Has the abrasive Rod Love mellowed after a quarter century in politics? It doesn’t seem so.

At age 50, the one-time Calgary waiter still prides himself in shooting from the hip. These days, Love is engaging his no-nonsense style as an advisor and spokesman to Stephen Harper and the Conservatives in the federal election race, in which his favourite barbs are aimed squarely at Paul Martin and the Liberals.

Love, president of Rod Love Consulting Inc., established a reputation as a shrewd political strategist during an 18-year professional association with Alberta Premier Ralph Klein in municipal and provincial politics.

Love left as chief of staff of the Premier’s office in 1998 to start his consulting company but has remained front and centre in the political wars, rarely mincing words.

Mike Sturk, Business Edge
Veteran political consultant Rod Love left his $88,000 per year job under Ralph Klein because he was bored and broke.

It seems that little has changed in the life and times of Rod Love since his upbringing in Saskatchewan, chasing gophers from their holes. Only now, the gophers are his political foes.

1. What are your memories of a boyhood in Saskatchewan?

“It was a classic Saskatchewan upbringing – me and my brothers shooting rabbits, pouring water down gopher holes. There were five of us (kids) and our parents gave us the basics on how to be a good person and a good citizen. And then they let us do it. None of us were pushed or pulled in any direction. My dad was a big mucky-muck (executive) with Imperial Oil, so I worked at the Esso carwash on Albert Street in Regina. Then, when I came to Calgary, I was a waiter at the Keg restaurant.”

2. How did you hook up with Premier Ralph Klein and get involved in his initial foray into politics?

“Well, I had an interest in politics and there were three main candidates in the race (for mayor of Calgary). (Ross) Alger just didn’t inspire me. I didn’t have any use for (Peter) Petrasuk. And then there was Ralph, whom I’d never met. But I knew him like everyone else from TV (as a reporter). So I phoned his campaign office, got the address and I walked in off the street and volunteered. Ralph answered the door in fact.”

3. What was your first impression of Klein?

“He was a pretty down-to-earth guy. Fifteen minutes after I met him, I was driving his motorhome while he changed into a suit on his way to pick up a cheque. Yeah, he was a pretty straightforward guy all right.”

4. How has Klein impacted your life?

“Well, with the exception of my parents, he has been THE impact of my life. Everything I’ve got in my life, I’ve gotten because of my time with him. I always felt that I had some political skills and understood the game. But he gave me a chance to prove that. Over the course of 18 years (working under Klein), I think I established a reputation as a guy who was pretty politically savvy. That was because he gave me the opportunity.”

5. Do you ever wonder what may have become of you if you hadn’t run into Klein?

“Oh, gawd. Well, I was waiting tables at the time so who knows? Maybe I’d be telling you today’s special. Before I ran into Ralph, I was 25 and really hadn’t done anything. It was a pretty aimless period. We all put ourselves through university in those days. We’d go to school during the day, wait tables at night, then blow all our tips and start over the next day.”

6. Some time later, after working as an executive assistant to Klein, you ran a couple of times in provincial and federal elections in Calgary ridings, finishing third both times. What did you learn from that experience?

“Don’t do it again (chuckling). I was the worst candidate in the history of western democracy. I had no time for the small talk and the bullshit elected officials have to go through. If somebody wants to bend your ear for 15 minutes on water meters, you have to sit there and listen and be polite. I just lost my patience with that and it showed. It was like, ‘You’re boring me, goodbye.’ ” 7. What’s your philosophy of life?

“Relax. It’s probably not that serious. I don’t want to sound like a gnarled veteran but I’ve found – particularly working in the early days in government – that getting stressed never helps the problem.”

8. After almost two decades working for Klein, why did you choose to leave your job as chief of staff of the premier’s office?

“I was broke and I was bored. And I’ve found that when people are bored, they begin to make mistakes. I hadn’t yet started to make mistakes, but I was getting close. I wasn’t living hand to mouth, but my last salary with the government of Alberta was $88,000. Now, to some people, that would seem like a lot of money, but I had three young kids and it was time for me to move on. I wanted to make some more money so I could send the kids to, as they say, the best schools. I still have a great relationship with Ralph. He phoned me at home last week to talk about an issue. We’ve golfed together two or three times already this year. We don’t do much business unless he asks. We’ve got two rules with Ralph on the golf course. No lessons and no business. Certainly, if he asks my opinion, but I don’t phone him or anybody else in government and say, ‘Here’s what I’d do.’ I left the building. That was my choice. If anybody wants to call me, that’s different.”

9. Describe your role as co-chair of Alberta with Deb Grey for Stephen Harper’s campaign?

“Needless to say, Deb and I don’t have the toughest job in the campaign electing Conservatives in Alberta. We co-ordinate the activities of the MPs in the province, helping with Harper’s visits to Alberta and I also help with the media relations. I’m sort of authorized as a spokesman for Alberta. We’re pretty well organized.”

10. How well have you come to know Stephen Harper, and what strikes you about him that makes you believe he’d be a good prime minister?

“We’ve travelled in some of the same circles for 10 years, but I don’t know him very, very well. But I know him well enough to say that he’s going to be a hell of a prime minister. When he’s with his family, he’s a pretty private guy. Believe me, and I know from experience, when you’re in the fishbowl the time you get with your family is important and you deliberately keep those times private. I don’t think he should be faulted for the fact that he keeps a low profile with his personal life. What strikes me about him? Well, he’s a Conservative for starters, which we haven’t had in that office for a long, long time. And he’s a pretty smart policy guy. There’s no learning curve with this guy on public policy.”

11. How do you see the election playing out?

“As of right now, it’s a dead heat and I think if the Conservative campaign just stays as solid as it has been thus far, I think we’re going to win. You’re never totally confident. I’m never confident about elections, even when I was with Ralph Klein. All things considered, however, if the Conservative campaign keeps hitting on all cylinders as it has thus far, I’m confident that we’ll win. But who knows what can happen?”

12. What’s your view of Prime Minister Paul Martin’s campaign?

“Pathetic. Pathetic. I’ve said for years that this guy has never run in a federal campaign and who knows if he’s got a glass jaw? It turns out he does have a glass jaw. He can’t take a hit. It (Martin’s campaign) is rambling, unfocused . . . just pathetic.”

13. What would Stephen Harper do for business in the West as PM?

“He’s already talked about some pretty business-friendly policies with respect to taxation, investments and so on.”

14. Do politicians need to act more like CEOs?

“Yes, I think politicians should certainly adopt a more business-like approach to government.

“That’s what we did in Edmonton (provincial government) with bringing in the consolidated books, the business planning processes and those kinds of things. I think there certainly should be more business-like approaches. And I see that happening very much with Stephen Harper.”

15. Do you see the gap narrowing between Klein’s Alberta and Gordon Campbell’s B.C.?

“Yes. Obviously, Campbell’s policies are more similar to Klein’s than were Glen Clark’s. In B.C., with respect to them trying to get taxes down, doing away with as much regulation as possible and bringing in more business-friendly policies with respect to investments and royalties and so on, yes, I would say they are narrowing the gap. But we’re still in the lead in Alberta, thank you.”

16. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned as an advisor to politicians?

“Don’t sugarcoat it. There’s no point in trying to dance on the head of a pin if there are tough decisions to be made.”

17. What do you bring to the corporate world through your consulting company?

“My company right now specializes in government relations. If governments made sense, I’d be on the breadline. There’s a hunger out there in the private sector for an understanding of how government works. Secondly, we do communications, which is what I did for Mr. Klein. Thirdly, I do strategic planning. I don’t talk about who I’m working for and I want to keep it that way. I just find that the ability to get things done is enhanced when fewer people know what you’re doing, frankly.”

18. If you had to trade jobs with one person tomorrow, who would it be with?

“The manager of the Cincinnati Reds (Dave Miley). I love baseball and I love the Reds and I think it would be a cool job.”

19. If you could snap your fingers right now and change one thing to make Canada a better place in which to live, what would it be?

“Throw out the current Liberal government. I’m fed up, as are most Canadians. I can’t afford them anymore because of the waste, the corruption, my taxes.”

20. How do you see your career evolving in the future?

“I’m pretty happy right now. My business is turning along and I still stay very involved with politics at both the federal and provincial levels. I’m enjoying it. I’ve got the right mix.”

ROD LOVE CONSULTING
* Brass: Rod Love, president.
* Profile: Rod Love Consulting specializes in strategic planning, political and intergovernmental analysis, issues management, effective communications planning and media management. The company builds strategic alliances with firms, drawing on a network of contacts in governments and news organizations. It was incorporated in 1998.
* Address: 300,1210 8th St. S.W., Calgary, T2R 1L3.
* Phone/Fax: 403-228-6800/ 228-6885.

ROD LOVE
* Title: President, Rod Love Consulting Inc.
* Born/age: Yorkton, Sask./50.
* Education: University of Calgary, political science major; Banff School of Advanced Management (graduate); also studied at Exeter College, Oxford, England.
* Family: Wife Charlene, three children.
* Focus: Love is currently Alberta co-chair of the Conservative party’s election campaign.
* Career: Love founded Rod Love Consulting in 1998 after an 18-year career in public service at both the municipal and provincial levels. After working on Ralph Klein’s successful bid for mayor of Calgary in 1980, Love was appointed executive assistant to Klein, a post he held for nine years. In 1989, he was named executive assistant to Klein when the latter became Alberta minister of environment. Upon Klein’s swearing-in as Alberta's 15th premier in 1992, Love was appointed chief of staff to the premier, a post he held for six years.
* Moonlighting: Love is a member of the board of governors of the University of Calgary, a member of the board of directors of the Canada West Foundation and a recipient of the Governor General’s Medal for Outstanding Community Service (awarded on the 125th anniversary of Confederation).
* Boyhood hero: Gordie Howe.
* Passion: Golf.