Change?

Like many who became “instant Tories” over the past weekend to vote in the Alberta PC leadership race (and the appointment of a new premier as a result), we’re glad to see that Allison Redford came out on top.

Of the front-runners, she certainly is the most centrist of the lot, and the most progressive. But, as many of the pundits and her political opponents have pointed out, she’s not clean of the baggage of having been part of the previous cabinet and all its various unpopular decisions.

We sincerely hope that a true spirit of change is in the air, but we’re also pragmatic enough to realize that she has a steep uphill battle to fight. To start, there are her former contenders and the rest of the PC caucus. Not all (er, many?) supported her, and as with the previous premier, there’s lots of opportunity to sabotage her efforts to make a difference.

There’s also a collection of parties now plotting their own strategies for how to deal with her taking the helm. We’re hopeful that some of them will give her a bit of headway to show her stuff, but if they immediately put the hammer to her (as we suspect they will), it risks putting her change agenda on the back-burner while she satisfies the party faithful that she’s up to the task of defending the 40-year Tory dynasty.

It’s an opportunity for change, dear friends, but a tenuous one at best.