Jason Kenney and his United Conservative Party (UCP) candidates have won a resounding election victory, toppling the one-term NDP from power in a tough and sometimes bitter campaign.
Running under the banner “Strong and Free” Kenney has managed to return government power in the province to the conservative side of the political ledger.
“With this election, we begin to stand up for ourselves, for our jobs and for our future,” Kenney said in his victory speech. “Today, we Albertans begin to fight back. From this day forward, whenever you lie about how we produce energy, we will tell the truth assertively and we will use every means at our disposal to hold you to account.”
Now that the UCP has won enough seats to form a majority government, the real work begins.
While Kenney and the UCP will likely move quickly to institute some of their policies and plans, the tough sledding will come when Premier-elect Kenney faces off against his political enemies in other provinces, such as B.C.’s NDP government, and at the federal level against the still-powerful Justin Trudeau Liberals.
In particular, Kenney is in for a very tough, multi-front battle over the pressing issues surrounding resource development and in particular pipelines or the lack thereof.
At home, Kenney must now lead a province deeply divided on several fronts, including over social issues such as gay-straight alliances, LGTBQ rights, and public spending on such things as education and health care.
Jason Kenney has won a great victory under his banner “Strong and Free.” And for that he can be rightly proud and pleased.
What he should know, and know now, is that ordinary Albertans will expect him to represent and protect all citizens, including the many vulnerable individuals and groups faced with intolerance and hatred in this province in 2019.
Premier-elect Kenney must be the leader not only of the strong and free, but also of the threatened and the weak. And should he fail in that vital task, this newly won election victory will profit him nothing.
Dan Singleton is the Mountain View Gazette editor.
