The Liberal Party of Canada of Alberta

Patrick Ross on the always entertaining Craig Chandler:

Considering the success that the Albertan Progressive Conservative party has enjoyed in recent decades, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone that his comments bear a striking resemblance to the kind of arrogance displayed by Liberals and their supporters when they insist that they are Canada’s natural governing party, and have some sort of monopoly on “Canadian values”.

Of course, Chandler would be the first to protest when the national Liberal Party proclaims itself the one true protector of “Canadian values.” Yet it’s okay for him to make similar claims with respect to Alberta?

Chandler is not bright enough to know it, but immigrants to Alberta are strengthening the small-l liberal bedrock of the province, not weakening it. Immigrants to Alberta who arrive looking for work naturally find it and subsequently attach their success to the province and the ideals that drive public discourse here. Non-conservatives in Alberta are found exactly where you’d expect to find them: Amongst unionized white-collar teachers, nurses, and the gloriously stunted provincial civil service; and concentrated in bohemian inner city neighbourhoods like the ones in Calgary that elected Liberal candidates in the last provincial election. To think that recent immigrants to the province are disproportionately represented amongst these groups is nonsense.

In other words, Alberta is absorbing immigrants into the province’s strong and resilient political culture just fine. Alberta doesn’t need people like Chandler to stick up for it.