and equipment to extract, transport, refine, sell, ect.?

I guess it is all too simple for you, eh?

Just squeeze the profitable and they will love you more, eh?

No, Knacker.
set you free just has a psychotic jealousy of Calgary.
He knows that before Mr. Stelmach unilaterally tore up the Alberta government's agreements with the energy companies that the government was posting surpluses of $6-8 billion a year.

Premier Stelmach completed this "Our Fair Share" change in the government's relationship with the energy companies and no one that I know of has seen a penny of "Our Fair Share".
But then, I personally don't know any people that belong to a public sector union in Alberta.

Ed is a nice guy. but not a deep thinker. Hiring the detestable Anne Mclellan for an adviser was a dumb move. Ed being a farmer should know you don't tie up a weasel at the door to the chicken coop. His advisers are as sharp as beach balls.

Bart, in wasn't aware that he hired landslide Annie. That tells volumes about his politics - or lack of them.

Bought my WRA membership yesterday. No point remaining a member of a party that rents itself out to the lib/lefties for the leadership race.
Ed's biggest mistake was reneging on the royalty agreements. Even Shakespeare recognized the importance of commercial/contract trust when when Antonio declares in the Merchant of Venice:
"The duke cannot deny the course of law:
For the commodity that strangers have
With us in Venice, if it be denied,
Will much impeach the justice of his state;
Since that the trade and profit of the city
Consisteth of all nations."
It seems Stelmach denied the course of law, and the justice of his state was much impeached. Now it's time to impeach the duke.

Note to Madasl:

The Fort Hood killer was another moderate Muslim acting in the name of the religion of peace and love.

> Sean- What makes you think Penn West is any
> better than the rest?

I don't know how they are elsewhere, but the folks working for them locally are good people who give their word and stand by it.

> If you have a problem, it's probably because
> you had poor representation, when you signed
> the lease agreement.

Yes, I've noticed this.

> I doubt that fracturing a production zone, at
> least 400 meters below your well, will do
> anything to your water supply. Seismic, and
> drilling operations are much more risky to
> water wells.

That's funny, that's what the community of Bodo was told, just before the village well went sideways. It's been four months and the local oil outfits are all busy dodging responsibility while the local MD fights with residents over the cost of the new well. The residents are having to buy bottled water to drink and shower in something that looks and feels like baby oil.