Some really important fodder here for my upcoming appearance on @WestofCentreCBC that I believe @trevortombe and @JLisaYoung have agreed to join.

A preview of some arguments I intend to make...

Thread. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cbc-news-poll-alberta-political-polarization-1.5627529

Let’s start with Ralph Klein (who’s government I had the enormous privilege of working for).

Ralph’s governments (especially the early ones) combined rural sensitivities with an understanding and respect for the central role the oil and gas industry played in Calgary.

Neither force was particularly ideological. Rural Albertans wanted public banking and electricity. The energy sector enjoyed a close partnership with government.

The PC Party was more centre than right. Ralph was the glue between rural sensitivity and the Calgary energy patch.

(Short aside) Alberta’s 1990s deficit reduction was not ideological. The 1993 election saw the Liberals run on “brutal cuts” and the PCs on “massive cuts”.

There was consensus.

Sure, there were some ideological Ministers (West, Day) but deficit reduction was not ideological.

2006 saw a pivotal leadership contest. Jim Dinning (I was part of that campaign) represented Calgary and Stelmach represented rural sensitivity.

Ted Morton came along and tried to create an ideological Conservative Party in the Stephen Harper mold.

The winner, Ed Stelmach then proceeded to sew fissures into the party, but not in the way most people think.

Stelmach’s paired his rural sensitivity with Toronto-based campaign advisors and ran against Calgary and the energy industry with his “fair deal” royalty review.

Stelmach drove a wedge between the regional bases of the party - pitting its rural base against its Calgary base.

This was misunderstood by those who rode the Wildrose bandwagon who thought the party was split on ideological grounds, not regional ones.

As Redford went left and Smith went right they split both sides of the Ralph Klein coalition - Calgary and rural - making it possible an Edmonton party to form government.

Which Notley proceeded to do.

My lesson from all this?

Alberta politics are not primarily ideological. They are primarily regional.

And (another thread for another time) this is also true nationally. Albertans are western Canadians first not conservatives first - if they are conservative at all...