For sure it was a protest vote as Conservatives were running an NDP like fiscal policy so voters thought why not let the NDP win to teach the conservatives a lesson and force them back to fiscal discipline and conservative values and policies. This situaion let the NDP come up the middle and win the seats while conservative parties still garnered over 50% of popular votes. This what passes for democracy in Canada. Still the Alberta PC's have been out of control and moving left for a long time ergo the Wildrose party and now a major defeat at the polls. It makes one long for Lougheed & Klein.

BTW, this sort of same process occurred in Ontario a long time ago and everyone knows the putcome of that fiasco although truth be told it was the Liberal Peterson government who started the downfall of Ontario before Bufallo Bob came along. Ontario has never recovered and now is a have not province and it only took 25 years, welcome to the Quebec conundrum and roach motel, at this rate Canada will be in the roach motel soon.