Redford’s left turn paid off big for Tories

For an election that was ostensibly about change, the final outcome bears a striking resemblance to the status quo.

To suggest that a 12th straight Tory majority represents a change, is to stretch the word to the most outer limits of any acceptable definition.

That’s not to say things haven’t changed here in Alberta, however, as for the first time, the governing Tories now face a strong opposition from a small-c conservative party.

In that sense, perhaps, one could argue that the only voters who truly embraced chance were small-c conservatives.

In its own way, the manner in which yet another Tory majority was orchestrated represented a significant change.

For years, the success of the Progressive Conservative political machine was due to the fact that it had built and maintained a big tent — one that encompassed centre-right and right-wing voters.

The ascension of Alison Redford as Tory leader and the accompanying rise of the Wildrose Party seemed to indicate that the big tent was collapsing.

Polls during the election campaign appeared to be further confirmation that the secret to the Tories’ success lay in tatters and that, in fact, the end to their lengthy reign was at hand.

Clearly that was not the case.

But salvation for the To- ries seemed to come from an unlikely source: left-ofcentre voters.

For years, these same progressives were most vocal in their insistence that the Tory dynasty needed to end, that one-party dominance was bad for democracy, and that something new was needed on the left side of the political spectrum to bring about political renewal in Alberta.

As it turned out, all it took was a slightly left-of-centre Tory leader.

In her campaign for the PC leadership, Redford successfully reached out to those left-of-centre voters who were not typically those to ever show an inclination to take out a Tory membership.

As premier, Redford emphasized, in both word and deed, the progressive in Progressive Conservative. Her campaign was very much in keeping with that, especially her declaration in the closing days of the election that her party had more in common with the Liberals and NDP than it did with the Wildrose Party.

Certainly, Liberal voters seemed to share the sentiment. The Liberal vote collapsed from 26 per cent in 2008 to less than 10 per cent on Monday.

But it wasn’t just Redford’s apparent progressive bona fides that sealed the deal for the PCS, but also the fact that a real fear existed among many progressive voters that the Wildrose Party might in fact form government.

Those fears crystallized after controversial remarks from two Wildrose candidates, which made some wonder just how far right the Wildrose Party really was.

Therein may lay the explanation as to why the polls were so off. Rather than the polls merely being a reflection of how people might vote, the polls were certainly a major factor in how people voted.

And while now progressives can breathe a sigh of relief that they helped to deny victory to the Wildrose, what are they left with beyond that? Will this prove to be a pyrrhic victory for them?

There will be little cause for complaint. We know what Tory governance looks like. If four more years brings four more years of corruption and intimidation, these new supporters of the PCS can hardly claim they didn’t vote for that. You did.

It’s hard to see how rewarding the Tories with another large majority is going to send them a message that they need to change their ways.

Moreover, this election represents a major setback for the other left-wing parties. The NDP did slightly increase their seat count, but the Liberals took a big hit. The Alberta Party is going nowhere.

Ironically, a Wildrose victory would have been a boon to the political left. Now, if the Wildrose can maintain themselves as a strong conservative alternative to the Tories, that further entrenches the PC party on the centre-left.

Progressive voters may have opted for the devil they know, but it’s a pact with the devil nonetheless. Steering the Tory dynasty slightly to the left would appear to be the best the left in Alberta can ever hope for.