[BRIEF NOTE] They keep hanging on

[rfmcdonald]

As expected, the 2008 Alberta provincial election resulted in a resounding victory for the ruling Conservative Party.

The Conservatives made it look easy in Alberta again Monday night, rolling to another comfortable majority victory in the provincial election.

It was a major win and vindication for rookie Tory Leader Ed Stelmach, the unassuming farmer-turned-premier who took the keys to the Conservative kingdom from Ralph Klein almost 15 months ago.

Stelmach's win extends the Conservatives' 37-year reign in Alberta and delivers the party its 11th consecutive majority government.

It's good news," a grinning and laughing Stelmach said after being told one media projection was pointing to a majority victory only 20 minutes after polls had closed.

"That's very early, 20 minutes."

Early morning results showed the Tories were elected in 72 ridings while the Liberals were elected in just nine and the New Democrats were elected in two. The numbers put Stelmach in charge of a majority government a few notches above the one that existed when the election was called, when the Tories had 60 of 83 seats, the Liberals 16, the NDP four and the right-wing Wildrose Alliance party one.

"We've shown, once again, that we're in tune with Albertans' values, we're in tune with Albertans' priorities," the beaming Conservative premier told a cheering crowd in Calgary.

"And in this election we've shown that we have new ideas, new energy, new leadership for a new century."

Canadian comedian Rick Mercer has noted that, at 37 years, the Conservative Party has ruled Alberta longer than the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola has ruled that unfortunate country, and is fast approaching the 41 years of rule that East Germany enjoyed under the Socialist Unity Party.