Quote:
Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague
But this appears to be her central point.
This is wrong. Not that they deserved to lose, but that the "accident" somehow ignores that fact. The NDP were elected because they were an alternative to a government that deserved to lose - they happened to be there, so in its haste to get away from the corrupt PCs, Alberta pointed at them. They could have pointed at anyone. That's what's meant by an "accidental government".
I would prefer the term "cutting off your nose to spite your face government" as being more descriptive, but it doesn't roll off the tongue quite as well.
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I think there is some nuance here. I agree with some of what you say here. There was certainly circumstance that led to an unusual election of an NDP government, especially a majority one that emanated from a caucus of 4.
But "accidental" is way too strong a term here and I understand why people take umbrage to it. First, it is pretty explicitly claiming that what Albertans did was NOT purposeful. Were the NDP, at the time, the most sensible alternative? Yes. Did people vote blindly not knowing the kind of government they were about to elect? Absolutely not. Notley presented a competent, largely pragmatic face to that party. Arguably she has governed quite pragmatically.
The second thing is that it play into this assumption of an "natural governing party" or ideology of this place. The PCs took up a huge swath of the spectrum - that's how dynasties function. Lougheed explained this endlessly. It's also the sentiment here in Alberta so many despise about the federal liberals - who we view as arrogantly and overtly expressing that they are the "natural governing party" and any time conservatives come along, it's just us veering off course, temporarily. When Liberal are elected, it's back to the natural order - Central Canadian liberals - real Canadians, not the hinterlands controlling our country. We hate that. But somehow that exact sentiment, about conservatives at home, is okay? That's what this seems to be driving at.