In the province where the Progressive Conservatives (PC) have ruled for over 41 years, elections have always seemed to be dry where the opposition was no real competition for the incumbents. In fact, it became so predictable that in 2008, 60% of the voters simply chose to not show up to vote. Here is what makes this election exciting and why you should pay attention:
The Leaders
- Very recently, the Tories chose their new leader, Alison Redford and for the first time in the party’s history, a female member has been chosen leader after she overcame the very popular Gary Mar in a surprise victory. Moreover, it is widely believed that she is essentially a liberal-minded leader or a “Red Tory.”
- The leader of the Wildrose Alliance, Danielle Smith has been going around Alberta for the past two years. She has been seen to be a very charismatic and passionate leader and has been able to steer her party to one of the frontrunners in this election. Also, it will be interesting to see two female members run the campaigns in a traditionally conservative Alberta: to me, it looks like change is here.
- The Liberals recently chose Dr. Raj Sherman as their leader. This part time ER doctor has extensive experience in the healthcare field; in fact, he resigned from his position in the Tory government because of disagreements on the wait times in the province. Again, it is interesting to see a member of a visible minority group leading a party in a traditionally conservative Alberta.
The Issues
- It seems that people are no longer very happy with what the Tories have done during their last term. The government has been rocked with several scandals. Most importantly, the issue of MLAs skipping the queue in healthcare facilities. Moreover, as the province cut funding to schools, parents and teachers are not very happy either.
- Oil and gas have been the major issues in any debate about Alberta’s debate. The Tory government has been constantly attacked from international organizations for the maltreatment of the oil sands. The Liberals and NDP have pledged strong measures in order to protect the environment while the Conservatives and Wildrose are strong supporters of the oil sands.
- Alberta has had a fifth straight financial deficit year and this has got Albertans worried. While the Tories have promised that there will be no tax increases, the NDP and Liberals have advocated for corporate tax increases and a higher share for the economy from the oil sands royalties.
All in all, it seems like this will be a competition between the two right-wing parties but in no way does one party have an edge over the other and it will be interesting to see over the next month what issues people are concerned about. Above everything, it is important that we remain informed and make our decisions in an intelligent and informed manner.