The history of Alberta politics has two kinds of leaders: wreckers and builders.
Its deeply rooted populism nurtures bombastic wreckers who attack and demolish the old political order and worn-out parties.
The paradox is that when power has changed hands in Alberta, a new order is secured by builders – less colourful, making fewer headlines.
The builders are people whose purpose in politics is to be a servant to better lives and circumstances for the tens of thousands who make up the democracy.
That may sound like “nanny state” socialism, but the premier whose legacy was this agenda was its most conservative: Ernest C. Manning.
One-third of the way through the autumn sitting of the Alberta legislature, official Opposition Leader Jason Kenney has established his credentials as a wrecker.
According to Kenney, everything that has gone wrong in Alberta over the past four years, is the fault of Premier Rachel Notley and her socialist ideology.
He does not admit the fact that markets, not governments, set the price of oil and low oil prices are the source of Alberta’s economic calamity.
The failures of proposed pipelines to new markets have been determined outside Alberta.
So far, his campaign theme song is a rewrite of a Bing Crosby favourite:
“You've got to accentuate the negative
“Eliminate the positive
“Decline the affirmative
“And never mess with Mister In-Between.”
It’s common sense that angry people are attracted to the United Conservative Party as candidates.
Even with extraordinary efforts to vet these people and throw them out of the party, it remains to be seen what kind of caucus the UCP has following the election.
Meanwhile, Kenney's plan if the UCP forms government is a wrecker’s agenda.
Item one is to jettison Alberta’s $30 per tonne carbon tax. He will have to defend that in the courts.
Then, with other provinces, Alberta will take the Trudeau government to court when it tries to impose a federal carbon tax.
Kenney has a fight back strategy for his enemies list of Alberta oilsands foes that includes the David Suzuki Foundation, Pembina Institute, Greenpeace, the Tides Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation.
Kenney will set up a network of war rooms in Canada and outside the country to monitor and respond, through paid and social media, “to all the lies told about Canada’s energy industry.”
He will commission a special investigation by MLAs “into the sources of foreign funds behind the anti-Alberta special interests."
He will sue to strip charitable status from “bogus charities like Tides Canada and the David Suzuki Foundation” because they have campaigned against oil.
Kenney will also ban foreign money from being spent by “special interests” during Alberta elections.
Enemies lists, war rooms, legal bans, aggressive series of lawsuits with no spending limit and no negotiation.
William Aberhart’s first term as Social Credit premier is cautionary.
He attacked the top two enemies on his list: banks that foreclosed on Depression impoverished farmers and newspapers who criticized him.
Aberhart legislated changes in the administration of banks and the operation of newspapers.
Alberta was taken to court and the bills declared ultra vires (unconstitutional).
Aberhart’s politics of anger didn’t change a thing.
Frank Dabbs is a veteran business and political journalist and author.
