Brian Mason’s campaign (and Raj Pannu’s gambit in stepping down) clearly scored, doubling the party’s seats in the legislature to four. (Probably not entirely due to the billboard, but you never know…)
But with turnout at just under 45 per cent, this wasn’t a happy night for democracy in Alberta. That’s a dangerously low figure, even considering the foregone conclusion that Klein would win another term, and the Premier’s desire for a “boring” campaign.
Could this be the flip side of Alberta’s rugged individualism? There’s a fair amount of evidence (this paper, for example [PDF]) that low levels of social capital and civic engagement go hand in hand with low voter turnouts. Not exactly an Alberta Advantage… unless you’re trying to keep an aging political dynasty alive at all costs. (See? Oil isn’t the only thing Ralph Klein and the House of Saud have in common.)
