The Monstrous Harper Cons and their New Albertastan

Holy flying monkey. What a difference a day makes. Up until yesterday Alberta was the Con's favourite province, their shiny Oily Oz.

But then came Rachel Notley as the new Dorothy, and painted it orange.

And now it's their despised Albertastan. 

The normally message-managed Tory caucus emerged for the media's post-mortems Wednesday working through various stages of fear, denial, blame and regret. "It was more like a morgue. Someone said it was like — it's Albertastan now," said Justice Minister Peter MacKay.

And of course the good ol' boys from Big Oil are squealing like hogs, threatening the province with economic ruin. 



Like a reluctant bride forced to the altar, Calgary’s oil and gas industry on Wednesday insisted that the new NDP provincial government declare its intentions — and do it as quickly and as clearly as possible.

And trying to use the stock market as a blunt weapon to try to bludgeon the new government into submission.

On the morning after the election, energy stock prices dropped as financial investors released reports warning that the new government was far more likely than the previous Tory regime to enact regulatory changes that would hurt the industry.

As the Big Business thugs do whenever a progressive party is elected anywhere in the world.

But while it worked for them in places like Pinochet's Chile...



I doubt it will work in Alberta.

Because firstly, I don't think Albertans will be too impressed by the boys from Big Oil threatening their democratic choice, and threatening to walk off with the trough.

Or too pleased to see their beloved province called Albertastan by the Cons.

And secondly, as the Con's ghastly saint Margaret Thatcher once said: "this lady is not for turning."

And neither is this one...



But of course, it's not really surprising the Harper Cons are feeling like rotting corpses in a morgue.

Because Rachel Notley's victory of hope over fear will hurt them. 

The NDP’s majority victory in Alberta has reinforced the federal New Democrats’ claim that their party is ready for prime time nationally. At a minimum, the provincial election has exposed cracks in the walls of the country’s main Conservative fortress.

On Tuesday premier-designate Rachel Notley’s New Democrats won more than 20 ridings with a majority of the vote. Many of those seats were won with 60 per cent support or more. In another half a dozen ridings, the combined score of the NDP and the Liberals added up to more than 50 per cent. Based on those results, a sizeable contingent of Alberta voters does not come across as predisposed to support the federal Conservatives next fall.

Losing too many seats in what was once their base could be fatal for their chances of winning the next election.

And as a bonus, Justin Trudeau's tax plan is clipping the wings of Stephen Harper's flying monkeys.

At the same time, Trudeau is now challenging the Conservatives on their tax-cutting turf. Two days after he unveiled two platform planks — a tax-cut for middle-income earners and an enhanced child benefit retargeted to middle-class families — Conservative spin-doctors are still uncharacteristically struggling to come up with an effective response.

Golly. Dorothy, Dorothy, I mean Rachel, Rachel.

I don't think we'll be in Con Canada much longer.

The winds of change are blowing in our favour.

And slowly but surely the wicked dictator is melting...



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