Calgary may be the battleground in Alberta’s May 29 provincial election, but NDP Leader Rachel Notley stopped in Edmonton yesterday morning to tell a throng of supporters packed into the entrance hall of the Citadel Theatre in the city’s downtown what her party would do for Alberta’s nowadays-neglected capital city.
“Our moment is now,” Ms. Notley told the capacity crowd of the Alberta NDP’s plan “to build a better future for Edmonton.”
“We are going to invest $1.8 billion into this city over the next three years,” she said … interrupted by cheers … “creating 5,000 new jobs in the process.”
“We will build the new South Edmonton Hospital,” she continued, her emphasis reminding her listeners that while United Conservative Government talks about its plans for the facility, it’s stayed on the back burner since the UCP was elected in 2019.
“And we will get started on a new stand-alone Stollery Hospital, so no parent ever has to wait with their child in an overflowing Emergency Room,” she went on. The Stollery, Edmonton’s children’s hospital, is now part of the University of Alberta Hospital complex and another project unlikely to be started under the current government, vague promises notwithstanding.
“And we will build more affordable housing, thousands of new units and rental supports to lift people out of poverty and get them on the path to stable, healthy lives with more opportunity for everybody,” Ms. Notley said. (Most Edmontonians understand that affordable housing is part of the solution to the persistent social problems in the city’s downtown.)
“We will build and we will modernize, 40 schools,” Ms. Notley said – “schools in areas like the southwest, where Nathan Ip can tell you we desperately need them,” a tip of the hat to the former three-term school trustee and NDP candidate in Edmonton-South West, the only Edmonton riding to elect a Conservative in 2019. “No more ‘coming soon’ signs in empty fields. Just high-quality education for your children delivered by 4,000 more teachers!”
Mr. Ip, vice-chair of the Edmonton Public School Board, introduced Ms. Notley at yesterday’s event and is thought to have a strong chance to defeat controversial UCP minister Kaycee Madu.
Ms. Notley also promised an NDP Government would build “a brand-new advanced skills precinct at NAIT” – the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. There, she said, borrowing a page from the Joe Biden strategic handbook, “we will train thousands of new apprentices across all the skilled trades in partnership with unions and we will do that so that more Albertans can get good paying jobs that support their families and contribute to Alberta’s prosperity.”
The Opposition leader and former premier also promised to revitalize the capital city’s shabby downtown – neglected by successive Conservative governments, and lately supposedly the target of a law ’n’ order policing campaign by Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party. (Your blogger’s personal observation, as someone who walks through Edmonton’s downtown almost every weekday, including yesterday on the way to the Citadel, is that there is no sign of Ms. Smith’s claimed boots on the ground.)
“We’ll revitalize our downtown and support entrepreneurs and small business owners who – guess what? – won’t be paying any small business tax under an NDP government,” Ms. Notley promised. (We can talk another time about the merits of Alberta’s tax race to the bottom – it clearly resonates with voters.) “We will do all this without asking families to make sacrifices,” she added later.
“Instead, we will ask the biggest, most profitable corporations to pay their fair share.” The UCP, of course, will try its best to create the fear any tax increase – even a tiny one affecting powerful fossil fuel corporations making out like bandits in the currently troubled world economy – will put Alberta on the road to poverty and perdition.
Later in her remarks, the NDP leader turned to the elephant in the room of Alberta’s 2023 election: Premier Smith’s bizarre behaviour and many outrageous statements, and those of many of her candidates.
“My opponent, Ms. Smith, she doesn’t really like to talk that much about her team,” Ms. Notley observed. “The latest round of controversial comments coming from the UCP are ugly, embarrassing, and offensive.
“Just look at what’s been in the news. And look, also, at how Danielle Smith has responded.
“When her deputy premier is caught last week on video saying people should pay to visit Emergency Rooms, she claims it was made up. But it’s there. On film. (This is a reference of one of Ms. Smith’s two deputy premiers, Nathan Neudorf. The other is the aforementioned Mr. Madu.)
Ms. Notley continued: “When her candidate in Calgary-Fish Creek made deeply misguided and racist comments about black Albertans, she said … Nothing. At. All.” (That UCP candidate is Myles McDougall.)
“And when her candidate in Lacombe-Ponoka compared children to, you know, I don’t even want to say it,” Ms. Notley began – a reference to Jennifer Johnson, the UCP’s now-notorious transphobic “poop-cookie” candidate in Lacombe-Ponoka.
“Let me try again. When the UCP goes after some of the most marginalized kids in our province, and Danielle Smith waits days to respond! You know you have a leadership problem.
“And we know that. Because, you know the real problem, honestly … is the leader!
Premier Smith has said so many things, Ms. Notley explained, “all of them in high definition,” that it’s hard to know where to begin. “She goes out and she calls criminals to discuss their criminal charges, interfering in the justice system and breaking the law in the process. My friends, that is wrong, and she must be held accountable.
“We cannot let this become the new Alberta. We must stand together and defend the Alberta that we know and we live in – inclusive, welcoming, compassionate, anti-racist, and pro-trans-rights.”
Well, we’ll know in a few days how much respect Albertans have for each other, and for the rule of law.
The Citadel was the site of one of Ms. Notley’s largest and most enthusiastic rallies in the lead-up to the 2015 election – and we all remember how that one turned out. So perhaps the venue has a lucky vibe for the premier and her election team.
If anything, the crowd was bigger and more enthusiastic yesterday than in 2015 – so big, in fact, that the room was at capacity and even the fringiest outposts of the alt-right digital media had to admit that Ms. Notley’s supporters raised the roof.
I don’t think this province can tolerate much more of the intolerant UCP-TBA, its candidates and its leader. Let’s not forget the other elephant in the room. Smith is the party, its face and its voice. What she does and says reflects on them. They chose her as their shiny new leader just a few months ago.
If it’s not hot air coming from Smith, it’s smoke coming from the forest fires. Every day, a new scandal. The premier refused to call the federal government for a week to request help fighting the forest fires. The premier stayed silent after a candidate smeared trans children. The premier said the candidate wouldn’t be allowed to sit in caucus, then changed her mind after the leaders’ debate. Myles, Myles who?
Life after the election if Smith wins will bring more of the same, intensified. What about expanding that involuntary treatment plan of hers? Maybe toss gay kids in the slammer indefinitely for forced conversion therapy. Definitely privatize our medical system. She made a Coroplast promise not to do that, and we learned from Jason Kenney that Coroplast promises mean the opposite. Does she really think we’re that stupid? Yes, of course she does. The smartest man in the room is now a woman. We’re being duped, and her duping delight is showing. Smug, smirking Smith.
With Rachel Notley, and the NDP, I have hope for a better Alberta. In Rachel Notley, I see the closest thing to Peter Lougheed. With Danielle Smith and the UCP, I see pretend conservatives and Reformers, who will continue to allow for very bad oil royalty rates, very bad corporate tax rates, which will lose us hundreds of billions of dollars, more very pricey shenanigans, which will also cost us billions, a damaged public education and public healthcare system, so they can be privatized, increased costs of insurance, tuition, and utilities, a damaged environment, more job losses, including through massive layoffs, increased crime, and increased poverty. Danielle Smith and the UCP will be as bad as Ralph Klein was. He did those very things that the UCP are doing wrong.
David, t’was a pleasure to meet you yesterday at the NDP Party rally. An enthusiastic group of people! I sincerely hope for the sake of Albertans and Canadians across the country that the NDP wins the upcoming Alberta election. The NDP platform is full of hope for those working in education, medicine, construction, and seniors, and parents and the tone of the platform is one of inclusivity, intelligence, thought and hope. If the NDP platform is overall positive, then why the support for the UCP amongst many people in Alberta? Graham Thompson’s analysis that one explanation for the UCP support is that tribalism is alive and well in Alberta. Conservatives have bragged for years that theirs is a “big tent party.” This tent includes people who hold extreme views; views that are dangerous, yet conservatives have welcomed these people into their party to gain and maintain power at the cost of the red tory underpinning of their original political organization. This has resulted in conservative parties that promote intolerance, reducing women’s rights, normalizing lying, intimidation, undermining everything that is the public trust, and thinking that anything that has to do with community, collectivity, sharing, caring, and plurality is distasteful and just plain wrongheaded. Currently American conservatives (who Smith has stated publicly that she wants to emulate the likes of DeSantis from Florida) are attempting to undermine the FDA to question the efficacy of all scientists and all doctors. Why? Is is because they want a world whereby the idea that science has done anything to help humans is a lie. Imagine a world where doctors and scientists are seen as pariahs. Smith certainly does not think scientists of doctors have any legitimacy as per her statements regarding the Covid virus, cancer, and her suggestions to remedy these serious conditions. But that is the UCP shtick, make light of everything, make people feel completely expendable; humans exist only to make make money full stop. That the position to destroy everything is supported by many religious zealots is beyond rational understanding – it is utter madness. The idea that the UCP may well form the next government in Alberta (these UCP people do not even believe in government – rather they are in it for power, perks and money) does not make me feel happy about our possible future – a future whereby those who do not support Canada, tolerance, seniors, nor support those who work in the medical and education fields, children, the legal system and so on take control of Alberta and undertake their mission to destroy the populace of Canada. If Smith and her ilk are in power during the next pandemic, it will be illegal to get a vaccine. If you are not a fascist Christian and your family members do not fit within what Smith and her supporters deem acceptable, you will be made into a villain, or worse. Alberta will descend into a place of hell for everyone who voted for the NDP because the UCP supporters are enraged and deeply want to destroy everything the NDP stands for and if a few million people are in their way, so be it. Henceforth, should the UCP take control of Alberta, the people of the UCP will bring a dark ages to the citizens of Canada.
Goethe: It was a pleasure meeting you, too. DJC
The popularity of the low-tax narrative proves what respected Calgary pollster Janet Brown has said about Alberta’s political leanings. She has said that Albertans aren’t truly fiscally conservative — they are tax-averse. They want champagne government services on a beer budget — and not pricy, small batch craft beer, but the cheapest mass market swill you can buy.
The prevailing attitude here is that we have this vast underground resource that will go on forever funding our government indefinitely, and so we don’t really need a tax regime that fully funds our public services. It’s absurd, of course, but that’s where the voters’ heads are. Challenge that at your peril.
In our area, neighbours exert pressure on neighbours posting UCP signs. How can anyone want to continue a legacy wacko, anti-science, goof ball crooks? It seems that a rethink and reflection is making those offensive UCP markers come down. That is a huge lift for us sober souls, it may take us back, after some time to the dignity, frugality, and wealthy days of the Social Credit (forever NDP since Grant Notley and his capable, honest, devoted daughter).
You need to volunteer for your local NDP! Losing the last Canadian team in the playoffs was a downer, but we only have to wait one more year for renewed HOPE. But the thought of 4 years of a UPC government is unbearable. DS says Albertans are her boss now not her personal opinions -unsaid is if UPC gets in , she’ll claim that shows her Albertans support these scary wrecking Alberta plans!
My GP of 35 years was despondent about the consequences of a UPC government on the health system. Floated UPC reimagined healthcare experiments may result in jeopardizing our health and costly fixes for personal or the public pocketbook. Similarly in the education system, cutting aides for special needs students means all your kids and grandkids suffer as the teacher workload increases. Then inadequately taught students and the resulting possible lack of skills and/or sense of failure that brings, can only bring a dent economically to the province through remediation costs such as social services. Are UPC voters not considering this endgame ? I can hope for a year, but 4 years? Turning off the news or moving sadly seem a great option.
As someone who works and spends a quite a bit of time in downtown Edmonton, the decline became noticeable shortly after the UCP came to power. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Of course downtown Calgary hasn’t exactly thrived during this period either. It is a result of a party that doesn’t care much about or understand urban places.
It would be good to get hospitals such as in south Edmonton and Red Deer built, that were cancelled and postponed by the UCP. I believe Smith disingenuously tried to take credit for a lot of new schools opening during the debate, schools that were actually planned and funded by the previous NDP government. For all her talk about the NDP record, she seems to ignore everything that does not fit her preconceived message.
Smith’s message about the economic cost of increasing taxes on large companies is also disingenuous. She neglects to mention the proposed rates will still be lower than other provinces. Does she really expect us to believe these companies are going to leave to go to places with still higher taxes? Of course she also forgets to ever mention or acknowledge the NDP proposed tax cut for small businesses.
It is very hard to win an argument with someone who has a tenuous relationship with reality or the truth. However an election is really not about that. It is about presenting voters with better and more realistic options.
Dave: The last time downtown Edmonton was this bad was when William “Booster Bill” Smith was mayor. It made some progress under a couple of mayors after that but, you’re right, it’s become noticeable under the UCP. You can blame COVID for some of that, and the last bust, and you can blame the Edmonton Police Service for doing a terrible job of patrolling downtown – recently, I suspect, to help the UCP make its “social disorder” case. But there’s no question Alberta’s capital city has been neglected by the UCP, because it votes NDP and because they can. DJC
I know it’s conspiratorial but I absolutely think the UCP has been working in concert with the EPS to ratchet up the social disorder and make the case that these “liberal enclaves” are all falling apart because of their lack of morals and make us beg for a police crackdown.
They do it elsewhere, they’re smart enough to figure it out here too.
I feel like I’m one of the few folks who remember UCP cuts to Edmonton’s operating budget and the dregs of the Iveson admin putting that directly on the backs of the maintenance budget. Sick of trash everywhere ? Want to see weed abatement and a return to what downtown used to be ? Vote out the UCP. People forget a lot in four years but it was not like this under the previous administration(s)
Jay I knew Grant Notley when I lived in Peace River and was very impressed with him. He understood why I wasn’t voting for him while Lougheed’s energy minister Bill Dickie was a brother in-law of one of my uncles. I got the feeling that he agreed with what Peter Lougheed was doing for , us just like a former Social Credit MLA I met after being transferred to Devon from Peace River . He made no bones about it he liked what Lougheed was doing and told me years later that he was certain that it was because of Lougheed that the social credit party was disbanded. To many of them agreed with Lougheed.
Alan K. Spiller: I have heard Peter Lougheed say that the reason why he couldn’t support the Reform Party, was because it reminded him of the Social Credit Party he worked so hard to replace. I’ve even heard of other Peter Lougheed MLAs endorsing Rachel Notley and the NDP. When you look at Postmedia newspapers, they have their “expert” columnists, such as Licia Corbella, Lorne Gunter, Jack Mintz, and David Staples all championing the UCP. People fall for their lies, and anyone who calls them out on it, gets called very horrible names.
Well, I don’t know if our host knows me. But I’m here to say we have likely been beaten! Back many years ago I raged in my youth, for Rachel to take the reigns. She did and she won! This is my thank you. Unless a miracle? We done like dinner!
Well the great northern is havin’ a laugh! I”d like one to, but I’m downed by your kind! Let’s heal up, then when I’m better? We’ll finish up where ever you like!
Let’s hope the RCMP , before the election, can finally make a decision on the 2019 election and prove how crooked the UCP were in winning it. I don’t know why it’s taken so long. Even retired RCMP officer friends can’t explain it. There is no question these Reformers have a lot of ignorant media people helping them spread their lies. After living in St. Alberta for 14 years and having no problem getting my letters printed in the St. Albert Gazette, now they refuse to print anything bad said about their pals these Reformers, and ignore the fact that there is nothing conservative about them. People have told me that they agree with me and have refused to buy their papers. Apparently the gazette doesn’t care what these reformers have done to the people. I also wish doctors and nurses would state if they will be willing to stay and work under Smiths rule or if they will leave. One doctor I helped leave after Klein was re elected said it best “ Why should I stay and support my patients when they won’t support me against this tyrant Ralph Klein. I’m not going to stay here for another four years and let him abuse me, and I’m not alone”. Doctors told me that Albertans came very close to seeing their health care system completely shut down because of what Klein was allowed to do to us.
Alan K. Spiller: I don’t think the UCP will use honesty to get back into power. Like yourself, I wonder why the R.C.M.P investigation into the UCP’s leadership race is taking such a long time. Did you also see the provincial election debate? I did, and Danielle Smith was lying like a sidewalk.
DJC- Question; you’ve been in Alberta for a number of yrs, so I’d like your take on the ‘new’ Google pic of Danielle. This version just appeared about a week ago, ala wikipedia .
Goethe: every time I hear the expression “big tent party” ,I cringe . My first introduction to them was from a favorite author at the time, John Jakes. I can’t remember the particular book, but it was about how the ‘preachers’ in the deep south realized that you could use the bible, a little bit of showmanship a few paid actors, and guess what, those pennies added up really quickly. Ramp up the fire and brimstone, you could get even more. Somethings never change. D’rump and Skippy are prime examples of that- rage, rage, gaslight, more rage, only I can fix it, sign up, donate here ‘common people’.
And imho Dani & the Misfits 《unfit》are just another group taking advantage of the gullible, along with their ‘bigly’ crowds. So does she, or her comms team actually read the posts on her Twitter page. There are fires burning, and I haven’t seen any mention from her about them. I guess she’s leaving that in Mr Lowen’s capable hands ?; ..while she’s working on the Edmonton area voters. If the shoe was on the other foot, well….!!!
Hope you all get some of that promised rain… (sans the lightning) .
Randi-lee: Re that photo, it’s not very flattering, but it does have a Creative Commons license, so anyone may use it with attribution. I’m sure that in addition to the fact it’s fairly recent, that’s the main reason Wikipedia chose it. DJC
DJC, I think you were looking at a different pic than the one I was referring to. I was referencing the “Blonde ” one that comes up when you Google search DS, but it has all the current data, re: Premier of AB etc., it’s when you tap wikipedia that you get the correct current pic. I thought I remember reading last yr about someone from the US by that name, saying “no I’m not from AB, so a little more research today and came across some interesting info. Danielle Smith-llera ,just happens to have a book out called – The Cherokee: The Past and the Present.
Hmmm, I feel a trip to the library might be in order??
Might give some people ideas, and I do try to do my homework,; one never knows what you can find with a little research. In the meantime, yes I am amused.