Albertans are heading to the polls on May 5, 2015 to elect the next Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Like the past twelve elections since 1971, the May 5 vote will almost certainly result in the re-election of the Progressive Conservative Party, Alberta’s natural governing party. But despite the mostly pre-determined outcomes, provincial elections in this province can be interesting and sometimes exciting.
After 43 years as government, the PC Party is not running on its record.
Campaigning under the slogan “Choose Alberta’s Future,” Team Jim Prentice will try to ensure that Albertans are not reminded of the past three years of scandals and broken promises while their party was led by Alison Redford.
Mr. Prentice wants the next 27 days to be an election focused on the latest provincial budget and proposed “ten year plan.” The PCs do not want this election to be a referendum on their record as government, at least not beyond the past seven months since Mr. Prentice became their leader.
Claiming that a vote for his party is not a vote for the status quo, Mr. Prentice took shots at the New Democratic Party and Wildrose Party, and challenged the opposition to unveil their plans for governing the province. As we are entering an election campaign, I am sure the opposition parties will do just that, while also taking every opportunity to remind voters of the PC Party’s record.
NDP leader Rachel Notley says she wants to form a government, while Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean is aiming for a more modest post as Official Opposition leader. Liberal leader David Swann is also aiming for opposition and the Alberta Party is focused on electing Greg Clark in Calgary-Elbow, where he placed a close second in a 2014 by-election.
Unlike previous elections when the Liberals and NDP would compete in a handful of constituencies in Edmonton to form Official Opposition, there are almost no constituencies in this election where the Wildrose and NDP are both contenders. This could be the first election in a generation where the PCs find themselves facing serious opposition challenges in both rural and urban Alberta.
While it is unlikely that the PCs will lose government in this election, it is possible that both main opposition parties could surprise Albertans by making gains at the expense of the governing party.
Metro Edmonton reports that Edmonton-Mill Woods PC MLA Sohail Quadri filed an expense claim for $5,000 to hold a banquet to celebrate his first year in office. Mr. Quadri replaced controversial former PC MLA Carl Benito in the 2012 election.
34 replies on “Alberta’s 2015 election could be more interesting than expected!”
The North is about separate from the south of this Province, The Corpse flower is Blooming in Edmonton is that a mere coincidence ? NDP wins North PC’ s win the Periphery WRP dominates the South in % Minority Government is the best scenario Go Flames !
Yawn, it will be just another Groundhog Day in Alberta. Voters will wake up May 6th and see the shadow of the PCs in power, and hunker down for another 4 years of corruption.
This is a very important election because of the significant changes in the economy and political landscape. Albertans disagree with a budget in which the middle class carries the brunt of the tax revenue shortfall. Albertans feel deceived by the leader’s approach to ask for feedback on the changes needed to address the deficit and then see a budget where large corporation taxes do not share the economic downturn pain. There are other deficits that we should also address, not just the financial one, such as healthcare deficit, education deficit, infrastructure deficit, social programs deficit… Yes, we have a new premier, but unfortunately we have the same old tired ideology, no new ideas, moral corruption, and tainted nominations… Albertans deserve better! We cannot keep voting the same and expect a different outcome. This time let’s vote for change, let’s vote for a better future!
Prentass has no solid plan, has done nothing awestrikingly intelligent and he expects a mandate after 7 months after he calls out Albertans and faults them for the 7billion dollar hole? When he speaks its often double speak with vague,.general misleading and obfuscating circular references. He is a debonair business man, most stupid idiot albertans are about to anxiously grab their ankles again. He cut paltry funding to the most vulnerable groups yet has $30 miilion for an election. Idiot Alberta is about to happily ignore history, the news and facts and offer their ankles for free, no questions asked. Jim is right, Idiot Alberta is to blame for all of this. Idiot Alberta continually votes against its best self interest every snap election. Jim is being sharkey, he wants to lock up another 4 years of power before more scandals and more criticism is lobbed, for a lack of any true substance, to risk another Wildrose or NDP threat.
The reason why this is a sure win for the Progressive Conservatives is because if the apathy of voters here in Alberta. If this was in a country who had a history of dictatorships, we would have a 100 percent voter turn out. The PC Party is not that popular as one would think. They are counting on 50 to 60 percent of voters to stay home. A non vote is a vote for the PC Party. If they get back in, they will be serving the Conservative Men’s club. The corporations who back their group were rewarded for helping them. That is why there are no increased taxes. Too bad that the average Albertan does not count too much to them.
Dan McAvena….I can’t speak for all northern AB ridings but clearly the NDP won’t be much of a factor in either of the Fort McMurray ridings.
The NDP will have no traction in any riding where a majority of voters don’t rely on government funding for their livelihoods. That explains the popularity in Edmonton for public sector workers and students and (somewhat) Lethbridge, because of its heavy reliance on agriculture.
Wake up people it’s time to make a huge change, change can be good. We have been living the lies for so long that people are blind. Take off your blinders and go out and vote, vote for a better Alberta. Vote for a change otherwise we can’t complain when the middle class gets screwed even more. I don’t know about you but I can’t afford to keep paying more taxes, my minimal raise that I got after nothing in 4 years is going straight to the tax department. Whoo Hoo for me.
RE: THE Game PLAN: I don’t know who you and I don’t know if you know that oil has dropped from a high of over $100.00 a barrel to a low of less than $45.00 creating a 7 billion dollar hole in the provincial budget. Premier Prentice is not blaming Alertan’s for that, as you suggest, and the PC party is not to blame either BUT this huge revenue shortfall has to be dealt with and the money has to come from somewhere to repair the economy. Premier Prentice has said that everyone will be affected by this shortfall, Gov’t spending cuts will be made, and taxes will be raised, including “sin” taxes, and taxes will be increased a small amount for high wage earners. The big concern I have is “idiots” like you do not have a true grasp of the reality of what Albertan’s are having to deal with as a result of the financial crisis we are in. Premier Prentice has a 10year plan of diversification to wean us off our dependency on oil revenues. None of the other parties have put forth such a plan yet and Premier Prentice is calling for them to do so.
I would like to add another comment about the PC party. The last 2 Premiers just did not have the financial sense to manage the Alberta economy and lots and lots of money was wasted. Jim Prentice is very much a different person and has shown in the short time he has been Premier that he has the business sense to repair the 7 billion dollar hole in the economy caused mainly by the crash in oil. The Progressive Conservatives have been voted in since 1971 and if they are as bad as some people and politicians describe why did they retain power all these years?? There were some bad years as I have described and every voter in this province is free to vote for the party they have the most faith in. Right now the “Wilted” Rose party has no credibility at all and the floor crossers sent a clear message that they want to go with the winners and not the losers. Rachel Notely is a habitual complainer about everything but has yet to offer any credible ideas or plan to right the ship. The Liberals should just pull out of race all together because they have little support and like the NDP have no plan to present to Albertan’s
Oil inventories continue to build and the latest report shows the increase was 3 times what was expected and it looks like production may not come into balance with demand well into 2016, thanks to the glut of oil caused by the US and Saudi Arabia fighting for market share, and once all storage is near full oil prices will drop a lot further. This will obviously keep oil prices depressed for a long time and continue to have a very negative effect on the Canadian and Alberta economies. Lower gasoline prices is really the only benefit of lower oil prices but that doesn’t make up for revenue and job loses. Oil and gas companies are cutting back on production costs, thousands have lost their jobs, and major projects have been put on hold or cancelled. Oil and gas stocks have dropped 40 to 50% and some of the smaller producers with high debt are being bought out at distressed prices or face bankruptcy. Premier Prentice has a 10 year plan to diversify away from our dependency on oil. None of the other parties have put together such a plan. I don’t hear any of the opposition parties acknowledging the effect the loss of billions of dollars of oil and gas revenue is having on the Alberta and Canadian economies and what they would do to attempt to compensate for this lose. Rachel Notley thinks corporation taxes should have been raised but obviously she doesn’t realize that could result in job losses because of this economic down turn. Premier Prentice hasn’t increased oil and gas company royalties either like Stelmaschuk did which drove a lot of oil companies out of Alberta. VOTE PC unless you want to see Alberta’s economic situation get a lot worse if any other party should by some fluke get voted in.
I take it Lawrence works for big oil. People only need ask themselves why prentice would give up over a 7 fig salary to be premiere of ab. Don’t be fooled again these clowns have no plan and will say whatever to get a vote or better yet get you not to vote at all. 43 years ,other than dictatorships no other political entity should hold power that long. Wake up people!!!
It’s time for the PC’s to go. #AnyonebutPrentford on May 5!!
Yes, I worked in the oil and gas industry for over 40 years and very much understand how it has brought prosperity to Alberta and Canada and yes mistakes have been made along the way. It’s really troubles me, though, that there are people like you Chris that don’t have a grasp of the reality of what we are having to deal with in this province because of the crash in the price of oil. Again it not the fault of the PC’s that oil prices have dropped 60% and will stay low for a long time yet. We are living in unprecedented times now and cannot look back, we all have to look forward and support what needs to be done to restore sustainable revenue’s for this province. Tax increases have been announced and cuts have and will be made that will effect everyone. The money has to come from somewhere and everyone wants the shortfall fixed BUT do not want it to effect them. That’s not very realistic now, is it? Premier Prentice himself took a 5% cut in salary and I don’t know what his former salary has to do with the present situation. Increasing corporation taxes and/or royalties like the NDP think needs to be done would drive oil companies and revenue out of Alberta and like I said we need to look forward now and Jim Prentice’s plan to wean us off our dependency on oil revenues is the only credible approach and will take some time to accomplish. VOTE PC for the only credible plan to repair the economy.
Darcy , Game Set and Match Check your constituency metrics according to stat’s Can you are passe”. Today your demographics indicate that you are prime for the Pick\
” en/Plucked.
The problem with ABC in many ridings is that the vote will split and the PCs will come up the middle. Unless the ABC “movement” can put its might behind one and only one non-PC candidate in most ridings, they haven’t a prayer of unseating the PCs or even pushing them to minority status.
Lawrence, get your facts right. Prentice took a 5% pay cut? That’s true but only after his party gave themselves a 48% raise in 2012 and another 4% in 2013. That’s still a 47% raise so a 5% wage cut is completely disingenuous!
Here’s some other numbers freely available to even the myopic PC lovers:
You buy a house, say $400K and you go to register it at Land Titles. Today you paid ~$400 and after the PC budget it now costs you ~$1200.00! Oh and they are taking your ability to do it yourself by forcing Albertans to use a Lawyer just like BC. So what would have cost you $100 because you can only do it at a Law Firm.
Here’s some other fun numbers your crappy PC cronies are responsible for:
Heritage Fund started in 1976, today worth $17.5B
Norway Fund started in 1990, today worth $905B
Alberta produces ~2M barrels per day
Norway produces ~1.5M barrels per day
Even if take into consideration how much money was transferred out, the number should be north of $100B and not the small amount it is today. Who’s to blame? The PC party again.
I could go on forever with the stats that prove what a lousy job the PC party has done over the last 40 years, but unfortunately Joe Albertan is going to vote this crappy party back in again. Sad that the average Albertan can be so stupid. I digress 🙁
Repost because of HTML Tags :p
Lawrence, get your facts right. Prentice took a 5% pay cut? That’s true but only after his party gave themselves a 48% raise in 2012 and another 4% in 2013. That’s still a 47% raise so a 5% wage cut is completely disingenuous!
Here’s some other numbers freely available to even the myopic PC lovers:
You buy a house, say $400K and you go to register it at Land Titles. Today you paid ~$400 and after the PC budget it now costs you ~$1200.00! Oh and they are taking your ability to do it yourself by forcing Albertans to use a Lawyer just like BC. So what would have cost you less than $1000.00 now will be over $2000.00 using your Lawyer with inability to do it yourself. Oh and that address change you used to do for free at the Land Titles office will now be more than $100 because you can only do it at a Law Firm.
Here’s some other fun numbers your crappy PC cronies are responsible for:
Heritage Fund started in 1976, today worth $17.5B
Norway Fund started in 1990, today worth $905B
Alberta produces ~2M barrels per day
Norway produces ~1.5M barrels per day
Even if take into consideration how much money was transferred out, the number should be north of $100B and not the small amount it is today. Who’s to blame? The PC party again.
I could go on forever with the stats that prove what a lousy job the PC party has done over the last 40 years, but unfortunately Joe Albertan is going to vote this crappy party back in again. Sad that the average Albertan can be so stupid. I digress 🙁
Lawrence
You March to a one tune drummer and actually believe corruption, entitlement and arrogance needs to be labeled the reality
there are other modes that work too. I’m tired of the 40 years of paying homage to this model. This former PC voter is tired of the reality created by the PC’S time for a change…it worked in other other oil rich places who actually believe the resources are the people of Alberta first.
So reality is what the people wish for and not the train wreck that this party has chosen to build.
I am not stupid, changing tracks can bring new ideas aND Albertans can make this successful also–that’s the people in Alberta
Not the sheep you want them to be.
Go NDP
@ Lawrence
I too work in the oil-patch. For the last 18 years I have seen prices rise and fall and it has occurred to me that Oil is an unstable commodity. It is almost as though one could predict that when there is a ‘boom’… a ‘bust’ will inevitably follow. As a result of the fluctuations I have seen over only 18 years, I have attempted to employ a financial strategy for my family that would isolate us from the boom/bust cycle that I figured out would happen again after I went through the first one. I have grade 12 education. I saw the boom/bust cycle early in my career. Isn’t it reasonable to expect that after 43 years of watching the boom/bust saga of the oil-patch that our government could also have figured out a way not to rely so heavily on the boom times?
Their record after 40+ years says that the PC Party doesn’t have the brains of an Alberta high school graduate. Maybe it’s time for a change?
Here are some more facts Joe:
If you had done more research you would have found that Norway has much higher taxes than does Alberta and Norway keeps all its tax revenue (Alberta has made net contributions in transfer payments of over $300 billion over the last 40 years). The cost of living in Norway is among the highest in the world. It’s easy for Norway to save money with a 25% VAT (like our GST), 100% tax on automobiles, gasoline taxes 4 times more than Alberta taxes gas. We would be a lot more like Norway if it was not for the money sucking vacuum that exists east of us, we support the east to the tune of 8 billion a year in transfers. Norway is a country, not a province. It has no equalization payments to make. The oil and gas is state owned. The population is squished into one end of the country on sea ports (cheapest form of transport anywhere). Alberta is landlocked, inland and has vast transportation costs and related infrastructure costs – i.e. costs a million or more just to pave a mile of road; our airports require billions in infrastructure. There is no comparison between Norway and Alberta other than that we both have oil. Stop making stupid comparisons.
Our population has also doubled since 1978 and while this brings in extra tax revenue, additional infrastructure and services costs have to paid be for and Alberta has been in a catch up mode for a long time.
The oil crash is more than a bust scenario. It was caused by overproduction by the US and Saudi Arabia fighting for market share and it will be some time before demand is balanced with production. That is why I said we are living in unprecedented times in that we have never had to deal with a problem like this. Well over 30,000 jobs have been lost in this province due to cutbacks and layoffs in the oil and gas industry and this could cost the province especially if these layoffs are permanent.
While it’s true that Alberta’s past so calls have been mismanaged, for Prentice to openly blame Albertans for this is insane. If we’re to blame because we elected idiots to run the province then yes right, but we did not put the province in this position, politicians did.
Something else that shows he is completely out of touch is to put the financial burden directly on the middle class. Anyone making under $50,000 isn’t impacted by this budget, but anyone making above that is. For him to state that anyone making $100,000 in this province is wealthy so they can afford it is completely ludicrous. The home prices in Calgary are among the highest in the country and I’m a single father of 2 children. We don’t live extravagantly and don’t have a bunch of “toys” and don’t go on vacations. Yet, we just barely get by so NO I cannot afford to pay more taxes and a “health care levy” while someone making less than $50,000 gets a free ride. I didn’t realize I lived in a socialist province! The true wealthy have ways to mitigate the tax impact so the real impact of this budget is on the middle class.
I’m curious why it isn’t a true health care fee for everyone to pay, and our employers pay it just like they do for the other provinces. We pay the taxable benefit and everyone is on a level playing field without taking a big hit to our pocketbooks.
I’m extremely disappointed with Prentice, I didn’t realize he was a socialist disguised as a PC
Let’s face it, the PC Party is not conservative, it is progressive just like the ND’s the Liberals and the Alberta Party. Big government nanny state policies and taxes. Conservatives have existed in the PC Party, Kline was one, the progressives hated him. What killed the PC Party was their populace vote for their leadership review. Worked well for Ralph but let the socialists select the next two leaders. Stelmach and Redford were both the weakest links over Dinning and Mortensen who were conservative. Prentice is a self proclaimed progressive. There are no more conservatives left in that party.
I think the correction in the WRP was positive. I can’t support progressive policies that seek to punish hard work, risk and initiative.
Lawrence, I admire your passion, I can’t back Prentice. If he purged the progressives from his party I’d take a 2nd look. I can’t back the ND’s but if there was ever a time to pick a fight over royalties this is the time. I’m an Albertan. I was here through the eighties when everybody left. The joke was:”The last person out turn out the lights.” We paid dearly for infastructure that was abandoned. The oil companies were given a great deal. Build upgraders and refineries, we will put a stall on royalties while you build. They have stopped building. It’s time to hold them to account. Albertans weathered the storm during the eighties. We can weather this one.
Let’s have another look at the reality of what we are dealing with. There is a multi-billion dollar shortfall that has to be compensated for. Jim Prentice did not and could not blame Albertan’s for the crash in oil. He has put forth a vision for a better managed PC party and a plan to get us off our dependency on oil revenues and will increase royalties in time, which I agree should be done, but not until the revenue shortfall is fixed. If the NDP or the discredited WRP are elected they would introduce costs that will result in the creation of less jobs and more layoffs in the oil and gas sector. Perhaps more refineries and upgraders could have been built in years past to process our own oil but certainly not now. Where would the money come from?? These undertakings cost billions.
Fair enough comment. I don’t see that the WRP have been discredited. If any thing they had a necessary correction. I agree that an ND government would cost us dearly. I don’t see how the WRP has offered up anything other than smaller Government and the promise to keep their hand out of my pockets. You are trying to present the ND’s on one side of a bell curve with the WRP existing on the opposite side of the curve and the PC’s representing the balanced middle. I think the PC Party exists closer to the ND’s than you represent. They have not addressed the internal problems that led to the previous two premiers breaking the law and leading us in to a defficit.
Personally my opinions regarding refinement are my own. I think we need to put the brakes on Alberta oil leaving the province at 1/2 the price. We are being played and all that Prentice can present is that we are too dependent on oil revenues. Don’t you think that U.S. interests are too dependent on cheap oil?
I’ll go way out on a limb, my conservative friends will dissagree, but from my perspective, double down. We developed crown corporations in the past to invest in oil and gas infrastructure maybe we should now. At least there is simple pay back. People are already loosing jobs. The pipeline proposals are only shipping jobs out of Alberta. Further, they are another example of the present government ignoring the electorate. Most Albertans I have talked to wondered why the government was pushing the pipline instead of refinment. I want to work, I want to have a beer after work, and I want the government to allow me the quiet enjoyment of the fruits of my labor.
Steve
When the WRP was formed they tried to challenge PC policies but they failed badly at that and the party over time turned against Daniel Smith. That is why her and 8 MLA’s left and crossed over to the PC party. Daniel Smith said she thought JIM Prentice was on track and wanted to add her support. She even wanted to merge with the PC’s. Well we know what happened their. That to me discredited the WRP. I liked what she was trying to do and even voted for her in the last election but the new leader Brian Jean has no track record to access how he would do as a premier and he wants to fine floor crossers $100,000.00 which to me sounded like a ludicrous way to keep members in the WRP. As for your opinions on the revenue from oil you need to do some research on why Canada would rather export oil than refine it. I won’t go into detail here, it is all on the internet. Also you need to understand how oil is priced and sold in North America. There is the Brent price which is world price and WTI which is US price and WCS, the lowest price, that we sell oil at and Alberta has no control over any of these prices. That is the reason Alberta needs to diversify away from our dependency on oil and Jim Prentice has put forth a credible plan to do this.
Ok Lawrence, I’ll agree to disagree on the WRP. I think Smith and her fellow PC’s bailed because they lost ground in the bielection They panicked and sought to save their political skins. Their intentions for the most part were seen for what thy were. PC voters in their ridings sent them a clear message, “No thankyou!” Personally I felt betrayed. Their actions were unwarranted and appeared desperate. Hers were calous and calculated to discredit the remaining seven MLA’s and kill the WRP. She crapped on the people who supported her. She betrayed our trust. She sullied her office. Thankfully the WRP is about more than her and the band of progressives that followed her to obscurity.
I think Brian Jean is very capable to run the province. I believe the purpose of passing a law to discourage floor crossing was ment to pertain to all parties. It is in practice in Manitoba. It does not stop a MLA from sitting as an independent. If I was in a riding that had my MLA jump ship, I would like to see him or her pay a levey to the constituency office they are abandoning. What is the saying: “You dance with the one you came with.”
Regarding Oil: you reference the Internet as to why Canada would rather export oil than refine it.
The resource belongs to the province. Somehow the PC’s have started calling it Canada’s oil since Redford. Prentice has not attempted to correct that. Not to be offensive but I’m beginning to wonder if he’s not Harper’s cabinet minister for Alberta.
As to price, you mention the WCS, the lowest price, the price we sell it at, and we have no control over that.
We need to change that. I read an article regarding Alberta oil and expecting to get world price would be like a hotel owner expecting to get as much for a hotel room in Red Deer as one would get in NY city. Hog wash. The article is subjective. I think we have to do more in this province to supply to the demand. First and foremost we have the largest supply of ethical oil in the world. Our oil does not finance terrorism.
Under Redford our oil was not moving because of what she called a bituman bubble. Now world price is down and believe me our oil is leaving the province and heading south as fast as it can be loaded on to rail cars. Want to bet there will be a bigger bituman bubble when prices go up. And that’s my point. We are giving away our market share at the cheapest price. We’ve been doing it for along time. Every time we as a province seek to get a better share of the resource, the oil companies threaten our economy. It happened with the Social Credit it happened with Peter Lougheed and it happened with Stelmach. We are at bottom, let’s pick a fight.
I think the piplines are bad for Alberta until further refinment is required. Economicly, it is our Churchill Falls. Once the flow leaves the province we have assured ourselves of forever supplying at the lowest price. We will have no more control of our provincial resource.
From an environmental concern, diluted bitumen (dilbit) is abrasive. It thins out pipe wall. I think it will prove to be bad PR for Alberta. Worse than refining.
It is a short run to the border running pipe. After that, the work is done.
Again Lawrence, the opinions regarding Alberta oil refining what we mine, these are my opinions. The Government has done a poor job of explaining why the pipline is good for Alberta. I don’t think I’m the only Albertan who wants more value added before it leaves the province.
One other thing Lawrence, when the WRP formed it was actually in response to Stelmach seeking to get a fair share for royalties. Smith was dedicated to the same mantra as Prentice is now: “Royalties are off the table.” She was hand picked by the oil lobby. In hindsite it is why she sang high praises to Prentice and jumped ship. I think the WRP has taken on its own direction. The party has shown it is here to stay and l believe it can contribute greatly to the political fabric of the province. The Alberta electorate have traditionally been conservative. I hope we continue in that direction.
I will not debate this anymore with you Steve except to say that your comments are like you said “your own opinion” but are misguided. I don’t mind debating oil and gas industry revenue issues with anyone but you have not accessed the issues correctly, so that is when I stop. My comments were made based on extensive experience and knowledge of the oil and gas industry.
Jim Prentice is the only party leader that has put forth a workable plan to deal with the revenue shortfall and to diversify away from oil and gas revenue that was taken for granted for so many years would always be there.
To really understand how most Albertans feel about this election, think about the NHl playoffs. Say the finals are down to only 4 teams, and you aren’t a fan of any of them. On top of that one is Toronto and you really hate them. So at this point you have one of two options. 1. You can turn off the TV and forget about hockey until next season, or 2. You can jump on the bandwagon of one of the other teams in hopes they will prevent Toronto from winning. So the question is, what are the “undecided” Alberta voters going to do?
Note: this analogy is very hypothetical since Toronto missed the playoffs again.
That’s fine Lawrence. Debate is futile. The fact remains, Alberta has given up control of it resources. Thank you, I’ve enjoyed the dialoge.
Derek B – Your example is completely ridiculous – The Leafs in the semi-finals?! I have read some outrageous stuff before but come on!
The last time the Leafs won a cup, Social Credit was still in power.
I have to say this year I won’t be voting PC. When they do budget cuts they only focus on education and health. Education is the future of Alberta. I remember when Kline made everyone take a 5% cut and people did. But here we are again to day,,,perhaps not with the cut that was then but with another strategy that affects the same. It’s simple history repeating it’s self.
What do I have to lose by voting different…after all I can always go back if a new gov is as bad or worst in managing next time.
I am not a sheep….are you?