In Alberta, the United Conservative Party has a new leader — and, consequently, the province has as new premier. Danielle Smith is a former member of the Legislative Assembly, leader of the opposition, and talk radio host. She spent her first week as premier trying to explain her comment that the unvaccinated “have been the most discriminated-against group that I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime.” She also spent these early days in office walking back elements of her signature “Sovereignty Act,” which would, she claims, allow her province to ignore federal law and court rulings deemed injurious to Alberta.

Smith’s premiership is already a talk radio call-in show come to life as a government. Like her campaign, the premise of her ministry is conservative grievance politics fueled by an anger pointed at the insiders (that is, Ottawa) who are to blame for the province’s troubles. Sluggish oil and gas economy (not now, but previously, and surely again someday) — that’s Ottawa’s fault. Brain drain? A failure to attract workers to Alberta? Ottawa’s fault. Revenue shortfalls? It couldn’t be a failure to extract sufficient royalties from energy companies or a refusal to introduce a sales tax. Instead, it’s Ottawa’s fault. If only everyone else would get out of the way and let the province reach its full potential.

Alberta’s conservatism may seem to be nothing other than small-time petty grumbling politics scaled up. But the province’s conservatives are not alone — they have an analog at the national level.