Government is supposedly a mix of the dignified and the effective: This according to political theorist Walter Bagehot, who literally wrote the book on the constitution..As swearings-in go, the ceremony by which Danielle Smith became Premier of Alberta was a modest exercise of the dignified. Roughly 90 people gathered in the intimate splendour of the dining room in Edmonton’s Government House: Friends, family, a sizeable cohort from the UCP caucus. The atmosphere was cordial, but suitably awed; friendly but very aware of the moment and historians will footnote a woman premier of Alberta had just been sworn in by another woman on the authority of a king, and isn’t there just a first time for everything?.If anybody remembered the king’s representative in Alberta, the Honourable Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of the province, had within the last six weeks mused openly about her role as a ‘constitutional fire extinguisher,’ nobody mentioned it..Nor was anybody much concerned that outgoing premier Kenney was still complaining on national television that ‘fringe, anger-motivated politics was taking hold of conservatism in Canada.’.Well, yes. Anger, after all, was what propelled Jason Kenney to Government House himself three and-a-half years ago. Had he satisfied it by a more vigorous prosecution of Alberta’s gripe with Ottawa, he’d still be premier and we wouldn’t have all been gathered at Government House this morning to see Danielle Smith accept his job. And there's this to be said about anger: When it is directed at constitutional unfairness, or at governments that seem too quick to suppress personal freedoms, it is not so much wrong, as a moral obligation..If as Kenney says the party was “taken over,” it was likely by conservatives who hadn’t bothered to buy memberships until they realized the party they thought was speaking for them, wasn’t..For these, Smith said this in her acceptance remarks, “Freedom is foundational. Albertans have been through so much over these last two and-a-half years. Our rights and freedoms have been tested. I will ensure as head of this government those rights and freedoms are protected and will never be taken for granted again.”.This was business, or as Bagehot defined it, government’s effective function..In a premiership that's barely a single press conference old, it's risky to jump to conclusions. However, those who say Premier Smith will forget some of her campaign promises — that she will ‘pivot’ — will have to wait a little longer for validation. For she continued, “Together we will stand up to defend Albertans’ Charter rights as well as defend Alberta’s exclusive rights over our areas of provincial jurisdiction, which are enumerated clearly in Canada’s Constitution.”.The Sovereignty Act, then. Up front. Top of mind..However, even though she may not pivot, she may still talk a different language for a while. And needs to..Those conservatives who needed to hear a strong, well-articulated defence of free market principles and Alberta’s legitimate expectations, have heard what they needed to hear during the leadership campaign. They are with her..But there’s another constituency she needs..It is time now to talk to people who don’t read the opinion pages, who wouldn’t know a libertarian (which Smith claims to be) from an ‘authoritarian populist’ (which is what the left wants to call her,) and might be attracted by the NDP’s politics of endless promises..In other words, it’s time to put the policy wonks in the drawer for now and to speak a different language to a different audience that switches off when they even hear the word policy, but still recognizes decency, fairness and character..After addressing the ‘anger issues,’ Smith went on, “But we will also demonstrate the compassion Albertans expect of us by ensuring the vulnerable among us and our seniors, have more of the necessities of life during this time of inflation, and that our children have the support they need.”.She added her government had to address the mental health crisis, to help people on the streets who felt that had place to turn, and that Albertans had heart and compassion “the size of their mountains” and demanded a government that respected that..After seven years on the radio, everybody knows Smith has gravitas. But can she be credible on the compassion front? We shall see..It's unfortunate none of the other leadership contestants were among the caucus gathered at Government House this morning. With the party’s annual general meeting fast approaching, it would have been a step towards defeating the NDP if they had. We will see who accepts a cabinet post..One thing about politicians, though: If they think you can win, they will stay with you. They want their seats..To this point, radio talk shows are a happy hunting ground for guests who are there because they have strong opinions. Some are obnoxious. One thing Smith revealed on her show was she had tact to turn the charge, humility (hard-earned but abundant) and an ability to listen and well … compassion..This sells well to struggling voters and colleagues whose pride has been wounded..The soft approach is a winning strategy..It may be what we’re about to get.
