TORIES PUT TAX HIKES ON THE LINE
Opposition calls May 5 election ‘ illegitimate’ as campaign begins
Premier Jim Prentice told Albertans Tuesday they will have to make a choice between an “honest plan” and “extreme ideas” when they go to the polls May 5, but his rivals say the PC leader has called “an illegitimate election” no one wants.
Calling a snap spring election a year before the province’s fixed election date, Prentice said the move is necessary to address a fiscal crisis triggered by the collapse of oil prices.
The Tory leader said Albertans have a $ 7- billion revenue problem only his March 26 budget can fix.
“Albertans have the opportunity to make a choice — a realistic, honest plan or frankly betting the future on some extreme ideas and ideologies,” Prentice told several hundred supporters at an Edmonton community hall as he launched his campaign.
“We’re putting our 10- year plan forward for the opposition to judge, for Albertans to see — and the opposition parties must do the same.”
The leaders of rival parties were quick to respond, attacking the Progressive Conservatives for dragging the province into a costly and needless election, rather than providing leadership when it counts. They targeted last month’s budget, which included an array of higher user fees, a new health care levy and increased gasoline, liquor, tobacco and income taxes.
Launching the Wildrose campaign in a Calgary park overlooking the Bow River, new party leader Brian Jean slammed Prentice for calling an “illegitimate election” and criticized the Tory budget’s tax hikes.
“Albertans know we need a strong opposition to keep the ( Tories’) feet to the fire ... if they are to form government,” he said.
The former Conservative MP from Fort McMurray made it clear that Wildrose is keen to campaign against Prentice’s budget.
“A vote for Wildrose is a vote for responsible financial management. A vote for any other party is a vote for much higher taxes,” he said.
In Calgary, NDP Leader Rachel Notley congratulated the premier for “coming up with some fun talking points” by attacking the opposition parties. But she said it’s not reality.
“You will see over time as we roll out our plan that it is fair, it is reasonable and it reflects the values and the hopes of working and middle- income families in Alberta,” Notley told reporters outside McDougall Centre. “That’s not extreme — that’s democracy.”
David Swann, interim leader of the Alberta Liberals, evoked the image of Martha and Henry — mythical everyday Albertans created by Ralph Klein in the 1990s — during the party’s campaign launch in downtown Calgary.
He said the PCs have “betrayed” the trust of Albertans over three decades by neglecting the environment and draining its savings.
“It’s time we got balance in this province,” said Swann. “We’re the only experienced progressive alternative to this PC government.”
Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark, who is seeking a seat in the legislature, told reporters outside his campaign headquarters in Calgary that the election marks the “beginning of the end” for the PC dynasty.
The 28- day election campaign sees the Progressive Conservatives seeking to extend their 44- year political dynasty and capture a 13th straight majority government. It comes at a time when the province’s population is still growing, but financial pressures caused by low oil prices are squeezing the government’s finances and triggering a record $ 5- billion budget deficit.
Prentice hit the campaign trail immediately following his Edmonton speech, with stops in Spruce Grove, Edson and Hinton before reaching Grande Cache, where he was raised.
The former federal cabinet minister, who took over the PCs last September, was greeted in Spruce Grove by a small crowd at Jack’s Drive- in.
Mayor Stuart Houston said the booming town west of Edmonton needs new schools.
“That really is Spruce Grove’s biggest issue right now,” he said. “We have 3,000 children in Spruce Grove up to four years old, so we’re looking forward to construction of two new schools.”
But some diners said they weren’t happy to hear the election call and they didn’t like Prentice’s budget last month.
“People are ready for a change,” said Lise Maisoneuvre, a former Calgarian who supports the Liberal party.
Peter Willott, who lives near Seba Beach, said he’s angry that Prentice called the election a year early to take advantage of the disarray on the opposition benches.
“It’s rather strange that one would call an election which costs more money when you are already short of money,” he said.
But Stony Plain MLA Ken Lemke said the PC government had an obligation to ask Albertans what they think of its plan to deal with the fiscal crisis.
Political analyst David Taras of Mount Royal University said the PCs are facing weak poll numbers for their new budget, which would normally cause a government to avoid heading to the ballot box. But the Tories have always managed to survive any political turbulence and succeed since taking power in 1971, he noted.