Correction: Alberta debt figure corrected from $142 billion debt based on albertadebtclock.ca to $80 billion based on budget documents..I suppose it was inevitable. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's revolutionary new government is showing increasing signs of adapting to the traditional Canadian politics of a more bland, milquetoast centrism. .There were signs of it early on, as the vaunted Sovereignty Act was watered down from its original defiant purpose into the largely symbolic 'Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act'. It felt good to pass the bill as a metaphorical middle finger to Ottawa, but most of us knew in our guts that it represented a significant climb down from the legislation as it was originally proposed. .But as they say, politics is the art of the possible. And with the Kenneyite and squishy wing(s) of the caucus promising open revolt against Smith, it was likely inevitable that a lot of water would be poured into that wine. .But more came. Enshrining the right to medical self-determination (i.e., refuse mandatory vaccination) was dropped from Smith's marquee leadership campaign promises. .Yesterday's budget also contained a lot of water in the wine. .Fuelled by record resource revenues and modest restraint in spending increases since 2019, the red ink that has stained Alberta's books since Ed Stelmach's ill-fated premiership was washed away in a detergent of black gold. There will be some sizeable repayment on Alberta's $80 billion debt, but most of the surplus's hard numbers are targeted at new spending. .Finance Minster Travis Toews said, “Now that gives us the ability to move spending up, prioritize and fund key priorities of Albertans, and right now we are really facing an affordability challenge that’s been unprecedented in recent time.".There is this to be said for Smith's first budget: At least the energy-dependent revenue projections were sensible, as discussed by the Western Standard's business reporter, Shaun Polczer..Otherwise though, it's a budget largely designed to buy votes ahead of the scheduled May 29 election. Most governments do it. It's a long-standing democratic tradition to bribe people with their own money, and an almost irresistible temptation for an incumbent government with the power to do it. It's to be expected. .But the Charlie Brown in me was hoping — just this once — that maybe things were truly different this time. But that's what I get for getting my hopes up. .However, the real kicker — only indirectly alluded to — buried in the budget, is that the UCP may have killed off ideas for an Alberta police force, independent of Ottawa's RCMP. In an interview with Global Edmonton's Dale Smith, Toews was asked if an Alberta police force was "off the table" since there was no money budgeted for it. Toews spent about a minute not answering the question before the reporter repeated the question for him. ."So is that a yes, is it [an Alberta police force] off the table?"."It's off the table. It's not been budgeted in this plan. The minster of public safety is engaging Albertans with the question." .So, that's it? The Alberta police force — supported by both Smith and Toews in the UCP leadership race — has been unceremoniously swiped "off the table"? .Maybe. The office of Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services told the Western Standard 12 hours later that Toews "mis-spoke." So, it's back on the table? Was never off the table? That was water-cooler conversation because it was expensive and they wanted the money for something else, but it's still the plan? .Let's say we believe them. Because, if we didn't, we would say it would be wildly incongruent with the raisons d'être of the Smith government's mission of pushing Ottawa back into its own lane. Think about it. Leaving the federal government in charge of policing will leave the RCMP free to charge innocent men like Eddie Maurice who defend themselves and their property, snatch Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich back to Ottawa, and arrest or steal the firearms of Alberta gun owners when Trudeau's latest confiscation plans swing into action. .It would be surrendering a clear area of Alberta's jurisdiction to Ottawa — without even getting anything in return. .There is a glimmer of hope that all is not lost on this front. Another well-placed source in the government tells the Western Standard that Toews overstated things, and that the Alberta Sheriffs are being built-out to provide regional policing as an alternative. Maybe this means that the Alberta Sheriffs will become enlarged enough to replace the RCMP. More likely however is that Alberta will have a patchwork of policing, with cities retaining their existing forces, while rural and small urban centres covered by a combination of the RCMP and Alberta Sheriffs. .But, this would still leave the RCMP stationed on Alberta soil, ready to execute Ottawa's will on command. .Compromises abound on the principles of grassroots party democracy as well. Former Kenney right-hand-man Jason Nixon was handed his UCP nomination without a democratic vote being allowed in Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre before Smith was elected leader. Since then, half the UCP's Alberta board and nearly the entire local board in the constituency have been turned over with new members demanding that a democratic vote be allowed for the nomination. But a caucus revolt squashed the movement, meaning Nixon will carry the party's banner into the next election in a safe seat without a single party member in that riding being allowed to cast a ballot. .Smith was made leader of the UCP with a clear mission, and she probably still has the fire in her belly to do it. But there are signs that compromises in this government are going disproportionately one way.
