Election Slogans

Smoky Lake Signal Article No. 214 (March 28, 2012)

Whispering in the Wind

PROVINCIAL ELECTION DAY: APRIL 23, 2012

For those that haven’t heard; Premier Alison Redford met with Lieutenant Governor Donald Ethell and dissolved Alberta’s Legislative Assembly – the campaign has been officially declared and Albertans will be going to the polls on Monday, April 23. As the various party leaders unfold their platforms and declare their slogans, it is worth noting that prior to dissolution: the Alberta PCs held 66 of the 83 seats in the Legislative Assembly; the Liberals had 8 seats; the Wildrose had 4 seats; the New Democrats had 2 seats; along with 1 seat for the Alberta Party, 1 Independent seat and 1 vacancy. It is also worth noting that in the 2008 election; of the eligible voters in Alberta 40.6 percent voted with the Alberta PCs capturing 53.6 percent of that vote. In the 2012 election, 87 seats are up for grabs (up from 83) and I predict the individual constituency contests will be interesting if not nasty. Following are a few of my preliminary views on what is going on with the party leaders; remember, the games have just begun:

1. Alison Redford wants CHANGE – Last October, Alison Redford won the leadership of Alberta’s Progressive Conservative party based on her call for CHANGE and I suspect she will continue to call for CHANGE in this current campaign. In the lead up to this 2012 campaign Alison Redford has taken a lot of unwarranted, unjustified flack from the opposition parties; nevertheless she has addressed each one of the so called “scandals” with dispatch and with discipline – and that means CHANGE in some historical practices that appear to be entrenched in Alberta’s provincial governance.
2. Danielle Smith and the Wildrose party in their bid for electoral acceptance have generated a great deal of negative advertising and have labeled the PC party as a “Culture of Corruption” – a label that I personally find unacceptable, malicious and over the top – as well as reflective of the extremist politics that is so evident in the United States and elsewhere.
3. Raj Sherman, Alberta’s Liberal leader announced his “Yes” campaign recently and listed a number of issues that he wants to debate – including healthcare, tuition fees and reducing the number of MLAs in the Alberta legislature. Mr. Sherman does have a good understanding and some specific support in the healthcare sector, but enters the campaign as a Liberal without a full slate of Liberal candidates.
4. Brian Mason heads up the Alberta New Democrats and enters the 2012 campaign with the slogan: “Because Alberta Belongs to You – Let’s Fix Alberta.” Mr. Mason was the first leader to generate interest in escalating electricity rates and generated considerable interest throughout Alberta. The Alberta New Democrats are running a full slate of candidates with most of its apparent strength in Edmonton and northern Alberta. Last week a lot of political attention was paid to the election of Thomas Mulcair as head of the federal New Democratic Party. Mr. Mulcair has indicated that one of his political priorities is the Prairies – I wonder if Thomas Mulcair is going to be seen in Alberta over the next three weeks, giving Mr. Mason and Alberta New Democrats an important boost ?
5. The Alberta Party is headed by Glenn Taylor and has something like 27 candidates running in the 2012 campaign – no candidates are registered in northern Alberta. From my reading of the Alberta Party platform statement “We Can Dream Bigger” the prime focus seems to be on healthcare. What impressed me about the Alberta Party’s philosophy is that Albertans can work together and specifically doing it without negative advertising!