Should voters fear new & untested parties?

One of the primary arguments used by incumbent governments is “better the devil you know than an unknown devil”.  By implication, the unknown is ‘devilish’.  In politics, that means any party except the incumbent governing party is not to be trusted with the keys to the kingdom.  The risk, it is said, is too great.  Certainly, this argument is habitually made by the P.C. Party in Alberta, and it will be made again in the current campaign.

History, especially Alberta’s history, suggests otherwise.

Albertans should consider that in the 1917 provincial general election the United Farmers of Alberta were not a factor.  They didn’t run any candidates and they didn’t elect any M.L.A.s.  For years later (1921) they formed a majority government.  All the M.L.A.s and Cabinet Ministers (including the Premier) lacked legislative experience.  Yet the U.F.A governed well for 14 years, during which time they negotiated the transfer of ownership of natural resources from the federal government to the province.  Perhaps Albertans should be eternally grateful that they took a chance on an untested Party to form a new government when changing circumstances demanded new imagination and vigor.

Something similar happened in Alberta again.  In the 1930 provincial general election the Social Credit Party was not a factor.  They didn’t run any candidates and they didn’t elect any M.L.A.s.  Four years later they formed a majority government and completely obliterated the incumbent (U.F.A.) government in the process.  In the aftermath of that first election victory, all the M.L.A.s and Cabinet Ministers (including the Premier) lacked legislative experience.  The Social Credit Party went on to win eight more consecutive provincial general elections.

Something similar happened in Alberta again.  In the 1967 provincial general election the Progressive Conservative Party won 6 seats and emerged from the election as the Official Opposition.  In 1971 they elected 49 members and formed a majority government.  They went on to win another 11 general elections.  Including their first election (1971) they are now facing their 13th as the incumbent government.  (Perhaps 13 will be lucky for Albertans.)

The evidence is that ‘new’ parties can — and do — form effective governments that perform well enough to be re-elected.  The evidence is that the ‘unknowns’ who are nominated by non-government parties have every bit as much capacity as the ‘stars’ who are nominated by governing parties.

Albertans should not take for granted that some candidates are competent simply because they are nominated by the government party (or named by the Premier).  More important, Albertans should not take for granted that other candidates are not competent simply because they are nominated by a non-government party.  Some competent Albertans of character would be nominated by another party and refuse the nomination of the government party, on the basis of its recent track record.

In every election, in this election particularly, it is important to look behind the party labels, and learn about the character of individual candidates.  To be a police chief or a reporter for a national newspaper is an accomplishment, but as Julian Fantano and Mike Duffy have demonstrated, being a police chief does not necessarily make a good cabinet minister.  Being a nationally famous reporter does not necessarily make a good politician.

Albertans should look beyond the superficial and learn everything they can about the character of the candidates.  Who has a history of belonging to service clubs, church groups, school advisory councils?  Who has successfully played on the team that got the neighbourhood playground built, or the community curling rink?  Who has a reputation among neighbours for integrity even in the dark?  Who speaks truth to power, even when the power is the party leader?

Historically, Albertans have trusted their ‘untried’ neighbours in difficult times, and they have been well-rewarded.  It is a history worth keeping in mind in 2015.  It is time for Albertans to do a different risk assessment when considering the possible outcome(s) of the upcoming election.  Perhaps Albertans would be eternally grateful that they took a chance on an untested Party to form a new government when changing circumstances demanded new imagination and vigor.

13 Comments


  1. Thanks for the perspective Dave. There is what I call a Catch 23 in politics & governing. The skills it takes to get the job are very different from those needed to do the job.

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