Betrayal Leads to Low Voter Turnout
Commentators are explaining the massive Conservative majority and the
poor voter turnout by suggesting there weren't alternatives to the
Conservatives. This explanation is only available if the two results,
Conservative majority and low voter turnout are considered to have the
same cause.
Clearly, there were credible candidates and alternatives. More than 40%
of Albertans felt strongly enough about the candidates and the issues to
vote. The silliest argument for the outcome is that Taft and Mason
lacked charisma. I challenge anyone to find a description of Stelmach
as charismatic before the vote was counted. Candidates, platforms, and
campaigns don't explain the voter turnout.

The logical explanation for the low voter turnout is the belief that
voting is a pointless exercise. Decades of betrayal of the electorate
by winning parties suggests that those who stay home are the rational
citizens. My memory only goes back to Stanfield's defeat over wage and
price controls and Trudeau's rapid introduction of the same. There is
the Liberal Red Book; the Conservative mandate to implement free trade;
eliminating the GST. I'm sure everyone has their favourite promise
broken or surprise mandate. There isn't a government elected in the
last 30 years that hasn't broken promises or claimed electing them gave
a mandate to implement obscure and unpopular policies. How many
Albertans voted conservative because they wanted electrical
deregulation, private health care, to be shut out of regulatory
hearings, or the environmental disaster in the oil sands.

After decades of governments telling citizens what they want to hear and
then governing and interpreting being elected as a mandate for any
action it chooses, sane people stop participating. The most effective
thing that the Conservatives and Ed Stelmach can do to improve voter
turnout is to keep their promises to Albertans and govern on behalf of
all Albertans, not just the 22% who elected them.

However there are signs that this won't happen. Despite assurances that
a variety of user groups would have expenses covered to appear before
the Alberta Utilities Commission, made to assure opponents of Bill 46
the practice would continue, the Utilities Consumer Advocate has already
written to the Board saying that UCA should represent all user groups at
the Board hearings and don't expect to be welcome at pipeline and
transmission hearings unless you own the land in front of the bulldozer.
Despite being told the Third Way is dead, Ron Liepert is citing the
Mazankowski and Graydon reports, which advocated market solutions and
reduced coverage, as the basis of his proposed health care solutions.
Despite promising to raise royalty rates beginning in 2009 there are
signs (fine tuning needed, the Syncrude contract) that increases will be
less than promised. And despite promises to eliminate health care
premiums and fund the teachers pension liability and memorandum, Iris
Evans is saying there is not enough money to fund the promises made
during the election campaign.

The conservatives were given a mandate to meet Alberta's infrastructure
needs; improve the health care system (not shift costs to individuals);
ensure Albertans a fair share of resource revenues; improve and maintain
the opportunities for citizen participation; and maintain and improve
public education. So far it looks like promises are just that, the
smoke and mirrors needed to get elected. If Albertans are expected to
vote, that vote must have meaning.
- posted by Larry @ 1:30 p.m.