The provincial election finished almost two weeks ago. By now the shock should have worn off. Those who had the sense to predict another whopping Tory majority have also had enough time to realize what that result means for the next four years, and to wipe the self-satisfied, masochistic grins off their faces.

The roughly 330,000 Albertans who voted NDP or Alberta Liberal will have to find some way of getting though the province’s eleventh straight Conservative majority government. That’s 1,460 days of Ed Stelmach’s wan smile, eight legislative sessions, and who knows how many bills pushed though without a proper question period or public debate. Some are opting for a complete rejection of Alberta. No surprise that there’s a Facebook group called “WTF? Another Tory Majority? Let’s Move!” 

So, instead of skipping town, SEE Magazine offers five ways of dealing with the 2008 election results. Employ at your own risk. 

(1) Create Your Own Bubble

Just because the Tories represent 87 per cent of Alberta, that doesn’t mean you have to acknowledge that you live in a Conservative province. Terminate all cross-political friendships. Cease and desist political arguments with the extended family. 

“For my sanity, I’m in a bubble,” says Michael Kalmanovitch, activist and owner of Earth’s General Store. “I insulated myself from the average Albertan.” Kalmanovitch says most of the people he knows and interacts with on a daily basis share the same values and ideals, and so it’s easier to keep to his own tribe.

(2) Throw The First Stone

That, of course, does not mean progressives can’t fight within their own circles. With both the Liberals and the NDP losing seats and the Green Party failing to take their longed-for breakthrough, there’s enough blame to go around for everyone. No doubt most of it will be hashed out behind closed doors, but Lindsay Telfer, a member of Conservation Voters of Alberta, isn’t shy. 

“To be quite honest,” she says, “to anyone that was watching the elections unfold, the opposition ran absolutely horrible campaigns. In my eyes, both the Liberals and the NDs failed to capitalize on the issues where Stelmach was the most vulnerable.... The debate was a prime example. The two issues where they both should have been cornering Stelamach against the wall were pace of development and climate change. The opposition’s answers to both of those issues were pathetic.” 

(3) Do Some Navel-Gazing

The next four years should see a great deal of opposition soul-searching. Kyle Olsen, president of the Alberta Young Liberals, describes this process as “revaluating our core values without losing who we are.” Members of the Liberal Party should take a hard look at their policies, he says, and get rid of the ones, such as electricity re-regulation, that are appealing ideologically to the wonks but confusing to the public.

“When you go to the people,” he says, “it’s not just that you have to talk about what you are going to do; you have to talk about how you are going to do it. It’s a narrative.... Everything we do has to be a part of our core values. If it doesn’t connect in to that core narrative, do we really need it? If it’s contradictory in the public’s mind, maybe we shouldn’t have it.”

(4) Sit Tight Until Your
Deluded Optimism Returns

“Right now, I feel so broken-spirited,” says Green Party member Conor Trageser. “It will wear off in about a month or so, and then I’ll be back to my delusional self where I think Alberta’s on the brink of change.”

He’s looking forward to the federal election, which is expected to take place anytime between now and 2010. Engaging in the electoral process will soothe his shocked nerves, Trageser says, but that kind of activity isn’t possible until his current depression passes. “For the time being,” he says, ”I’m going to hang out with some like-minded people and be bitter.”

(5) Keep On Pushin’

Ron Harry, the executive director of Albertans for Change, isn’t crying in his beer. He promises he and his labour coalition group will continue to push the Tories on social issues.

“The reality is this government is going to have to move left of centre in order to deal with these issues effectively,” he says. “These issues were raised by average Albertans—mainly healthcare, housing, schools, and infrastructure. We will work with the government to hold them accountable for these and other issues and Albertans can do the same.”

Greenpeace activist Mike Hudema certainly isn’t letting the dismal election results keep him from his work opposing the oilsands. Change won’t necessarily happen at the polls, he says; instead, he’s hopeful that protest and grassroots pressure can convince the Tories of their folly in the oilsands. He sees the “No New Approvals” campaign gaining some traction, and regards the fact that First Nations groups are working with Greenpeace on this issue as a good sign.

“It’s David and Goliath,” he says. “Who doesn’t want to be David? This should be fun!”