Sifting through Alberta’s political sands in search of gold has never been more difficult.
On the heels of harsh economic circumstances, and in the wake of uninspired leadership, Albertans want new and better choices.
And they are getting choices, from all points in the political spectrum. If they are new, or better, is up to each Albertan to decide.
Two of Alberta’s prominent political parties (the Conservatives and the Liberals) are in the midst of leadership races that could dramatically alter their fortunes and their platforms.
And two new parties — the Alberta Party, in search of a leader, and Wildrose Alliance, with a forceful, confident leader in Danielle Smith — are busy trying to shape their visions for the province.
From those shifting sands, Albertans are trying to grasp the nuggets. They are looking for information and perspectives to help them make choices. That process includes reading newspapers, for both news stories and opinion about the parties.
And that puts the onus on newspapers. We must fairly represent the news as it relates to the various parties and their representatives. We must also ask the hard questions and give voice to the answers.
But newspapers have another role as well, on the Comment page: to take a step back, examine the issues and the players, and sort the grains of sand from the valuable nuggets. As any Albertans, we are looking for answers. Any perspective we offer in editorials and columns, is just that: our perspective, shaped by our knowledge, our backgrounds, our education.
After the Advocate published an editorial I wrote on Friday (Wildrose’s well-worn path), my perspective has been challenged in public and private. That is both to be expected and welcomed: we need open, honest discourse to find the best path for this province.
But we are months, maybe even two years, away from going to the polls. And part of the process for me, and many readers, involves looking critically at how any party shapes itself, where its roots are and who its leaders are. It’s about understanding their goals, their means to achieve those goals, and the impact on Albertans.
What we see from Wildrose today will not nearly be the finished product, I suspect. As candidates come on board and a platform is built, there will be discussion both publicly and internally about any number of policies. The best-led parties will move from policy vision to pragmatism quickly.
I’m just offering my perspective on where they now stand. And we’ll watch closely to see how Wildrose shapes itself.
It’s just as important, I think, not to commit to — or dismiss — the Conservatives until they have a new leader and we can fairly evaluate that leader’s vision.
How the Liberals and the Alberta Party are reshaped should also weigh on the average voter’s mind.
Only the NDP remain substantially what they always have been. And their ideology is pretty clear, year after year. That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve consideration; just that they are the one fixed spot on the landscape.
Part of critical thinking involves being able to identify problems and evaluate their impact. Part of it is to recognize strengths and their potential for enacting positive change.
No individual or group of people in the political arena is a perfect fit for every voter — we just need to find enough characteristics to give us each some confidence that we’ve made the right choice.
As a voter, I intend to keep looking at all the players. As an editorial writer, I intend to keep pointing out the flaws when I see them, and the positive characteristics when they reveal themselves.
And we should all keep looking for the political nuggets in the sand.
John Stewart is the Advocate’s managing editor.