Kevin O’Leary shouldn’t cower in silence simply because Alberta Premier Rachel Notley told him to bring it on after he offered $1 million in exchange for her resignation.

He should double down. In fact, he should take over. Not as premier himself, of course — all that nonsense about responsible government and securing a democratic mandate. Too boring … bad TV.

No, he should get four of his richest buddies to team up and sit in La-Z-Boys in a semi-circle while terrified bureaucrats — maybe even regular citizens — come forward with policy ideas for the boys to approve or shoot down. It would be just like Dragon’s Den, except with politics (maybe we could call it ‘Premier’s Pitch’). And its ratings would surpass the average provincial election by miles.

The whole thing would run as smoothly as an pumpjack in a commodity boom. The five-man council would pick and choose the ideas that would make them the most money — which, of course, is the whole point of politics, right? They would invest in the policies that get the best return on the dollar, running taxes and fees on those middle class working stiffs as high as possible (short of triggering angry mobs). O’Leary could build himself an immense penthouse suite at the top of the government’s executive building — let’s call it the ‘sky palace’ — that would tell the world how much better Alberta is doing now that it’s done with all that democracy nonsense.

It would be a source of popular pride. This plan couldn’t possibly fail.

Unfortunately, Notley appears to be moving in the other direction. Yes, taxes and royalties are on their way up. But it doesn’t look like the money is headed for her pockets or those of her friends (not yet, at least). Instead, it’s being turned to things like public services and schools — which is just weird. How is Alberta ever supposed to turn a profit? It’s just bleeding cash.

O’Leary made a second career out of telling the world what did (and didn’t — mostly didn’t) impress him about other people’s business ideas. The guy is a jerk by trade. Seriously, ‘jerk’ should be the first word on his résumé. If that’s not the kind of material you’re looking for in a premier, than quite frankly you deserve to have your province run by Rachel Notley.

Or maybe you’re happy to leave the country’s business in the hands of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, another duly-elected dabbler. The boy wonder is about to slap us with tens of billions of dollars in new federal spending that will go straight back to things like roads, green energy projects and some kind of mythological creature called ‘social infrastructure.’ We’re doomed.

Unless, of course, Saudi Arabia — the kingdom in the Middle East with actual sky palaces — decides to close the taps on its oil production and bring the price back up. Until that happens — until Alberta can go back to making piles of money and spending it like there’s no tomorrow — we’re stuck with dismal fiscal reality. That’s the problem with the real world. It’s no fun.

If the public isn’t going to respect the policy genius of the snottiest guy in the room (any room), there may be no better option than a good old fashioned ‘kudatah‘ — something a few Albertans apparently already want, even if they’re not entirely clear on how to spell it.