According to the latest edition of Saturday Night Magazine, Alberta has seized control of the nation.

The magazine attempts to elaborate upon their claim that Alberta economic ascension has led it to become “New Ontario“, challenging for the position of “leading partner of Confederation.”

From what I have gleaned thus far, they seem to be making an argument that Alberta economic influence is overcoming any obstacles it may be encountering politically.

A generation ago, Ontario was an imperturbably Upper Canadian place, deeply mistrustful of radical ideas and populist politics. Today, after more than eight years of the Harris Tories, Ontario’s politics more closely resemble those of the West. Balanced-budget laws, referendums on tax increases �?? these have a distinctly Alberta feel to them (while neither has proven a constraint on Ontario’s Liberals, the party still had to endorse both to get elected). The West wants in? The West is already here.

While the Common Sense Revolution may have in part been an offshoot of the Klein Revolution, unlike in Alberta, it was not sustained and quickly fell out of favor with voters. In this instance, Alberta’s influence was fleeting at best.

Although Alberta may be doing some things right economically, I look forward to seeing how the magazine manages to reconcile the province’s consistent failure to bring about democratic reform federally or their inability to stop Liberal engineering in areas of social and public policy over the past 30 years. To me, this is not the track record of a province who has become the leading partner of Confederation.

In the meantime, you may be interested in participating in their online poll.

Which phrase best describes Alberta Premier Ralph Klein?

a.Right-wing reactionary
b.Responsible budget-balancer
c.Safety-net slasher
d.Man of the people

I choose e) Faux Conservative Liberal poseur.

Crossposted from Dispatches From The Western Alien Nation