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Editorial: Beware political upstarts bearing gifts
Commentary by Mac Olsen
for South Peace News
Premier Ed Stelmach seems to be out of touch with mainstream Alberta, given that some Tories have flocked to groups such as the Wildrose Alliance Party.
Stelmach has earned the wrath of many Albertans because of some unpopular decisions, such as cutting education funding, although he has had to back on those issues down due to public pressure.
But the Liberals and New Democrats, it seems, have been unable to capitalize on the premier’s unpopularity. They are viewed with suspicion or are interpreted as the political parties of yesterday – a spent force without any hope of rejuvenation and restored legitimacy – and well they should.
Where does that leave those in the political spectrum, especially the centre-right and centre-left? In chaos, disengaged or disenchanted, and some political upstarts are planning to capitalize on it, if they can.
Reboot Alberta, founded by Ken Chapman, and the Alberta Party want your vote.
However, beware of political upstarts bearing gifts, at least initially.
A check of www.rebootalberta.com reveals references to the word “progressive,” which should mean “changing for the better” if I understand it right.
But, under the “What’s a Progressive? Building the Alberta the World Needs by Stephen Murgatroyd” tab, no mention is made of the group’s ideological foundation. They only throw rhetorical daggers at the incumbent government and don’t have even an inkling of their political platform posted on their website. They merely fall back on the standard disclaimer about the need to get involved.
“Conversations lead to game changing actions. Contribute to the conversations and press for positive actions,” is found on their website. But as the old saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and so far I don’t see any action on the part of Chapman or his followers.
Plus, like other social media websites, they have the usual blogging and “post your comments” on their site. As I said previously, I’m not a fan of social media websites. They aren’t a legitimate form of social interaction and if I wanted to join Reboot Alberta, my preference would be for the face-to-face meetings like Reboot Alberta 2.0 in Kananaskis Feb. 26-28. You can get a sense of the leadership and membership that way, what they stand for, etc.
I’m also wary of the Alberta Party, which has come out of nowhere and has no political platform. Instead, they held “The Big Listen” at a home in Edmonton March 4, and Edwin Erickson is their leader. From that meeting, they are set to hold 50 meetings in each constituency across the province. After this, they will hold a policy convention and leadership race.
Excuse me, but isn’t that like building the chassis and body shell of a car or truck, but without installing a transmission and engine? Isn’t that like putting the cart before the horse?
So, if you receive an e-mail about being encouraged to join a political upstart group like these, or are encouraged to attend a meeting, twist the thumbscrews on them.
What do they stand for? Where do they firmly – and I mean, firmly – place themselves ideologically in the political spectrum? Can you get a bona fide copy of their political platform and constitution? When and where will their face-to-face meetings be held and are they open to the general public?
If they are reluctant to answer these questions, or beat around the bush, then it sounds too good to be true.
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