Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, left, interviews Alberta Premier Danielle Smith at an economic forum in Calgary, on April 18. The city will play a decisive role in determining which party forms government in the provincial election next month.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
The leaders of Alberta’s two main political parties touched on how they would secure Calgary’s long-term economic success Tuesday afternoon, with both politicians reiterating campaign-style promises in hopes of winning support from the downtown audience.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in discussion with Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek, underlined her pledge to send more money generated from education and property taxes back to the municipalities in which the cash is collected.
The Premier noted the province rakes in about $2.5-billion from the taxes, while transferring about $1.4-billion to the municipalities that collect the money.
“We should try to find a way to bridge that gap,” Ms. Smith said to the crowd of about 1,500 gathered at a Calgary Economic Development event.
Official Opposition Leader Rachel Notley, meanwhile, highlighted the New Democratic Party’s plan to match Calgary’s $200-million investment to revitalize the downtown by converting office space to residential quarters. She also pledged to spike Ms. Smith’s signature sovereignty act in order to attract investment to the province. She called the legislation “ridiculous” and said ditching the act would provide stability for potential investors.
Alberta is tentatively scheduled to go to the polls May 29, although Ms. Smith is not expected to officially call an election until May 1. The United Conservative Party and NDP, however, have been making campaign-style appearances for weeks and Calgary will play a decisive role in determining who forms government. Alberta’s urban centres are considered more progressive than their rural counterparts, and Ms. Smith’s UCP is expected to shed support in Calgary.
Ms. Gondek also interviewed Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley at the same event.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
There are 26 seats in Alberta’s largest city and the governing UCP won 23 of them in 2019. The party’s popularity in Calgary stumbled under former premier Jason Kenney and Ms. Smith, with a focus on rural Alberta, has not been able to woo those disaffected urban residents back into the conservative fold. Edmonton is considered a NDP stronghold, while the UCP has a lock on rural support. Suburban seats around Edmonton and the two seats in Lethbridge are considered competitive races.
The UCP and NDP are both trying to win over urban voters by promising more police officers.
Ms. Smith, in early April, promised Alberta would pay for 100 more street-level officers in Calgary and Edmonton. The new officers would be added over 18 months, the government said. Concurrently, the UCP tried to paint their left-leaning opponents as undermining law enforcement by supporting defund the police campaigns. The government also earmarked cash to support crisis teams in the cities.
Ms. Notley, less than two weeks later, countered with a pledge to add 150 new officers and 150 support workers, such as mental health specialists and addictions counsellors, in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Red Deer, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Fort McMurray and elsewhere.
Hiring new officers, however, requires more than just cash. Calgary Police Chief Mark Neufeld said his force expects to bring on 135 officers this year in light of resource and training constraints.
Ms. Smith, at the conference Tuesday, reminded the audience and the mayor of her support to build a new downtown events centre to replace the Saddledome.
The premier also reiterated the UCP’s strategy to deal with mental health and addictions, which is focused on recovery over harm reduction. The Globe and Mail on Tuesday reported the government is considering legislation that would broaden the circumstances under which someone could be involuntarily taken into treatment.
Ms. Notley, meanwhile, pointed to support for postsecondary institutions to expand their footprints downtown.
Ms. Smith and Ms. Notley both shared the stage with Ms. Gondek, although not at the same time.