...on Alberta PC "Democratic Process"

Last night I received an email from Calgary Fort MLA, Wayne Cao, inviting me to become part of the process of "parliamentary democracy" the PC's think they are undertaking in today's selection of party leader. I don't condemn anyone for buying into this process, but I simply cannot. Here is Wayne's email, and my response, for what it's worth.

On Sep 30, 2011, at 4:05 PM, Wayne Cao wrote:

Ladies/Gentlemen, Friends living in Alberta.. (Those not residents of Alberta, please ignore this..)

For those living in Alberta/Canada, Canadian citizenship,  16 years and older:

Please join our democratic process.

Saturday Oct 1, 9am-7pm - A rare opportunity for you, Canadians in Alberta, to select directly your Premier leading your government.

All you need to do: Get a PC Membership Vote Card ($5) to vote and pick one of the 3 capable qualified persons: Gary Mar, Alison Redford, Doug Horner (in sequence of vote result from the 1st round).

You can get your Vote Card at the voting location in your constituency area.

For more info, contact any candidate or myself me 403-813-4125 wayne.cao@assembly.ab.ca

Where you vote, what, how to vote, website: www.albertapc.ab.ca/admin/contentx/default.cfm?PageId=9870

Thank for helping and sustaining our parliamentary democracy.

Wayne Cao, MLA, Calgary Fort


Wayne,
Thank you for the invitation to join your party to participate in its leadership vote. However, I take exception to the notion that your party is exemplifying parliamentary democracy by this process. Indeed, it points out, to me, the very skewed notion you and your colleagues have about democracy. 

Today's vote is for selection of a leader of a party, who would then, coincidentally, become premier. It is the internal work of a party, to be carried out by those who, for reasons of their own, have chosen to support the party.  It is a democratic process within the confines of the party. 

However, in spite of the arrogant notion that many of your colleagues seem to hold, that the PC party IS Alberta, and contrary to your 40 year grip on the legislature, this is not the case. If actual parliamentary democracy was the rule of the day, I would not be required to pay money or have my name added to a party's data base. The  list of "capable, qualified persons" from which to choose would be broader, and therefore more likely to produce such a leader.  And the rules of the vote would not have been arbitrarily set by a select group of party insiders.

Albertans would have been properly enumerated, polling stations would have been set up across the province as in a general election, voting rules would have been in accordance with those set by Elections Alberta, and candidates for the premiership would have come from the entire population of the province.

For these reasons, it is difficult not to feel offended by your assertion that this is an exercise in parliamentary democracy. I wish your party well in your selection of leader, and thank you for your invitation, but I will pass up this "rare opportunity". I am working within the Alberta Party, where the concept of democracy remains fresh, vital and accurate. 

Regards, 
Connie Jensen