“The west wants in” was hardly over before Albertans discovered that Montreal and Vancouver also had to be in; and, better yet, they would be given a speedy and unconventional backdoor route into the new cabinet of rookie Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Now, to suggest this raised conflicting emotions among even the most stalwart Alberta Conservatives is like saying the U.S. Pacific Fleet was somewhat surprised to see Japanese warplanes above Pearl Harbor on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941. It was a lot to take in.

Most Albertans are realists and understand that having the most buoyant economy in the land and being by far the largest per-capita contributors to the national treasury does not necessarily trump the political clout of more populous regions. But, hey, having stuck with the Reform/Alliance/Conservatives for 13 frustrating years in Opposition, we were expecting a little payback when Harper announced his cabinet. Finance, perhaps; Energy, of course; and a couple of other heavyweight ministries.

Reality landed with a thud. Immigration, Indian Affairs and Environment? What’s that all about?

Contrary to the insinuations of the federal Liberals and Buzz Hargrove, we actually welcome immigrants to Alberta, lots and lots of them, from places as exotic as the Ontario communities of Burlington and Sarnia — not to mention Hong Kong and Islamabad. And Albertans are not unfamiliar with the challenges faced by our Native communities.

We also have lots of environment — although far too much of it is controlled by Parks Canada. But it’s fair to say the province that returned Conservative members of Parliament from every single one of its 28 federal constituencies was expecting a little more from a Calgary PM. Not to mention the surprise appointment of an unelected senator and a Liberal turncoat.

Welcome to the revolution. So, what did Alberta get?

Calgary’s Jim Prentice in Indian and Northern Affairs makes great sense. A lawyer, he served as a commissioner of the Indian Claims Commission of Canada for 10 years and is recognized as an expert in land claims negotiations. He even went to South Africa twice in the early 1990s as an expert advisor on how to protect Native property rights.

In Rona Ambrose, Greater Edmonton gets an energetic and youthful replacement for former deputy prime minister Anne McLellan. The Environment Ministry is a big and thorny job for the diminutive Ambrose, who must devise a made-in-Canada alternative to the sputtering Kyoto accord. That’s hardly a minor assignment, and it’s sure to be of critical importance to Alberta.

Medicine Hat’s Monte Solberg is the lone rep for the rest of the province. As an able Tory finance critic, a lot of people thought he might control the national purse strings. No such luck, but as an immigration minister from outside Canada’s big cities, he’s not going to be held hostage by the votes of self-interested minorities. For the first time in years, there’s an opportunity for immigration policy that reflects the needs of places other than Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

OK, maybe it’s not so bad after all: three solid prospects who are likely to be stars in the new cabinet, and let’s not forget the prime minister himself. Over the past 15 years or so, Harper has been the most resolute and consistent voice for greater western influence on the national political agenda. He can’t disappoint on that score.

But David Emerson? Oh, that’s hard to swallow. IE