Rachel Notley, leader of the Alberta NDP, says anyone who heard her message should be careful. “Many people don’t remember, but six months before the last election, the UCP voted to increase benefits for vulnerable Albertans, only to break that promise within weeks of taking office,” he said. “What we just heard was Danielle Smith claiming she is going to reverse the affordability crisis the UCP government has contributed to by reversing its own bad decisions.” In her speech, Smith talked about payments to families, seniors as well as those on AISH, people on income support and people with developmental disabilities. He also plans to suspend the fuel tax, a move originally under the Kenney administration, for a period of six months. Also announced was an adjustment to the province’s support payments to adjust for inflation, discounts on electricity and utility bills and supports for food banks and low-income Albertans. “These are just the first steps and there is much more to do,” Smith said. “I will ensure every decision our government makes now until this crisis is beyond the reach of Albertans with the need for continued balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility.” Despite Smith’s promised support, Notley says Albertans can’t forget the past actions of the UCP government. “We couldn’t trust the UCP then and we certainly can’t trust them now,” she said, adding that a province with her party in control will be the action Albertans are looking for. “We’re going to take action on things you don’t have a choice to pay for, like groceries, utilities, insurance, gas, tuition and housing,” he said. “The Alberta NDP will deliver a stable, responsible government that supports a resilient economy – a government that attracts investment that promotes growth for our strategic sectors and creates good jobs and exciting opportunities every year.” Laurie Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, says the content of Smith’s speech covered what many Albertans expected to hear. “That’s good news I think for a lot of Albertans who are really struggling financially and it’s pretty targeted at those lower income groups, so that part of the announcement, I think is hopeful for Albertans,” he said. “Whether this will actually help in the long run, I think is the bigger question. “And certainly, Rachel Notley in her response raises questions about whether this will continue after the next election, and that’s a question I’m sure many Albertans are wondering.” Sometimes, spending pledges work, Williams says, but there’s a tough road ahead. “I think we’re dealing with more difficult challenges here. So promising spending, when that spending doesn’t actually make a difference in the next six months, some may question whether this government is capable of solving the problems and can be willing to look elsewhere for that,” she said. Williams says both Smith and Notley say, “You can trust me with the future of the province,” and both did. “Rachel Notley was taking advantage of what seems to be happening in a number of polls, that people see the NDP government as a little bit more stable and trustworthy,” Williams said. “He pointed out the promises that were made by the UCP before the last election and that those promises were broken after the election. And so it goes right to the questions that Albertans have about Danielle Smith.” “Daniel Smith is focusing in a way that is, I think, a great relief to some Albertans on some of the challenges they face in terms of affordability,” he continued. “But these bigger questions about the health care system, about Alberta’s economic future and the education system, those are things that she’s promised, but I think our longer-term solutions are going to be a big challenge for her in future.” The prime minister’s speech, which appeared as a paid ad on CTV, aired at 6:30 p.m. You can watch it in its entirety on CTV News Calgary. (With files by Jordan Kanygin)
I think it’s fair to say, Alberta, that the election campaign has unofficially begun with the appointed election day exactly six months and one week away. Two talks by party leaders that looked a lot like campaign speeches. #ableg #abpoli — Jordan Kanygin (@CTVJKanygin) November 23, 2022
