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2023 Election

Alberta Institute – Provincial Election Roundup – Day 1

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Submitted by Alberta Institute

Campaign Roundup – Day 1:

  • The writs for the Alberta 2023 election were issued today, meaning the election campaign has officially begun.
  • The UCP kicked off their campaign with a big tax policy announcement, promising to lower taxes for every Albertan. Danielle Smith announced that, if reelected, the UCP would create a new 8% tax bracket, meaning that Albertans would only be taxed at 8% instead of 10% on the first $60,000 of their income. This would be a substantial saving for every Albertan, capped at a maximum of roughly $760 per year for those earning over $60,000.
  • The UCP also promised to index all tax thresholds for inflation and extend the Fuel Tax Holiday until December 31st, 2023, saving Albertans 13 cents per litre at the pump, approximately equivalent to the cost of the federal government’s carbon tax.
  • The NDP, by contrast, kicked off their campaign with a rally instead of a policy announcement. Rachel Notley didn’t commit to any specific action or platform item today, but promised to focus on what she believes to be Albertans’ priorities – health care, education, affordability, and job creation.
  • In a piece in The Hub, economist Trevor Tombe made the case that the election could be very tight. He argued that based on his projections, just a few hundred votes in a handful of ridings could be all it would take to change the outcome of the entire election.
  • Former Calgary Councillor, Jeromy Farkas, made the opposite argument on Real Talk with Ryan Jesperson, noting that based on his experience talking to Calgarians on the ground, he’s feeling things swing more back towards the UCP, with Danielle Smith dominating the airwaves, ensuring the media and public are talking about the issues she wants to be talking about, and quickly retaking control of the narrative when distractions come up.
  • Finally, if you don’t know who your local candidates are yet, there’s now a handy searchable database online with an interactive map. If you don’t know which riding you’re in yet, head to the Elections Alberta’s website to figure that out first.

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2023 Election

Campaign Update – Alberta Election 2023

Published on

From the Alberta Institute

Campaign Roundup – Day 25:

  • Pierre Poilieve, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, endorsed Danielle Smith. “[Notley] will help Trudeau attack the energy sector, putting you out of a job,” said Poilieve in a video message, adding that Smith would stand up for Alberta and fight the carbon tax.
  • Adriana LaGrange, UCP Candidate for Red Deer-North, noted that the NDP removed the Red Deer Hospital expansion from their capital plan in 2018 while the UCP has invested $1.8 million into the project.
  • NDP Candidates Sarah Hoffman (Edmonton-Glenora) and Jaelene Tweedle (Red Deer-North) promised to immediately increase funding by $100 million for children with complex needs. They also promised to modernize or build 125 schools.
  • Rachel Notley announced Bill 1, 2, and 3 of an NDP government. Bill 1 will be the “Save Albertans Money Act” and will include capping power bills and auto insurance, freezing tuition, and implementing $10/day childcare. Bill 2 would repeal the Sovereignty Act, and Bill 3 is designed to prevent any future government from leaving the Canada Pension Plan.
  • Shaun Fluker, the NDP Candidate for Airdrie-Cochrane, said yesterday that when he argued in favour of the No More Pipelines bill, that he was simply representing a client. More information has since come to light though, and it turns out that Fluker intentionally sought out that client.
  • The UCP promised to dedicate $80 million over four years to a fund that would build recreation facilities in growing communities.
  • UCP Candidates Brian Jean (Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche) and Rebecca Schulz (Calgary-Shaw) held a press conference in Calgary to highlight the NDP’s poor record on the economy and how the UCP will continue to move the province forward.
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2023 Election

Alberta Election Campaign 2023: Day 22

Published on

From the Alberta Institute

Campaign Roundup – Day 22:

  • It’s May long weekend, but that didn’t stop both parties from campaigning, as early voting begins tomorrow! To locate your advance polling station, you can use this tool from Elections Alberta.
  • A new Abacus Data poll suggests that province-wide, the UCP leads the NDP 51% to 47%, while in battleground Calgary, the UCP leads 51% to 46%. Those numbers still suggest a pretty tight race, but a significant improvement for the UCP since last week’s debate.
  • Leaders, candidates, and volunteers were out in swing ridings. Rachel Notley held a rally in Calgary-Acadia, where Diana Batten from the NDP is looking to take the seat from the UCP’s Tyler Shandro.
  • Nate Horner, UCP Candidate for Drumheller-Stettler, held a press conference. He spoke to the ways that his party plans to make life more affordable for Albertans, and reminded people about the NDP’s carbon tax. He said the UCP is “extremely bullish” on nuclear energy and that he never met a tax cut he didn’t like!
  • Brian Jean, UCP Candidate for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche, touted the benefits of the Film and Television Tax Credit in helping Alberta become a first-choice destination for producers.
  • A series of clever new signs had been popping up around the province, countering the NDP’s “What Will She Do Next?” attack ads, by explaining exactly what Smith will do next. The counter-signs appear to have been so effective that the NDP are now removing their original signs. There’s an old adage in politics – never ask an open-ended question, because it lets your opponent answer it!
  • Meanwhile, NDP-aligned Calgary City Councillor Kourtney Penner clearly didn’t get the memo from Rachel Notley about keeping the woke marxism quiet for another week… Councillor Penner took to twitter to call Calgarians who support holding a fireworks show on Canada Day racists. Yes, seriously! Our friends at Common Sense Calgary are running a petition to restore the fireworks show, which you can sign here.

  • Finally, in a sweet moment of putting aside differences, Danielle Smith wished a speedy recovery to Rachel Notley’s dog, who appeared to have been in a disagreement with a porcupine.

Support Our Work:

The Alberta Institute doesn’t accept any government funding and never will. We think you should be free to choose, for yourself, which organizations to support. If you’re in a position to contribute financially, you can make a donation here:

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