According to a Sun News Poll, the Wildrose Party has a ten point lead over the Progressive Conservative Party, which would indicate that the Wildrose Party is heading for a victory. The poll has the Wildrose Party at 41%, the Progressive Conservatives at 31%, the Liberals 11% and the NDP at 12%. In Calgary the Wildrose Party leads the Progressive Conservatives 44% to 29%, while in Edmonton the Progressive Conservatives have a seven point lead at 36% to 29%. Despite allegations and a smear campaign to paint the Wildrose Party and its supporters as intolerant and as bigots, both by the PC Party and Raj Sherman, Liberal Party Leader, who characterized the Wildrose as biots and the PCs at Bullies, there has been little impact in the mind of the voters overall. The biggest change was probably in the City of Edmonton, which is considered more liberal than Calgary.
On the campaign trail today, Danielle Smith addressed the issue of intolerance an bigotry head on. She insisted that the Wildrose Party would not suffer bigots.
"I'm leading a party that is open to all races, beliefs, and religions, and I unequivocally reject and denounce these charges against me or my party."
"Let me be perfectly clear, a Wildrose government will not tolerate discrimination against any individual based on their ethnicity, religion, beliefs, background, sexual orientation, or disability, period.
Wildrose has laid out a very clear, practical, and affordable plan for Alberta over the course of the campaign, while the increasingly desperate PCs have run up a $7-billion tab of unbudgeted campaign promises. But this election will also be a historic choice between the Redford PCs' plan to change our character to satisfy someone else's idea of who we should be, and a new Wildrose government that will uphold the traditions of tolerance and individual freedom that have been hallmarks of Alberta's character for over a century."
Danielle Smith addressed these issues early on in the campaign when she gave her stance on conscience issues. She stated that the was pro-choice an pro-gay marriage, and issue that has been long settled across Canada and during a forum at CBC Edmonton yesterday 19 April she referred to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, reminding the audience and viewers that those are already protected.
On Wednesday 11 April, Smith said when her party elected a leader it was clear to them that they elected a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage candidate.
"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." More Here
Danielle Smith couldn't make this more clear. These issues are nothing but a diversion from the real issues.
The fact is that the Redford Tories have run their course and their leader has been unable to connect with every day Albertans. Albertans don't want a flip flopping bureaucrat. They want a leader.
