Brexit, Trump, Ontario; all three votes signal that ordinary hard working people have had enough of progressive policies being foisted onto them by authoritarian, out of touch, elites.
Ontarians decisively rejected the high tax, high debt policies of the Liberals and the NDP. I believe this result was also a statement on the many ideological cultural and social policies advanced by these hectoring, nanny-state know-it-alls.
The Ontario PC Party win is a victory for a party who, like the UCP, concentrate on common sense and real world concerns.
Both the NDP and Liberals are more comfortable focusing on minority ideological wedge issues. Issues that provoke debates full of sound and fury purposefully setting one group of Albertans, or Canadians, against another in a constant “victim Olympics”.
These debates are of little significance to the vast majority. The majority are too busy raising their children, performing a solid day’s work and contributing meaningfully to society.
Unhappily, while the in-power Progressives bounce around Tigger-like engaged with these nouvelle vague ephemera the genuine and proper business of Government is crashing and burning or neglected.
Their myopic conceit makes them blind to the fact that they can indulge themselves in this behavior only because the society, with its structures, underlying wealth and Judeo/Christian values, they despise and classify as repressive or unjust, provides them the capacity so to do.
They are “Rebels without a Cause”. Perpetual “Peter Pan” type undergraduates, petulantly interpreting the gilded age they live in as a gilded cage.
Make no mistake, the Ontario result is a bellwether for Alberta. The result humiliated the Ontario Liberals; they lost 51 of their 58 seats. The Alberta NDP currently have 54; previously they held just 4.
Both the Liberals and the NDP believed they could run up deficits, impose higher taxes, impose job-killing regulations and badly interfere with the energy business, resulting in higher prices.
Moreover, we see their potentially ideologically driven activity within the school system. For example, they are determined to rewrite the entire K-12 curriculum in just a couple of years. Previously, the rewrite of the math curriculum alone took 6 years. Fulsome thought and discussion cannot take place in such a short time period. This unseemly, and inherently flawed, rush betrays that they are implement an agenda.
Importantly for Albertan UCP supporters we now have, in Premier Doug Ford, a new and powerful ally opposed to the Federal Carbon Tax to add to Premier Scott Moe and his Saskatchewan Party.
Jason Kenney has stated that, if elected, he will make Bill 1, of an early sitting Legislative Session, the Carbon Tax Repeal Act.
June 7th saw the second anniversary of the imposition of this tax. Some observations:
• The tax was never part of the NDP’s election platform; therefore, it has no popular legitimacy.
• The tax was supposed to obtain “social license” for projects. Yet, 2 of 3 pipelines were kiboshed.
• The tax was supposed to be ring fenced for the environment. It is now an NDP slush fund.
Clearly, when the NDP promise something, they mislead Albertans – and when they do not, it is even worse.
This tax has achieved nothing but make life more expensive for all Albertans. Worse still, it hits lower earners, the vulnerable and Seniors disproportionately harder.
School Divisions are facing hard choices between heating and transport versus teaching posts, Educational Assistants and programs. Kindergarten programs are being scrapped.
Some Senior Centres and non-profit organizations may close or curtail services due to a rise in costs.
55 per cent of household budget costs increased. Their rebate being less (or non-existent) versus the tax increase.
73 per cent of small businesses face increased costs. This, coupled with a compulsory minimum wage increase, is a death sentence for some.
Last week’s Ontario result has reinforced my optimism in our future. If a majority progressive province like Ontario can “go blue” a blue province should, God willing, revert to type.
Yet, no one is counting his or her chickens. The UCP will stay humble, listen to Albertans and produce sensible policies for the many, and not the few.