Albertans elected two starkly unique premiers in the past 25 years.

The first was Ralph Klein, a high-school dropout who, as premier, cut government spending, and taxes, and saw his popularity soar. Klein was a hard-drinking, reforming politician far more comfortable with blue-collar Albertans than bluebloods. He never lost an election and was known simply as “Ralph.”

Another premier, Rachel Notley, defied expectations and in 2015 broke up the 44-year Conservative government dynasty. Notley, presiding over Alberta’s first NDP government, soon wrenched the province in a radically new direction: with higher taxes, green- friendly policy, and activist government. The new premier entered office just as oil prices plunged, as did her chance at a balanced budget.

This keynote describes how each leader entered office at a time of fiscal crisis—Klein faced sky-high interest rates while Notley faced collapsing resource revenues—and what that meant for unemployment lines, careers, and Albertans.

In a contrarian speech, Milke argues that Premier Notley was delivered a bad hand from the start and that few of Premier Klein’s successes were due to luck.

The audience for this keynote

This keynote is ideal for an audience that is curious about the economic challenges faced by two different premiers and their policies in response to the same. Past audiences include those in financial, energy, realtor, and business sectors among others. This keynote is Audience members will gain unique insight into two of the most diverse Alberta premiers in recent decades.   

Feedback

“I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Mark Milke speak at our government liaison days where he explained the conversation around policies created by government and how much of a significant impact these decisions have for future generations. He was able to take the complexity of analyzing policy and explain it in an understandable and digestible way for anyone to comprehend. It was a real pleasure to hear him speak and I am very excited to delve into his books, especially Ralph vs. Rachel.” - Kristie Kruger, Realtor, Royal LePage South Country