Last night, Premier-Elect Rachel Notley and the entire Alberta NDP made history with a victory over the Alberta PC party that has been in power in that province for 44 years. The NDP won 53 seats in the 87-seat legislature, with Wild Rose winning 21 seats to become the official opposition, and the PC picking up just 10. This was a significant change from only four weeks ago. When then-Premier Jim Prentice called the election on April 7, the PCs held 70 seats in the legislature, while Wild Rose held 5 and the NDP held just 4.
In electing a new governing party for the first time in more than four decades, Albertans rejected a party that has held 13 consecutive majority governments, signifying that they are ready for a change. Significantly, the PCs campaigned primarily on their recently-proposed budget, which included cutting 2, 016 public sector jobs, and no increase in corporate taxes. That platform was rejected by Alberta voters. The NDP countered that proposal with one of their own – a promise to raise the corporate tax rate 2%, raise taxes on those with the highest-incomes, and increase funding for the province’s schools and hospitals. THAT is what Albertans voted for. Let’s hope this is just the beginning of what is to come!
