Rural Vision Concept Paper

Making Room for a Rural Voice: A Discussion Paper

Let’s face it, the UCP was a great idea on paper that has not worked out in practice.

Under Jason Kenney the party has turned away from the rural values and policies that propelled the UCP to victory in 2019.

The government has failed to control spending, reduce the size of government, or make up an inch of progress in its fight for a fair deal with Ottawa. Instead, the Kenney government has adopted Ontario-style economic policies, dumping billions into corporate welfare and other risky investments, while driving our provincial debt over

$100 billion.

The UCP’s sharp left turn came with a crack down on party discipline, forcing rural MLAs into silence on key issues like pandemic restrictions, vaccine passports, government finances, and rural healthcare. Without an effective voice at the heart of government, many rural Albertans rightly recognize that this government has abandoned them in favor of chasing urban votes.

“Now, more than ever before, rural Albertans need a truly rural voice at the center of our democratic debate to defend our interests. The UCP is moving in the opposite direction.”

As such, it should come as no surprise that more and more rural Albertans are abandoning the UCP, setting the government up for a certain loss in the rapidly approaching 2023 election. The Premier who famously told his caucus, “I want a new base,” now has no base other than the hand-picked loyalists with whom he has chosen to surround himself. Of the 41 Alberta constituencies located outside of Calgary and Edmonton, just eight are represented at the Cabinet table. Calgary, by comparison, has 17 seats.

With openly hostile federal and provincial politicians seeking to shut down rural Alberta’s resource-driven economy, now more than ever before rural Albertans need a truly rural voice at the center of our democratic debate to defend our interests. The UCP is moving in the opposite direction.

Rural Marginalization is Real

Nobody disputes the existence of a rural-urban divide in our society. Both politically and economically, this divide seems to only grow, and in recent years it has become increasingly pronounced. The real danger is not the differences between rural and urban life, but in the power disparity between these two worlds.

With the historically rapid urbanization of the past 50 years, rural folks are losing the ability to determine our own future, and are more disconnected from our society’s power structures than ever before. You can see the disparity every day in a thousand different ways. Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax is just the latest example. There is no alternative to driving in rural and northern communities, and this tax disproportionately increases the cost of virtually every consumer product that needs to be shipped out of the city, and every product we produce. Policies like the carbon tax kill primary sector rural jobs, decimate rural communities, and rural people are right to have real concerns.

A sad truth of the current political reality is that such concerns are rarely, if ever, reflected in national and provincial media.

Meanwhile, on social media, such views are often vilified, especially among urban elites who consider themselves superior. For example, livestock and crop producers who have embraced modern technology and improved efficiency beyond anything previously seen in human history are often dismissed as “dumb farmers.” Meanwhile, laid off coal miners and other energy workers, folks who have worked hard and paid their dues, are told to, “stop whining and learn coding.”

That so many folks, including those within the UCP, stoop to embracing such attitudes reflects the state to which rural marginalization goes ignored.

“We need to put Rural leaders in position of power, so that rural voices are heard and rural concerns are respected.”

So what is the answer to addressing rural marginalization? It starts with rural residents standing up and demanding better. We need to put our own political and business leaders in positions of power, so that rural voices are heard and rural concerns are respected. Without a real commitment to such action, it will be impossible for our communities to reach their full potential.

The Cycle is Repeating Itself

Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting a different result. In 2012, the new Wildrose party won 17 seats in Alberta’s Legislature, largely thanks to widespread support in rural Alberta. Does the United Conservative Party of Jason Kenney currently reflect these voters’ values? No. In 1993, the new Reform Party of Canada won 52 seats in the House of Commons, largely thanks to widespread support across rural regions of Western Canada, including Alberta. Clearly, rural Albertans have some strong thoughts about politics. But at this point, the Kenney government has stretched the relationship with its base to the breaking point. The real question is, “are rural voters interested in repeating the cycle once again?”

Must rural voters forever play and lose the same old game, trading effective representation for governments that simply don’t share our values?

I have spent many weeks and months speaking with the rural base about just this issue, and come away with two major concerns. First, people are exhausted with the constant political turmoil. In the past decade Albertans have seen six Premiers, a mass floor crossing, the death of a 44-year dynasty, and merger of two major parties. Folks are tired of the intrigue, and just want a steady, reliable, conservative party that listens to its base.

Secondly, folks are concerned that vote splitting will bring about a second NDP government under the former Premier Rachel Notley. If an election were held today, Notley would win a majority. Splitting the vote further is a concern.

So what is the best path forward? Must rural voters forever play and lose the same old game, trading effective representation for governments that simply don’t share our values?

There is one solution I hope you will consider that addresses both these concerns.

Break the cycle

With the Kenney government set to implode, we have an opportunity to both break the cycle and give rural Albertans a principled and reliable voice.

The key is the creation of a political party that is motivated solely by providing effective representation for rural Albertans. This new Rural Voice party would seek election exclusively in the 41 Alberta constituencies located outside of Calgary and Edmonton, and guarantee both free votes and a free voice to any member elected under its banner.

The prime directive of this new Rural Voice party would be listening to local constituents and representing local interests first.

By removing the incentive for party leaders to seek votes elsewhere, effective local representation could be guaranteed.

At the same time, by remaining exclusive to rural Alberta, the threat of vote splitting in Calgary and Edmonton is removed.

There is precedence for parties limiting themselves to particular geographic regions in various democracies around the world, including Canada. Such parties are generally most successful where they have a high probability of holding the balance of power within coalition governments. In fact, I would argue that such a party could be more successful at influencing public policy than the right wing alternatives and protest parties of Alberta’s recent past.

A Rural Vision

One of the major problems that plagues both the CPC and UCP is internal squabbling over the basic values and policy direction of the party. Annual general meetings are often highly scripted events, tightly controlled by party leadership, and as a result they tend to devolve into acrimonious floor fights pitting the membership against leadership.

Setting a vision and a direction for a new Rural Voice party wouldn’t need to be difficult, especially for a party committed to listening. Rural Albertans already know what we want from a new party.

We’ve been down this road before, with both the federal Reform Party and the provincial Wildrose party.

Our vision for Alberta is not complicated:

•  We believe Alberta can and should be the most free and prosperous place in North America.

•  We embrace the idea of Alberta exceptionalism. We believe that our entrepreneurship, hard work, and willingness to accept risk helps us to achieve success. Government’s role is to encourage the success of all, while resisting the temptation to interfere in the economy.

•  We believe in grassroots democracy, and our MLAs have a duty to put the interests of our families and communities first in everything that they do. We expect government to respect Albertans’ right to make the decisions for themselves and their families.

•  We believe in economic and social freedom for all Albertans. Any infringement of such rights must not take place without consent, and the consequences must be minimized to the greatest extent possible.

•  We believe government must live within its means, focus on core services, and avoid becoming an obstacle to Albertans’ success.

Next Steps?

My goal in writing this discussion paper is to prompt a wider discussion about the potential viability for a Rural Vision party in Alberta.

I am interested in looking toward the future, and fostering conversations about creating and maintaining economic freedom, individual opportunity, and efficient and effective public services for all generations.

A Time for Change

With thousands unemployed, many rural communities dying, our industries under attack, and government completely focused on urban issues, this is a time for change.

And make no mistake; change is coming one way or another.

If an election were held today, the UCP would hand the reins of government to Rachel Notley and the NDP.

Jason Kenney remains the least popular Premier in Canada, primarily due to his mishandling of the Covid pandemic, which has seen him repeatedly change tactics and move goal-posts in an attempt to please everybody.

Instead, he has frustrated everybody, and with his latest swing back towards restrictions and vaccine passports he has once again angered much of rural Alberta.

By every available metric, from memberships to fundraising totals to volunteer retention, all indications are that the UCP’s rural base is fed up with the current government.

If we are to avoid another messy rural vote split in 2023, the time for action is fast approaching.

Is this a viable alternative that could give rural Albertans the reliable, conservative option we have always wanted?

Is there a better way to protect rural voters from opportunistic politicians who abandon rural policies in pursuit of urban voters?

I want to hear your thoughts. You can contact me by email at: drew@cypressmedicinehat.com