Stakes are high in this election
…and many races are too close to call
…and many races are too close to call
Current polls indicate that the year’s contest could be the closest election in Alberta’s history. Canadian poll aggregator 338, in its “path to victory,” identifies several ridings as toss-ups and crucial races to watch.
Certainly it promises to be one of Alberta’s most consequential elections ever, with the two leading parties proposing distinctly different directions for the province’s future. While both support the energy industry, they diverge on other issues. The UCP under Smith wants to distance Alberta from federal programs and give private enterprise more control over life in Alberta. Rachel Notley’s NDP promises to protect the universal social programs that brought Canada to the top of global quality of life rankings: healthcare, education and environmental protections. The stakes are high.
In this guide we profile key parties and selected constituencies, including the main candidates voters can choose from in each.
Plus
THE BIG CHOICE
Individualism or the common good?
by Lisa Young
WHAT’S PAST IS PROLOGUE
How Rachel Notley has—and hasn’t—changed
by Curtis Gillespie
ELECTION FEVER
Symptoms, but no cure
by Fred Stenson
BATTLEGROUND CALGARY
Hotly contested NDP nominations in Alberta’s must-win city
by Tadzio Richards
THE DRAMATIC FALL OF JASON KENNEY
A failure to unite
by Jared Wesley
WHAT THEY DID
The Notley NDP government record
by Ricardo Acuña
DANIELLE SMITH’S POPULIST WAVE
Victory in Alberta and disruption in Canada
by Lisa Young
THE RIGHTFUL ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
A dialogue between Danielle Smith and Alvin Finkel