Ralph’s political legacy is his and his alone
Posted Apr 2, 2013 12:55 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The debate over which party can lay claim to Ralph Klein’s political legacy is heating up ahead of the celebration of his life later this week at the Jack Singer Concert Hall in downtown Calgary.
As the Mayor of Calgary Klein was considered a Liberal, but as premier he was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.
The opposition Wildrose now points out a number of the people who worked under Ralph Klein are now flying their colours.
Mount Royal University Political Scientist David Taras says Ralph was Ralph and when people reflect on his life they think about the man not the politician.
Taras says Klein was so popular the Tory party actually rode on his coat tails, adding he was a master at finding the political centre which helped him achieve respect from people of all political stripes.
He says thanks to the “Ralphness” of Ralph he became a symbol of the province and his legacy is his own and nobody or any political party should try and claim it as their own.
Taras adds Klein had the trust of the people which not many politicians of today can claim they have.
