THE Progressive Conservatives have governed the energy-rich western province of Alberta since 1971, back when Richard Nixon was still in the White House. They have maintained their hold on power by being a “big tent” party with room for a broad range of views and by ditching their leader whenever popular support sags.
The latest to be ousted was Alison Redford, who was forced by her caucus to step down as premier in March and left politics altogether in August following reports that her staff had booked false passengers on government planes so that Ms Redford and her entourage could travel alone. On September 6th party members selected Jim Prentice, a former federal cabinet minister and latterly a vice-chairman of one of Canada’s big banks, to be their next leader and the next premier of Alberta.
Mr Prentice is taking over at a difficult time for the province and the party. The provincial economy is still among the most robust in Canada. It grew by 3.9% last year, compared with the national rate of 2.0%, and the unemployment rate is an enviable 4.9% compared with a national rate of 7.0%. But the economy is dominated by the...Continue reading
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