REDFORD RESIGNS, BUT BUSINESS AS USUAL By Naomi Rankin Alberta premiers come and go as the reigning Progressive Conservatives require more and more spin to maintain credibility with the voters. But the only question that matters - whether the public or the multinationals own and control the oil and gas sector of the Alberta economy - will not be up for debate as the Tories choose their next leader. The previous premier, Ed Stelmach, never the choice of the Calgary/oil sector of the party, was forced out after five years when Tory support dipped along with an economic downturn. The mutiny breathed life into the even more reactionary Wildrose Party. Now a relatively brisk internal power struggle, including the defection of two MLAs and the rumoured meeting of ten to sixteen others to debate following suit, plus the truly comical spectacle of the party leadership putting the premier on a work plan, has forced Alison Redford to resign with only four days notice after less than three years. Tories complained of Redfords high‑handedness, and public criticism focussed on her lavish travel expenses. In fact, a coup in a capitalist party is always about the expected unelectability of the current leader in the next provincial election. In Redfords case it arises from her harsh treatment of public employees, and cuts to social spending ‑ not because the Conservatives dont agree with these policies, but because such extreme right‑wing measures reduced the possibility of once again spooking the majority of urban voters into voting Conservative to avoid the more terrifying possibility of a Wildrose government. Through the period of the Tory dynasty in Alberta the two major cities, Edmonton and Calgary, have not only increased in population, but have become more cosmopolitan through immigration and through the weakening of social and ideological ties to Albertas agricultural roots. This is reflected in the relative strength of Liberal support in corporate headquarter Calgary, and NDP support in the somewhat more industrial Edmonton. The Tories have been able to command large majorities for decades from a combination of the social conservatism of rural Alberta and the lop‑sided economic development arising from the energy sector. Alberta is essentially a one‑industry province controlled by large multi‑nationals, with very little local industrial base to generate either competing capitalist interests or any offsetting strength in the union movement. But the source of their majorities could also become the source of their decline, as the Wildrose Party challenges for dominance in the rural areas and their capacity to seduce working class voters is limited by their corporate allegiances. I will never apologize for selling Alberta to the world, going where we needed to to find new customers and get fairer prices for our products, were Redfords almost final words as premier of Alberta. After all, its really hard to get anybody to buy oil and gas. And the price varies so much with nuances of styling. (The above article is from the April 1-15, 2014, issue of Peoples Voice, Canadas leading socialist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to Peoples Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 15:03:59 +0000
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