I Never thought I'd Vote PC - What will they think of Next

This is an interesting video, which, according to a group of young people, is not associated to a particular party.  The video asks those on the left and centre left to vote for the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. 

While the PC party says it has nothing to do with the video, Alison Redford said she hoped people would vote PC.  That sounds like a desperate move by a party that has led Alberta for 41 years.  One thing is clear this is no longer the party of Ralph Klein.

Leaders of the NDP and Liberal Party of Alberta urged voters to stick with their initial parties and not vote strategically. 

The complete election campaign has gone off message and is now concentrating on controversial remarks made by members of both the Alison Redford's Tories and the Wildrose Party.  Even the mayors of Alberta's two largest cities have weighed in.

Time to get back on the issues.

Alberta Campaign Trail - Rhetoric and Accusations Heat Up

 With Just a few days left until Albertans go to the poll, it appears that the forerunner in the polls has come under attack for social issues and allegations that they are hiding to protect their lead.  Election campaigns are hectic and often there are scheduling conflicts.  The attack on social issues, quite frankly is a side show.  These are issues that have been settled years ago and are well protected in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

Below are the results of a poll conducted by Inside Forum and a seat projections if an election were held on that day.  Danielle Smith's Wildrose Party still holds a seven point lead over Alison Redford's Tories and the seat projection indicates that the Wildrose Party could gain a possible majority.  You can expect even more knives to come out in the next few days.  Beware of election promises that aren't funded. 

Date                       ABP     LIB     NDP     PC     WR     OTH    Insight Forum Poll
2012/04/16               2         10        12        33       40         2        

Date                       ABP     LIB     NDP     PC     WR     OTH    Seat Projection
2012/04/16     -                     1          5        32       49   

Danielle Smith was accused of dodging an interview with Global TV, when she said she couldn't appear for a live interview this morning.  To deconflict the scheduling problem,  she did a taped interview last night, which was aired by both Global Edmonton and Global Calgary.

Smith explained that she has been arranging pre-taped interview lately because of travel conflicts.  She noted that she needed at least five hours of sleep.  With the hectic of the campaign during the last week this is understandable.  Canadidates, and particularly leaders, are trying to meet as many people as possible.

During the interview at Global Calgary, Smith was asked about candidates that have come under fire for recent controversial remarks.

“I guess I don’t expect politicians to be perfect, and I don’t think Albertans expect politicians to be perfect.  It may well be that we have candidates who could take a little bit more media training and be able to express themselves better.  Part of what we’re bringing to politics, is that we’re not bringing career politicians. We’re bringing together regular men and women who want to get into public office for the right reason, they want to do a public service.  From time to time they’re going to make mistakes, and I’m prepared to forgive some of those mistakes and I think the public is too.” 

This is the line Danielle Smith has taken all along.  Voters will make the decisions on the individual candidates.  It is time for the candidates to get back to the issues and quit the side shows.  Each party has controversial candidates.

 

Alberta Election - On the Campaign Trail April 16th

With an additional unprecedented $7 Billion in promises, Wildrose leader Danielle Smith has asked Alison Redford's Progressive Conservatives to come clean on how this would be paid for.  Redford was in a rush to pass a budget prior to dropping the writ. 

While Allan Hunspergers remarks, made in the capacity of a Fundamentalist church pastor are still being kept alive by Redford, the media and he LBGT community, Danielle Smith has stayed on message with the Wildrose platform.  Redford was apparently shocked by the remarks, even though she has a candidate, Ted Morton, in her party with similar radical views.  Smith has made her stance on conscience issue very clear by stating that a Wildrose government would not legislate on conscience issues.  Allan Hunsperger also committed to supporting the party platform in a brief statement yesterday.

"I love people and everybody, I have no intolerance about anyone, but I do have a personal religious view.  My views were my personal religious views.  I also agree with the leader, and Danielle Smith says the Wildrose will not be legislating on contentious social issues."

Danielle Smith, once again reiterated her commitment not to legislate conscience issues.

 "I believe in freedom of religion, and I do believe that religious people do have an opportunity, and should run for public office.  What they believe in their own religious private practice is none of my business," Smith stated. "As a political leader the separation of church and state is there for a reason. We do not want the state interfering in the private religious affairs of our citizens."

Smith previously stated that she was pro-choice and pro-gay marriage.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is well entrenched and he Supreme Court of Canada has ruled on issues like abortion and gay rights.  Time to give the fearmongering a rest. 

Redford came under fire yesterday for comments she apparently made at a private fundraiser.  According to a fundraiser attendee, Redford said that she was still dealing with negative impacts from Klein’s cost-cutting during his reign from 1992-2006.  Klein is suffering from dementia and obviously can't defend himself.  Klein imposed some difficult budget cuts, balanced the budget and ensured that Alberta was debt free, something strange to the PC party now. 

As Redford often does, she reacted.  The comments and criticism caused her to issue a press release.

“There have been questions raised about my commitment to Premier Klein and his legacy. I think it is important to remember, I have been a loyal PC member for the past 32 years, including Premier Klein’s tenure.”

A long time friend of Ralph Klein, with no association to the Wildrose party, criticized Redford's remarks.

 “Leave Ralph Klein alone.  When it comes to Ralph, I am non-partisan. Just leave him alone. This is a man who can’t speak for himself.”

Danielle Smith came under fire for comments she made questioning climate change and said her party would scrap a Progressive Conservative plan to capture greenhouse gases.  She said she would scrap the Progressive Conservative plan to capture greenhouse gases.  She said that she was not denying climate change, but didn't believe in footing a $2 Billion bill on something that is not totally understood.

"We've always acknowledged that our world is in a long-term transition away from carbon fuels.  In the meantime, we want to provide supports to consumers to be able to find energy efficiencies so than can reduce the amount of energy, and amount of emissions." 

Smith said that her government would offer tax rebates to Albertans who made their homes more energy efficient. 

This is without a doubt the most exciting election campaign in Alberta in four decades.  A poll released yesterday has the Wildrose leading with 43%, the PCs at 39%, with Liberals and NDP at 11 and 9% respectively.   The election is on Monday, April 23rd

Alison Redford Shocked at Bigoted Remarks

Alison Reford said she was shocked at the bigoted blog by Wildrose Alliance candidate Allan Hunsperger.  She has attempted to put "Conscience Issues" front and centre in the Alberta election campaign in an effort to paint the Wildrose Alliance Party as a party to be afraid of.

Hunsperger commented in his blog in June 2011, using Lady Gaga's album "Born this Way"

 "You see, you can live the way you were born, and if you die the way you were born then you will suffer the rest of eternity in the lake of fire, hell, a place of eternal suffering."

The comments were a criticism of the Edmonton School Divisions views  of accepting students for who they are.

Redford, once the blog went viral weighed into the conversation stating that the comments were shocking and the fact that there are people that think that's a legitimate perspective blew her mind.

"The fact that there are people who think that's a legitimate perspective just absolutely blows my mind.  I think they're shocking and I think it goes back to Albertans are about to decide who is going to govern their province. They are going to have to decide who their premier is. They're going to have to decide who the cabinet is.    If we have people like this making these sorts of comments in Alberta I think it's absolutely wrong and of course I disagree with it."

Naturally she should disagree with it and so do most Albertans, one would think.  Alison Redford, however, should remember that people that live in glass houses should not throw rocks.  In her own party she has Ted Morton, who has been a leadership candidate twice, most recently he ran against Redford and has also held a myriad of portfolios.  He resigned as Finance Minister prior to running in the recent PC leadership race.

When Morton was first elected to the Legislature he introduced, as his first piece of legislation, Bill 208  “Protection of Fundamental Freedoms (Marriage) Statute Amendment Act," which proposed three amendments to the existing Marriage, School and Human Rights, Citizenship & Multiculturalism Acts.  An excerpt from Thompson House, "Constructing Morton" is below:

"Bill 208 (his first), the “Protection of Fundamental Freedoms (Marriage) Statute Amendment Act.” It proposed three amendments to the existing Marriage, School and Human Rights, Citizenship & Multiculturalism Acts, and did not comment on the legality of samesex marriage. It stated that no one would be forced to officiate at a same-sex marriage, no one would be penalized for speaking against same-sex marriage, and no teacher would be compelled to teach nor any student compelled to learn that marriage can exist between two people of the same sex."

Danielle Smith has been very clear about "Conscience Issues"

"When our members elected me they knew they were electing a candidate that was pro-choice and pro-gay marriage.  The only way we're going to be able to become a mainstream, big-tent conservative party capable of forming government is to focus on the issues that matter to Albertans. If I am elected premier, a Wildrose government will not be legislating in areas of morality."

 "I think what you see normally when a conservative challenger comes up, you see this very commonly that these kinds of issues are brought up to fearmonger.  We saw it with Preston Manning, with Stockwell Day, we saw it with Stephen Harper so it actually doesn't surprise me that it has come up this election but it does disappoint me."  Read Danielle Smiths Position on Conscience Issues Here


The point is that Danielle Smith has pledged that these issues would not be legislated by her party, but Alison Redford, who is trailing in the polls continues to rekindle them.  Voters have a choice in Hunspergers riding, they can either vote for him or not.  His personal point of view has nothing to do with party policy, just as Ted Morton's are not the policy of the Progressive Conservative Party. After all his Bill 208 went nowhere.


The lesson to be taken from this is that every party has their thorns in the side.  Redford's party is by no means clean.   So perhaps Alison Redford should stop the fear mongering and stick to the real issues.  Just as a reminder those are Health Care, Deficits and Education.

Alberta Election: Are Conscience Issues Bogus?

With the Alberta election less than two weeks away, the initial momentum enjoyed by the Wildrose party seems to be shifting, with latest polls indicating a neck on neck race.  While the Wildrose Party campaigned primarily on fiscal issues, the question of conscience entered the race after a question raised by  a Calgary blogger, Jane Cawthorne, on each parties position on abortion.  The Wildrose response:

“The legalities of abortion fall under federal jurisdiction. We respect that Albertans view social issues differently, which is why Wildrose would immediately introduce legislation allowing citizens to put issues like abortion to a citizen-initiated referendum.”

Although there was an immediate clarification by Danielle Smith on the issue, the question and responses appear to have raised doubt in the minds of the electorate. 

 “Citizen initiative is and has always been an important part of the Wildrose platform.  However, any initiative must first be vetted by a federally-appointed judge to determine whether or not it is constitutional.”

Alison Reford is using the Wildrose conscience policy as a wedge issue and it appears to be working.


“I was absolutely amazed we were having this conversation in Alberta because I believe that all Albertans want to live in a place where we respect each other, where we feel safe,”

Is the issue of conscience right bogus?  You bet it is.  First of all the rights of marriage commissioners and doctors is already enshrined.  Abortions, which are mostly performed in larger centres like Edmonton and Calgary, have doctors that don't object to these procedures.  Marriage Commissioners are not in the employ of the Alberta government and get paid by the clients who hire them to perform their marriages.

" For practical purposes, the issue doesn’t actually mean much. Health care providers already have conscience clauses codified in their own standards of practice. Both the Alberta College of Pharmacists, and the College of Physicians and Services allow practitioners to opt-out of procedures or services that they find personally problematic. However, health care workers must then refer patients to other facilities."  National Post

Despite the fact that marriage commissioners can already opt out of performing marriage for same sex couples, there have been no complaints in the Province from couples about commissioners who are unwilling to marry them. 

The issue, IMHO, has been fabricated, strays from the real issues of property rights, civil liberties, fiscal irresponsibility and general arrogance of Tories, who seem to think they have an entitlement to govern.  Instead of discussing the overspending culture of Progressive Conservatives, it appears that fear mongering is right out the playbook of Liberals in Central Canada and Obama Administration in the U.S. 

Perhaps Albertans should be afraid of Alison Redford, who is a big "Progressive" and very little "conservative."  Let's just remember that both the Liberal Party and New Democratic Parties of Alberta are not a home for someone with political ambition in Alberta.  The Progressive Conservative Party has become the home of ambitious Liberals.  

The past two weeks have been full of promises and more spending, despite the rush to passing a budget prior to the election.  Voters should take a look at the various party platforms and make up their minds.  Don't let bogus issues determine how you vote.  

Check out the Party Platforms

Thursday, April 12th, will be the Leader's Debate, broadcast from 6:30 pm to 8 pm.  Get engaged and watch it.  After the debate there are eleven more days to pose direct questions to the leaders.  First and foremost get out and vote.