It's early, however the campaign for the next general election in Alberta started when Jason Kenney was elected the leader of the United Conservative Party.
There will be two opposing political narratives of Alberta's future on offer until voting day, expected in 2019.
There is the NDP's narrative. Premier Rachel Notley defined it at the NDP caucus meeting on Oct. 30.
"Two years ago when Albertans elected us, the economy was in free fall. The collapse in oil prices exposed how reckless the old government had been in putting the short-term demands of their friends ahead the long-term well-being of all Albertans, leaving us all less secure," Notley said.
"From the very start we refused to make a bad situation worse by firing teachers and nurses and making panicked cuts that would have hurt our kids, hurt our loved ones in hospitals and damaged the economic recovery.
"We took action to protect and create jobs. We built new roads, hospitals and schools, all of which had been ignored by the old government.
"Kenney and the UCP caucus have opposed almost any change that this government has made. They insist that we go backward to policies that Albertans rejected in the last election.
"So my friends, in this session we will stand up against the UCP job-killing, climate-change-denying, school-cutting, health-privatizing, backward-looking, hope-destroying, divisive agenda.
"We stand for a more hopeful, inclusive, caring and prosperous Alberta for all our citizens, not just the few," the premier concluded.
Jason Kenney gave his version in his speech accepting the UCP leadership:
"United, we send a message to all Albertans who are struggling. To the 200,000 who are unemployed. To the tens of thousands who have given up looking for work or who have left the province.
"Friends, we are one step closer to a government that will stand up and defend our province from the growing attacks against our resources and our economy.
"If we work hard, stay humble and earn every vote, we will ensure that this deceptive, divisive, debt-quadrupling, tax-hiking, job-killing accident of a socialist government is one and done."
The 2019 election promises to be a contest of equals for the first time since Liberal Laurence Decore challenged Premier Don Getty 30 years ago.
Rachel Notley and Jason Kenney are both articulate, effective and accomplished.
Alberta has never had a common political mind, in spite of long-lived UFA, Social Credit and Progressive Conservative governing dynasties.
In the 44 years of its regime, the PCs were elected with a minority of the popular vote five times, in 1971,1989, 1993, 2008 and 2012.
What Alberta will have in 2019 are two contending leaders of equal merit.
In 2015, the NDP won the majority of seats with a minority (40 per cent) of the vote.
No reason to believe that in 2019 the winning party, NDP or UCP, will need a majority vote.
As Preston Manning said last week, "We are at a crossroads."
Frank Dabbs is a veteran political and business journalist, author and editor of several books and is working this autumn on the history of Trimac Transportation and the McCaig family of Calgary.
