On Monday, May 29, 2023, Alberta's election occurs. It is my belief this election holds the power to send ripples throughout our society, generations into the future. On one side, we have Rachel Notley and the Alberta NDP, on the other is Danielle Smith and her UCP. However, there are 2 versions of Danielle Smith to contend with.
First, it seems our impression of the NDP in Alberta is one of the far left. This is simply not so. I recognize the Alberta NDP share a name and banner with the federal NDP, but that is where the similarities end. The Alberta NDP are far more centrist than the federal party. To survive in Canada's most conservative province, the Alberta NDP needed to develop a platform of centrist values and policies. And this unfortunate, pinko stereotype harms the party's chances in the election, by design. Danielle Smith yells "communism" and rural voters lose their minds.
Danielle Smith likes to pretend that she is a down-to-earth, if error-prone, common-sense leader. This could not be further from the truth. She is a master puppeteer and propagandist, and her party ranks are filled with spin doctors and snake oil salesmen, politicians skilled at getting people to vote against their own interests. Take, for example, "Smith bucks." As an AISH recipient, I admit some of my peers can be somewhat easily manipulated. When Smith said she would send people on AISH $100.00 per month for 6 months leading up to the election, she engaged in vote buying. There are people on AISH who now connect Smith with increased monthly payments, and as such, will vote for the UCP. Clearly, a person who lives on AISH would hope to do better under the NDP, but they may not see that day because of tactics such as this.
It is representative of Smith's ethics that she would take advantage of simple people to gain a mandate. Not only this, but she has an established pattern and reputation for lies and of inflammatory statements and positions. Her alliance and support of/from Take Back Alberta is but another reprehensible connection. She interferes with the progress of justice, she initiates confrontation with the federal government for her own ends, and she is against publicly funded healthcare! Where are her Canadian values? Don't even get me started on financial mismanagement and multi-billion dollar handouts.
Do not buy what the Danielle Smith and the UCP are selling, they are singing All Hell for a Basement while they slide a knife into your back.
Regards,
Joshua Wiebe