The provincial government has been under increased fire during the current sitting of the Legislature, and the reaction from high level ministers has been different from what we usually see from other governments around the country.

The reason?  

The long-reigning Tory government has never had a substantial, in terms of both size and belligerence, opposition with which to deal.

That’s according to political scientist David Taras who feels Danielle Smith’s Wildrose has done an exceptional job opposing the Redford government.

The Mount Royal professor tells 660News, it’s effective because many Albertans may not be reading beyond the headline.

“We’re looking at a Premier that does not have sort of native political instincts, like sharp political instincts, like razor sharp,” says Taras. “Like Ralph Klein who could probably have skated through Question Period without getting body checked.”

Taras adds, the criticism of the government has substance and not just style.

“When there’s less money to spend, all of sudden there’s a crisis in education,” he notes. “There’s a crisis in health care, a crisis in infrastructure.  Everything becomes a crisis.”

When asked about whether this new political culture will continue, Taras believes it all depends on the economy. He says Albertans may forget everything if the economy performs well, but if the provincial economy tanks it could be a problem for the Tories come the next election.