KLEIN

Colin May at Innocents Abroad suggests that Ralph Klein may have had an ulterior motive for announcing that Alberta would announce – presumably private-sector oriented – health care reforms – two days after the election:

On the one hand, it may be that Klein had more or less come to an agreement with Paul Martin about the reforms and therefore wanted to see another Liberal government in Ottawa, one he felt he could really work with. On the other hand, it may also be the case that Klein plans to tap into Albertans’ almost innate dislike for the federal Liberals, using them as his whipping boy when he goes to the polls himself in a provincial election later this year. Health care reform will be a tough sell, made easier if Klein can portray the federal Liberals as his enemy.

But where do the federal Conservatives stand in all this? That’s not altogether clear, but if a fight breaks out between Klein and Martin, and eventually the Liberal government falls, Stephen Harper could use the opportunity to put himself forward as the great conciliator, building a new consensus with the provinces on health care reform.

Now, all that said, it seems a risky strategy, more so for Harper than Klein, but it may be exactly the strategy one or even both leaders have in mind. For Klein, it could be the ticket to a fourth provincial election victory. For Harper, it may be just the key he needs to work toward a majority victory two years down the road, rather than settle for a minority victory today. It may sound far-fetched, but if it could work, it would be one amazing strategic move.

Intriguing stuff, and As far as conspiracy theories go this is a pretty good one. Ralph is a sharp guy, so he would have realized that his health care announcement would hurt Harper. As for why he would want to do that, this is the best explanation I've heard.