If you missed my election preview, you can see it here – I think it’s a nice summation for the non-Albertan readers who, I warn you, will be bored out of your minds by the rest of the election coverage you’ll be subjected to over the next 27 days on this blog. That coverage begins…NOW:
1. The PCs illustrate how they view the Conservative Party and the government of Alberta as one and the same:
Then Stelmach kicked off the campaign in the news media room of the legislature, a room that is strictly for government or legislature business and is off-limits to partisan political events.
“I’m very, very proud of my team of candidates, who are energized by the challenge of building this great province on behalf of Albertans,” said Stelmach as a team of government-paid workers recorded the event and made sure out-of-town reporters could listen in by a special phone connection.
“We’re drawing candidates from different walks of life and cultural backgrounds and I’m happy to work with them in moving ahead and winning another solid majority for the government of Alberta.”
When reporters asked Stelmach why he was using the taxpayer-funded media room at the legislature to hold a Conservative party event, he looked startled.
“This isn’t the campaign launch,” he insisted.
“This is a media conference following the reading of the speech from the throne and the drop of the writ.”
So, for those of you at home trying to understand “stelmach speak”, a media conference following the drop of the writ where you talk about winning back a solid Conservative majority is not a campaign launch. Gotcha!
2. Alberta Tory talks about some Liberal stumbles out of the gate too and, on one point, I agree. Kevin Taft should be at places like Peter’s Drive In, not university lecture halls.
As for a mistake on the Liberal press release, it didn’t take long for the PCs to screw up there as well.
3. Ed Stelmach keeps promising change which is either brilliant or mind numbingly stupid. I do invite my readers to submit your favourite example of a party in power that has won an election on the “change” theme – any time period, anywhere in the world. I may even give out a prize if someone comes up with a good example.
Part of this “change” was announced yesterday – a promise to finally do away with health care premiums. To put this into perspective, it would be akin to Paul Martin promising a GST cut in the 2004 election…then, as now, it’d probably be considered good politics, so I’ll give Ed credit for this one.
4. OK, so he didn’t get his own domain name. But if anyone thinks Stelmach doesn’t understand the inter nets, spokeswoman Joan Forge explains their web strategy:
The Alberta Progressive Conservatives said web use is part of their strategy and they “won’t reveal our str ategy before the election has started,” said spokeswoman Joan Forge. “We’ll be using that…oh, what’s the term –I’m not very technical….”
Social networking?
“Yes, that’s it.”
5. The ALP has a “meet Kevin Taft” video up on that site…what’s it called – I’m not very internet savv…tube something?
6. On the policy front, Ed is talking health care, and Kevin was at the Tower, outlining his Calgary agenda.