Can a Trumpset happen to us in Canada?

Not many Canadians were expecting last night's US election results, nor the Brexit results that came before that. There is no denying that there is significant momentum for nationalism, protectionism, and fiscal conservatism that most would say is fueled by fear and frustration.

But should progressive Canadians be concerned about a similar shift on our home soil?

Absolutely. We are not immune to it.

Kellie Leitch is gaining support as the leader of the federal Conservative party and is unabashedly calling for Trump like policies to be brought to Canada.

In Alberta we just need to look to the PC leadership race that is currently taking place. Recently, the two women in the race for PC leadership dropped out due to an almost violent reaction to their support for even the slightest progressive ideals. Most who follow the race are expecting a Jason Kenney victory which would shift the PC party to the right of where it has been over the last decade or so. 

True conservatives have been calling to "Unite the Right". This could happen but it will require either Brian Jean or Jason Kenney (assuming he takes the lead) to play second fiddle to the other which is unlikely. A more likely scenario is that with the PC's hard shift to the right they will try and position themselves to gain from the Brexit/Trump, momentum as the best, conservative party to dethrone the NDP, leaving the Wildrose as a redundant afterthought. Either way, they could easily gain enough support to bring a Trump/conservative approach to government, fueled by conservative fear and frustration with the current NDs.

Many claim that this is expected in Alberta because of our conservative culture but I think the last few provincial elections prove otherwise. I believe that there is much more strength in the centre than we may suspect. Alison Redford's PC's won more support with their 'P' than their 'C'. The rhetoric in that election was that we had to vote PC to avoid an extreme right-wing, austerity based government and Alberta's strong centre bought in. This past election showed that while the PC's were out of favour, Alberta's strong centre chose the more progressive NDP rather than risk going with the Wildrose.

I believe that in Alberta, at least in urban and suburban centres, the majority of people want a fiscally responsible government that is also concerned with our vulnerable citizens and our vulnerable environment. They want economic prosperity and see a lot of appeal in the Wildrose/PC options. These same people are also concerned about the environment and social equality issues that make NDP platforms appealing.

We see how tribal the US is right now. Nothing President Elect Trump proposes is going to be accepted by the 50% + who did not vote for him in the same way that conservatives couldn't admit that President Obama did anything well. The truth is, while us Canadians are probably going to disagree with much of Trump's policy, there is no way that he will be 100% terrible.

Here's a crazy idea. There are good ideas that come from both sides of the political spectrum. Every party has some good ideas and some that might not be likely to work so well. If they didn't then they would not have any support. Human beings are not that dumb. There is merit in each side's arguments.

If Kellie Leitch and Jason Kenney succeed in bringing Trump like governance to Canada and Alberta in the next few years, I will be nervous but I am also open to the fact that some good can and will come out of it.

I implore people to look at the options though. In Alberta, Greg Clark and the Alberta Party have provided, in my opinion, common sense policies that could gain approval from conservatives and liberals alike. The Alberta Party isn't married to a political dogma. It looks at evidence and drafts policy based on what has the best chance at working and improving the lives of Albertans. Check out their policies with an open mind. I think it can appeal to the majority of Albertans. I think we need to move away from the idea that only a Trump like Wildrose can save our economy and only the NDP can save our environment.

I also have to say that Dr. David Swann is doing a great job to bring common sense ideas forward, especially when it comes to healthcare. I applaud Brian Jean for fighting for more prudence in our government's spending habits. I am proud that Shannon Phillips is my MLA and has raised Alberta's profile as an environment leader rather than a villain. They all need credit where credit is due.

But I return to my original point. Centrists and conservatives who are uneasy about the US election results. It can easily happen to us. If you are concerned with this, then I would suggest you look into some of the more moderate options.