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Four years ago, the Alberta New Democrats swept into power riding the charisma of leader Rachel Notley, a split conservative vote and a wave of protest against the aging and ailing Progressive Conservative party.

The election result ended 44 years of Conservative rule in the most remarkable fashion.

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With it, significant change was afoot — economically and socially.

Emboldened after years of near irrelevance, the NDP partied like it was 1999, rolling out new legislation in all areas of Alberta life and industry. Some of it was justified and even overdue. A lot of it went too far, too fast.

Much of it came with hefty price tags: a new carbon tax, higher personal income and corporate taxes, higher minimum wages and the list goes on.

Timing is everything. This all came as Alberta was hit with the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression as oil prices crashed, energy projects were shelved and employees were laid off by the thousands.