They occupy opposite points of the political spectrum, but I bet Premier Christy Clark and newly elected premier-designate Rachel Notley of Alberta will get along just fine in the years ahead.
But that's not to say Clark won't secretly hope that Notley's government falls flat on its face from time to time. That's because any serious miscue by the Alberta New Democrats will reflect badly on the B.C. NDP.
As a result, two years from now when B.C. voters head to the polls again, Premier Christy Clark may have the perfect poster child to point to as an example of the bad things that can happen when the NDP gets into power.
And certainly the odds favour Notley looking at a very rocky road ahead.
While Notley established herself as a first-rate political campaigner, almost all the caucus members she helped get elected have zero experience in running government at any level and in fact lack experience in pretty much of anything other than teaching, nursing and social work.
And the circumstances for this untried and untested youthful gang of political novices to take power couldn't be more daunting: government finances are in terrible shape, the province's number 1 industry (oil extraction) is gasping for air, and there is no relief in sight.
Some have compared Notley's electrifying win with the historic victory by Dave Barrett and the NDP in 1972, since both topped long-existing political dynasties. But the comparison ends there, since Barrett's caucus had a dozen seasoned MLAs and caucus members came from a wide variety of career vocations.
But a more apt comparison for the Notley Neophytes is to the sudden rise of the B.C. Liberals in the 1991 election. They came out of nowhere, at one point in the campaign they were leading the polls, and on election day ended up forming the Official Opposition.
Gordon Wilson was the party leader, but other than him and several other folks, the caucus was a collection of inexperienced, politically naive and underwhelming people who never dreamed they had even a remote chance of ever being elected.
If the B.C. Liberals had indeed formed government in 1991, the results would likely have been disastrous, as the talent pool from which to choose cabinet ministers was very shallow indeed.
Notley may be facing precisely the same situation. Her caucus consists of people who likely never thought they were going to win, since the party didn't begin its meteoric rise in the polls until the campaign had begun and candidates had already secured their nominations.
Aside from the inexperience problem, there is the issue of the Alberta NDP's policy platform. I suspect most voters' intent was focused on kicking out the Progressive Conservative government and saw the NDP as the best horse to ride to accomplish that goal, and paid less attention to what the NDP was actually proposing to do.
Notley has said she will raise corporate taxes by one-fifth, gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and likely raise oil and gas royalties, as well as consider a new regulatory regime for the oil industry.
Already, there are signs the business community in Alberta is hyperventilating.
This is all well and good for those who hate the business community or at least the fossil fuel industry. But any fleeing of business from Alberta means an economic downturn, and less government funding for health care, education and social services (or higher taxes and/or debt).
Of course, B.C. would stand to benefit from any business that relocates in this province because of a friendlier tax regime, something Clark will no doubt seize upon for her political advantage.
In the short term, however, look for Clark and Notley to forge an alliance on a number of issues. The new Alberta premier will likely support Clark's five conditions when it comes to the approval of pipelines running through B.C., and the two will probably work together on climate change issues.
Clark will also surely exploit Notley's support for the Kinder Morgan pipeline, framing it against the B.C. NDP's opposition to it. She knows that issue ties B.C. New Democrats up in knots.
Clark and Notley share similar attributes. They are both charismatic, positive women who exude an energetic and youthful outlook on things.
Working together on key issues, they could be a potent force on the national scene. Clark will be wishing her new colleague all the best, but only up to a certain point, especially as the next provincial election draws nearer .
Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global B.C.
