Premier-designate Jason Kenney and your UCP team, you have a huge job ahead.
And it’s not only in keeping promises about jobs and pipelines and the carbon tax, but also in keeping the peace between Edmonton and most of the rest of the province and B.C.
We want a pipeline, but do we want to hurt the people of B.C. by turning off the taps?
Maybe give the people a chance to speak to their premier first. Don’t make it an ambush — many of them are on our side. Talk to the people.
You did not let the people of Edmonton-Meadows choose their candidate and you lost that seat.
You did let the people of Drayton Valley decide about Mark Smith and you won that seat.
With your changes likely coming to everything from the minimum wage to GSAs to farm safety, don’t be heavy-handed like the NDP you just defeated.
You’re going to have to add tact and reason to your enthusiasm and listen to the people who will be affected.
You have a powerful opposition, and “Because I said so” may not cut it.
The three things you need to keep in mind are leadership, leadership and … leadership.
Bob Layton is the news manager of the Corus Edmonton group of radio stations.