Fritz cruises to strong lead
Tory incumbent Yvonne Fritz surged to an early and commanding lead after the polls closed in Calgary Cross in what the veteran MLA said was a rejection of the Wildrose’s plan to disband the province’s human rights commission.
The former city councillor and cabinet minister said many voters in the ethnically-diverse riding were worried the upstart party’s plan would mean they would have to hire a lawyer if they lost their job because of discrimination.
“They were scared by the prospect of spending $800 an hour to go to court,” said Fritz, “instead of having commission staff help them reach a settlement.”
Wildrose candidate Happy Mann said scrapping the Alberta Human Rights Commission wasn’t an issue he heard about on the doorstep.
“I’m not conceding anything yet,” said Mann, “but I am willing an prepared to accept the voters’ verdict.”
Fritz won by over 2,400 votes in the last provincial election, but this time she was concerned-it-could be a squeaker. As the first results were toted on a giant board at her campaign headquarters, dozens of supporters cheered at numbers that showed her with twice the votes of her nearest competitor.
“I’m excited, thrilled even,” Fritz said. “The no-meet committee was a real issue for us at the outset, but things turned around when people started to look closely at the Wildrose policies.”
First elected in 1993, Fritz has served in a number of cabinet portfolios, and most recently as the minister of children and youth services.
Mann, a commercial realtor, was the centre of a controversy early in the campaign when it was revealed he was a named defendant in two lawsuits launches by disgruntled investors in a Calgary condominium project.
From conversations with a few of the 1,000-plus voters showed who streamed through the polls at Rundle School throughout the day it appeared strategic voting may have helped Fritz’ totals.
Jim Nguyen, 24, said he cast his ballot for the PCS in an effort to stop Wildrose.
“In my heart. I wanted to vote Liberal again,” said Nguyen, “but my head said I shouldn’t waste my vote.”
The Liberals were represented by Narita Sherman, an after care program director who is the niece of party Leader Raj Sherman.