Who would I vote for if I couldn't vote for myself?

I've long thought that candidates should be asked this question, since it would reveal quite a lot about their thinking.

So I better apply that to myself and answer it.

I'd be voting Green, and not just because putting a young female Athabasca U professor from France into the Alberta legislature would impressively diversify the old boys club. When I was living in the federal riding of Ottawa Centre I was fortunate to have David Chernushenko on the ballot. Because environmental degradation is an externality, it is entirely consistent with sound policy to recognize that there is a role for government here. I was disappointed when Chernushenko lost the federal Green party leadership to Elizabeth May, who has the objective of "renegotiating" NAFTA. A carbon tax that is revenue neutral is potentially sound policy, Maude Barlow style activism is not. The PCs, Liberals, and NDP have all been proven to be tax and spend parties. The Alberta Greens could be as well but aren't necessarily. I also think that it is entirely possible to make the environment a priority without overprioritizing the mitigation of carbon dioxide emissions. The Green candidate in my riding mentions a greener public transportation system, promoting mixed use neighbourhoods, and the water supply instead of CO2 abatement, which is a prioritization I agree with.

If I couldn't vote Green, I'd probably vote PC, although I noted below a good argument for voting NDP. Tony Vandermeer supports my party's call for the immediate elimination of health premiums and raising the basic personal exemption to $20K. How Tony would accomplish that as a backbencher in a top-down organization that does not support those policies I don't know, but it least he recognizes a sound economic policy that would actually help the less fortunate.