Revolutionary Moderation

'Communist' to lead Alberta Liberals?



Ken Nicol is stepping down as leader of the Alberta Liberals to seek a federal Liberal seat in Lethbridge.



I know there may be a few of Don's regular readers who might want to remind me that the provincial Liberals on your side of the Rockies aren't the corporate-welfare crypto-fascists we have in Victoria. If Laurence Decore hadn't promised "brutal cuts" in 1993, Nancy McBeth hadn't jumped from the Tory caucus to lead the Liberals, and had not the Liberal caucus been in lockstep with the Tories on the Kyoto Accord, I might be inclined to agree.



Liberal MLA Kevin Taft, authour of 'Shredding the Public Interest' and whose articulate and insightful opposition to Bill 11 got him labeled a 'Communist' by Ralph Klein, is waffling about whether or not he should run for the vacant leadership.



Correct me if I'm wrong, but what Taft should be doing, is getting over his "I'm too professional/academic to join the NDP" and think about seeking that Edmonton East nomination. If Sheila can think about jumping ship for the 'Jack Attack', so can Kevin. The reality is, the only difference between the Klein Tories and the Alberta Liberals is that while Ralph & Co. are kept in power thanks to the overwhelming corporate support of Big Oil, the Liberals wish they could be.



Help me out here, I know there are a lot of good left-wingers/progressives in Alberta, but are there any progressive parties left in the legislature? On the one hand, you guys have an NDP legislative caucus as big as ours, but at the same time, I know that in 2001, during the Calgary transit strike, both of them were requested by local party organizers to walk ATU 583's picket line, and they refused, stating that they didn't want to appear to be 'taking sides'. Pam Barrett may have claimed to see God, but at least she had no qualms about picking up a picket sign....