Dear Editor,
Re: Voters opt for more of the same, May 31
I tend to agree with much of the editorial with the exception of the headline. Voters aren't opting for more of the same... those of us with memories of the pre-Jason Kenney/COVID years remember quite well the ransacking that Rachel Notley and the NDP gave Albertans. It was undoubtedly the most destructive government that we've had since the Second World War.
I am not a big fan of Danielle Smith at the moment. She's going to have to earn her stripes, but one thing is certain: She's not cut from the same mould as Jason Kenney, Alison Redford or Ed Stelmach (thank God), nor is she anything close to a Ralph Klein or a Peter Lougheed (I wish).
But she is very smart. She's made mistakes, she knows it, she’s admitted to them and she owns up to it. Our federal leadership could use some pointers here if they weren't so blind and deaf to Canadians. So at the moment, she's by far the best "leader" we have.
The challenges she's going to face at the provincial and federal levels are going to be enormous. Edmonton went all NDP as did half of Calgary. The rural/urban division is disheartening and very concerning.
I think that says we haven't done a very good job of introducing new people to the wonderful traditional and free Alberta lifestyle that, as Smith has said, is worth fighting for. The NDP's alignment with the New World Order just doesn't work here. And to top it off, she's accepted the challenge of being on Trudeau's hit list.
As for voters in local ridings not "willing" to change their stripes, it's because most of us have learned our lesson and we know better now. Hopefully we're smarter for it.
David Marquardt
Okotoks
