James Albers is a Calgary-based management consultant specializing in leadership developmentWell, the by-elections have come and gone, and we pundits — those inveterate readers of the political tea leaves — are once again left to squint into the dregs and divine what message the voters of Alberta have sent from the ballot box. On first blush, one might reasonably conclude that the status quo remains comfortably ensconced, particularly in the ridings in question.Take Edmonton-Strathcona, for instance, a riding steeped in the rarefied airs of the University of Alberta and adorned with the bureaucratic nobility of the provincial civil service. These are folks convinced, with Socratic certainty, that they know what is best for Joe and Jane Albertan. That they would send to the Legislature Naheed Nenshi — a man of immense self-assurance and even greater affection for central planning — should come as no surprise. Let’s be clear: from this Calgary vantage point, we say, with all due charity, you are most welcome to him. May his speeches be long, his gestures grand, and his time in the chamber a source of great entertainment..Then there’s Edmonton-Ellerslie. A more conventional contest, perhaps, but no less telling. The NDP held firm. No drama, no upset. One might call it a quiet reaffirmation of that party’s durable urban foothold.But for the true connoisseur of political narrative, it was Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills that drew the eye. Here we had some spice — a UCP candidate appointed by Premier Smith, bypassing the grassroots nomination process. That's a touch autocratic for some tastes... Then entered the Alberta Republican Party and its leader, Cam Davies — an upstart, pro-independence voice, offering a new wrinkle in the fabric of Alberta politics.Alas — in my view — the wrinkle did not become a tear. The UCP held, comfortably. The NDP — curiously — came in second (have rural voters forgotten the havoc their last term wrought?) Mr. Davies finished third, albeit a respectable third.What, then, can we conclude?.First, Alberta remains a two-party province in form, if not in feeling. While the alphabet soup of alternatives bubbles gently, the serious votes flowed along familiar channels. The status quo stands. And in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, Premier Smith received what can only be read as a modest nod of approval.This writer agrees with that sentiment — so far.But let’s not mistake conditional support for blind allegiance. Albertans are not asking for leadership in the Ottawa mold — that dreary technocratic managerialism wrapped in bureaucratic gauze. They want leadership with spine. They want protection of liberty, affirmation of livelihood, and someone to tell Ottawa — clearly and without stammer — “This far, no farther.”.Premier Smith, to your credit, you have thus far held that line. But let this be your reminder: public trust is like prairie sunshine — warm when present, gone in a blink. Albertans are watching. The demands you've outlined to Ottawa must not become another talking point shuffled to a dusty backbench. When the clock runs out — and it will — words will no longer suffice. Action must follow.Those Laurentian elites in the East may think they can simply outwait this prairie storm. That independence sentiment is just wind in the grass. But if they, and you, think Albertans will tolerate foot-dragging forever, you underestimate the mood of the moment.The independence movement does not seek to replace the UCP. It would vastly prefer the UCP to lead the charge. But it will move with or without you. As one ancient line reminds us: “You were born for such a time as this.” Decline the role, and someone else will pick up the mantle.So here we stand. The cost-benefit analysis of confederation is underway in households across Alberta. You can guide it — or be overtaken by it.The choice, Premier Smith, is yours.We hope you choose wisely.James Albers is a Calgary-based management consultant specializing in leadership development.
