Alberta old boys look for puppet as Ralph Klein’s regime stalls
A group of in-bred political insiders in the provincial Progressive Conservative hierarchy are working behind the scenes to prevent Premier Ralph Klein from suffering a huge humiliation come the next Progressive Conservative convention.
These people want to thwart rank-and-file party members—and even Albertans as a whole—and make us victims of a huge charade.
Klein is supposed to face a secret ballot on a leadership review at the March 31 Calgary convention.
At the last three votes, the premier never received less than 90% support.
Chances of such adoration occurring again are slight. Let’s say non-existent.
Bluntly put, Ralph has outstayed his welcome.
It’s the Jean Chretien syndrome—although Chretien actually did see the writing on the wall and quit before his own humiliation.
Klein says he plans to go voluntarily in 2007, but that’s a long wait for those chomping for the leadership themselves.
And for working Albertans tired of a regime refusing to give them tax cuts while racking up multi-billion-dollar surpluses.
Tired, too, of a government having more employees on a per capita basis than any other government in the nation, including Ottawa, and spending more per capita than any other government, again including Ottawa.
Tired also of a government giving 27% pay boosts to already lavishly-paid civil servants and huge severance packages to jaded MLAs.
This is the gameplan of the inner circle which wants to keep their fat paycheques and benefits coming and ease one of their own pliable candidates into the premier’s chair:
Because Klein has already handed in his notice—well, so to speak, that is—they are conniving to persuade delegates a leadership review vote isn’t needed.
Just a waste of time.
This means Klein and his entourage of well-heeled advisers get to continue to ride the comfort train and are given more time to grease the way to get their own person elected.
You can bet that person won’t be former provincial treasurer and leadership frontrunner Jim Dinning, who sits out the weeks appalled at what has happened to this government.
Just like the rest of us.
Which leadership candidates do the insiders believe are malleable and who would continue the gravy train for them, although certainly not for us?
Well, there’s International and Intergovernmental Relations Minister Ed Stelmach, a likable individual, but a man with little speaking ability, little presence, little profile, and little charisma, but who can be pretty much remote-controlled by the power elite.
Yes, the congenial Stelmach would be an easy puppet for the old boys’ network.
Then there’s Mark Norris.
Mark Norris who?
Why, he’s the one-term MLA and one-time cabinet minister who was knocked off in the last provincial election by a political unknown flying the Liberal banner.
Norris had even been given the Economic Development and Trade (EDT) portfolio—known humourously as the “Eat, Drink and Travel” portfolio.
Yet, Norris, who with the best high-profile job in government, and who couldn’t even hold his own seat, now expects to lead the entire province.
Maybe he’d hand not only his own seat over to the Grits but the entire government.
Then there’s Advanced Education Minister Dave Hancock, admittedly a smart fellow, but who is so far left he makes even former federal Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark look like a right-winger.
Hancock could easily slip right into the New Democrats and clasp the socialists to him without hardly flinching.
He’d collapse Conservative support in Calgary—and might well hand over rural Alberta to the Alberta Alliance.
Great for the Alberta Alliance—not so good for the PCs.
No member of this troika has any real support within the PC caucus, which means there would be open warfare between various factions, particularly with MLAs knowing unelected backroom boys in the premier’s office would be calling the shots.
Here, one has to wonder, why Colleen Klein—Dr. Colleen Klein as she is now fond of being known—doesn’t tell her hubby it’s time to move on.
Right now.
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