Leaders’ wheels reveal a lot about party finances

PC steamroller enjoys huge edge, writes Graham Thomson.

Progressive Conservative Leader Jim Prentice has a campaign motorcoach.

Wildrose Leader Brian Jean has a campaign RV. NDP Leader Rachel Notley has a campaign minivan.

And Liberal Leader David Swann is using “private transportation.”

If you want to know how this election campaign started and where it’s going, you need only look at how each leader is getting around.

The PCs have a huge war chest with enough money to lease a nice, big, comfy bus adorned with huge pictures of Prentice and the slogan, “Choose Alberta’s Future.”

The Wildrose can’t afford a bus this time and has downsized to a recreational vehicle — one with a paint job featuring Jean and the slogan “Standing Up for Albertans.” The NDP can only afford a minivan, one decorated in NDP colours with a picture of Notley.

Liberals don’t even have a campaign bicycle — or a new leader. David Swann is smart, credible and the nicest guy in Alberta politics, but as leader, he is a retread — having served as Liberal leader from 2008 to 2011 before being recalled as interim leader this year when Raj Sherman stepped down.

The only thing Swann has in common with his better- funded and more popular counterparts is that this is the first time any of them have led their parties into an election. A year ago, Dave Hancock was PC leader ( after the sudden resignation of Alison Redford); Danielle Smith was Wildrose leader; Brian Mason was head of the NDP and Raj Sherman was Liberal leader.

Today, all the major parties are being navigated by new captains. This election campaign is the battle of the leadership rookies — and that includes Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark.

That’s not to say they are political neophytes. Both Prentice and Jean are former MPs and colleagues in Stephen Harper’s federal Conservative caucus; Notley has proven herself one of the most capable MLAs in the legislature; Swann was an able critic of the government even before becoming an MLA in 2004; and Clark finished a close second behind Education Minister Gordon Dirks in last October’s Calgary- Elbow byelection.

But they are not equals, not in terms of political power or campaign money.

That was clear the moment Prentice stepped up to the podium in an Edmonton community hall Tuesday morning to announce the election was underway.

“This is the challenge for all those who want to lead our province,” declared Prentice to a room packed with supporters.

“They must tell the truth to Albertans about how they will address the $ 7- billion shortfall that we face in our public finances. They must tell the truth and they must tell it early so Albertans have the opportunity to judge their plan and their solutions.”

The PC launch was bigger, flashier and had more news media than any other campaign kickoff. But Prentice and the PCs have known exactly when, where and how they would start the campaign. And, of course, they have all the weight, prestige and power associated with being the governing party.

Despite enacting fixed election legislation several years ago that dictated the election wouldn’t come until 2016, the PCs broke the spirit of the law to launch an election campaign when it suited them best.

That meant opposition parties have been playing a guessing game the past few months, trying to figure out how and when to spend their relatively modest campaign budgets.

And then there was Prentice’s challenge to his opponents to come up with an election platform “early.” This from a man who has known precisely when he would be calling an election and who has used taxpayers’ money and his power as premier to sell his provincial budget — a. k. a. his election platform — the past 10 days.

Prentice and the PCs have known exactly when, where and how they would start.