So ATB Financial economist Todd Hirsch stated last week it looks like all of 2016 is going to be more recession. Big surprise, apparently.
Another big surprise that’s apparently catching some people off guard is that many Albertans are not happy about the current economic climate. In fact, in the aftermath of the Bill 6 farm workers legislation gaffe there’s open talk of somehow, someway removing the democratically elected NDP government from power.
Last week social media was abuzz after an Edmonton TV station’s Facebook page featured an argument between pro- and anti-NDP’ers, and one commenter who was obviously not fond of the current provincial government stated citizens should perhaps consider a “kudetah” to remove the NDP. Hilarity ensued. The poster obviously meant “coup d'état,” a French term which means an armed effort to remove a regime from power.
Wetaskiwin and Leduc residents may have also noticed events organized by a group calling themselves “Stand Up For Alberta.” Some events have been organized in this region to raise funds for SUFA, which is apparently a protest group aimed at calling attention to mistakes or bad governance from the ruling NDP party. If you check out SUFA’s website, www.standupforalberta.org, not a lot of detail is available about who’s running this effort other than a Drumheller box number, although if you click the “Media” header some videos of SUFA supporters are available, including some labeled as “Rebel Media Coverage.” The Rebel Media is an opinion website run Ezra Levant, a well-known right-wing Sun News personality.
Even more to the point, there’s been some talk about recall legislation in an effort to, in essence, get the NDP kicked out of office somehow. Okay, the thought or suggestion of treason is one thing, but examining the record of the government is another. Has the current provincial government earned disrespect, even outright antipathy?
Looking at the NDP’s track record since last spring, it appears that, despite claiming during the provincial election they were the best option to govern the province, they appear to be simply checking off a list of left-wing dogma laws. Closing coal plants, introducing a carbon tax, opening the agriculture industry to organized labor, Premier Rachel Notley applauding President Barack Obama’s ditching the Keystone XL pipeline and even the time and attention being spent on sexual orientation rules in schools seem to suggest that, just in the few months since Notley came to power, the party is not necessarily governing Alberta, but rather putting into law the NDP manifesto.
But talking about armed revolt and recall legislation is icing on a certain type of cake called “absolute lunacy.”
Firstly, the NDP, love them or hate them, were democratically elected. The will of the electorate must be respected.
Second, the NDP have a massive majority in the legislature; recall laws must be approved by the NDP, who are not stupid enough to make laws intending to force them out of office.
No, the reality is that Albertans have to behave like adults, accept reality that a provincial election is about three years away and embrace a certain philosophy, as this Hour Has 22 Minutes host Rick Mercer likes to say…“May we get the government we deserve.”