Alberta election was closer than many people may realize
By Letter to the Editor on June 21, 2023.
Editor:
The election results were finalized last Thursday, and the recounts were finished. The result was UCP 49 seats, NDP 38. Since the UCP has to appoint a non-voting Speaker, for all legislation it will almost always be 48 UCP against 38 NDP.
It was closer than most people realize. Study these five UCP candidates who narrowly won and look at their margin of victory:
Calgary Bow: 613 votes
 Calgary Cross: 514 votes
 Calgary North West: 143 votes
 Calgary North: 129 votes
Calgary Lougheed: 66 votes
That means that because the UCP had 1465 perfectly placed votes, we are talking about Premier Smith’s cabinet instead of having a 43-43 legislative vote standoff for every bill. And if you factor in Lethbridge east, won by the UCP by 636 votes, 2101 votes kept the NDP out of power.
Observations:
The NDP strategy of not worrying about the popular vote and going for specific ridings almost won it for them.
They went from 24 seats to 38 and are now the largest Official Opposition in the history of Alberta.
No candidate acted liked a Trump Republican and claimed the election was stolen: not the UCP cabinet minister who lost by 25 votes, or the NDP candidate who lost by 66 votes.
In Calgary there are thousands of people who regret not voting.
Percentage of Albertans who voted: 59.5 per cent.
Point 4 is the most disturbing. While some in the UCP camp are quietly smug about winning the election, they too are aware of how close the election was. And among the NDP their frustration is wondering how they could have managed to get 2120 more non voters in strategic ridings to flip the election back to have the NDP in power.
Point 4 is where I have a personal stake. I am in the difficult process of trying to get a person out of an impoverished country dominated by machine gun toting tyrants. This person cannot vote, and should he stand up and ask for democracy, or for women’s rights, he would be in jail in 24 hours, no trial. Although Canada has myriad problems (environmental damage, a history of abuse of First Nations people, health care management and a storm of people with addiction problems) we are still, in a general sense, a democratic land of peace and prosperity.
He would love to live here so he could work, pay taxes and eventually vote and participate in shaping policy.
If you are too unconcerned to spend 20 minutes to vote you are disrespecting our country, and insulting people around the world who cannot vote because of your lazy arrogance.
Allan Wilson
Lethbridge
22-21
Your point four concern is a federal issue. Call up Trudeau and Singh and advise them that you have a person who is dying to come to Canada and will. vote for either of them, be here within a week.
What also factored into this election, were conflicted ‘conservative’ voters who did not want to vote for the UCP, or, the NDP, so they did not vote, at all. They did not feel that there was a ‘progressive’ conservative party to vote for. The UCP is not progressive conservatism, but more, libertarian. It remains as to whether Premier Smith and the UCP, in general, will moderate and become more centrist. What is going on, quietly with the Premier and the UCP behind the scenes, remains, as does the influence by ‘Take Back Alberta.’ There were also those who did vote for the UCP but, knowing that it is not the conservatism that they really wanted, but defaulted back to the ‘same-old’ anyway.
The NDP lost. Theye were rejected by Alberta Voters. If the UCP as flawed as it was could not be beaten, if the NDP could not draw enough support against this party as it stood they are done…finished.
No analysis changes the facts. Close only counts in horseshoes….
Maybe..just maybe…you should consider the merits of working with and trying to improve the government in power…if you only wish to lament what could have been, consider a move to the socialist paradise to the west..if you can afford it…
Very good.
i suppose we can play with numbers and portray what we will with that. the reality is the ucp can ram through whatever the premier’s office wishes. the mlas will do their job, which is doing as they told by the central power, essentially bobble-heading away most of the checks and balances that are supposedly there to limit a runaway govt. the same reality plays out at the federal level every day, year, election.
our issues are real and significant when we wish that we have a real democracy. our democracy is compromised by the extreme influence of big corps and well placed crony oligarchs that have a far more massive voice and influence than the electorate – and they control govt policy while not being at all accountable to the public. add to that the reality of our outdated and undemocratic first past the post approach to elections, which is ok enough with a 2 party system, but in a multiparty system we have each lost the principle of one vote for each person. thus, we get majorities with as little as 38% of the popular vote, able to ram through whatever they wish with little to limit their fancies save for the supreme court…hardly where we should hope to have our democracy most planted.
let us add to the mix that govts now routinely shove out grand omnibus bills, loaded with legislations that have little and nothing at all to do with one another, but allow controversial laws to pass without any or near enough scrutiny. there is much more that undermines true democracy, but suffice it to say, the very idea that the masses still find it democratic is frightening, as they sign off with their illiterate x each election and legitimise the undemocratic system and the historic corruption that comes with every government.
here in alberta, with 53% of the popular vote, we have a ucp party essentailly able to do what it wishes. they fared far less well in our most populated areas, and in fact ran up their majority with outstanding rural support. that said, i would far more readily trust the farmers than the lot we have in power for the next 4 years.
Biff it appears a number of sore losers agree with you. My only query would be ” do you really think Government would function any differenrtly had the dippers won by the same margin? “. Be honest now…not partisan.
I am not at all upset that the 2 major urban centres opted out of representation. Edmonton, in particular, should be left to live its utopian leftist life w/o hindrance from the government, particualry as regards financial rewards. Calgary is on a cusp of decision as to its orientation, having a do nothing mayor and a spineless council…there is still time for them to come to their senses and endorse reality rather than idealism…
We in the rural area…love that term…know where the wealth of this province rests, and that we are under attack from those who seek to kill the golden goose but still expect the eggs.
Id trust the farmers too…and they have spoken and rejected the NDP soundly.
Phillips and her ilk are where they belong…on the outside looking in…
my point is that we accept corruption, a seriously degraded democracy, and awful leadership, that is owned by oligarchs and big corp, far too readily. one of the things that legitimises it all is our vote. if we still went to the polls, but x’d out the entire ballot, we would be sending a powerful but peaceful message. however, it seems there are a good many such as yourself that are satisfied with the scam, and who feel well enough about the actual state of our democrappy. congrats! and may you be so lucky to have a house shoreline to a tailings pond.
lol Biff….shorefront property by a a tailings pond….is that some of the prime low cost housingf land the NDP speak of with such enthusiasm in their zeal to spend everyones money and condemn your great grand kids to repayment of thier follies ?
So I take it you favor the non-voting voter and a government formed by anyone mustering 2 or 3 votes out of thousands…gee no problems there right ?
Biff…corruption is endemic in politics be it tax breaks to corporations or contracts to eastern corporate concerns for “free ” lightbulbs…money makes the world go round.
And yes, I am satisfied but not paranoid and I have seen enough of the NDP in action here and across Canada to know the surest way to destroy an economy and mire yourself in genralational debt is to elect an NDP government….all for no return…if u doubt me, walk thru Galt Gardens and see the NDP experiment on drug policy in action…and then check the figures for the cost on this disaster…and the lives destroyed and lost.
i do appreciate your taking time to provide replies. i get the stupidity of the lightbulbs, as well as the massive waste through corruption and nepotism and woeful bloated govt. i guess, just to simplify as much as i can, i am saying that if we continue to accept the awful state of our political affairs, then not only will we accept the cronyism, corruption, and lack of actual and real democracy, we can continue to watch it get worse. it does not have to be this way – it is this way because people expect it to be so, and accept it to be so. a decent first step would be to stop legitmising what is happening with a vote for any party. no, do not stay away from the polls: as i have stated many times, go and protest with your ballot – “x” the entire thing right out. stop giving the scam your blessing. that would be the peaceful, nice first step. if that does not send enough of a message to start to the right ship, then we had best be ready and able to push back a good bit more.
given your replies to this idea, and that of others, am i correct in my take that supporting the endemic corruption is ok so long as it is one’s preferred team underwriting the sleaze?
Actually Biff I do not support corruption, but I recognize it exists…everywhere and the powers that be had no interest in its elimination…why would they as it is their pockets that get lined first.
I do not see, however, how not voting or spoilng a ballot does a whit of good. No government has ever been formed out of members of the ” none of the above” party and if .00003% of the voters who bother presnt valid ballots then .0003 of the people will decide who governs.
If I wer motivated by self interest I’d be a rabid NDP’r here and federally. Free stuff paid for by someone elses grandkids sounds great….lets change that party name to the GGG…Gimme Gimmie Gimmie.
I prefer to look a bit deeper into the future…and of tbe choices that exist…UCP get my vote. Not because they are perfect in governance…never sd they were…but becuase they do the least damage for the lot.
appreciate the exchange 🙂 just to say, if one casts a vote of support, one is indeed supporting the corruption – again, it is endemic with all parties that have governed in our land. the vote is what legitimises the party that governs. the loudest most peaceful message one can send is to go to the polls, but not legitimise the power of any party.
as one continues with the same old, we get the same old. surely one can understand as much.
wishing you well, and thank you for sharing.
I have voted in every election since I was 18, saying that I’ve had to hold my nose a few times. Which brings me to your last point. What business is of yours whether someone votes or not? You’re free to vote or not vote, right? I may not like the UCP getting the majority but I’ll live.