Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley and United Conservative Party (UCP) leader Danielle Smith took time after the TV debate to answer more questions from the media..Notley told the media after the debate that she was pleased with her performance and was able to discuss some of the issues Albertans are facing.. Notley gets scrumed by reportersAlberta NDP leader Rachel Notley. .“To put forward our plan for access to a family doctor. So that was one of the key points,” Notley said..“I learned from my time both losing office and being in opposition and you know, I'm dedicated to serving the province. And you know, I think there are mistakes that I made that I can improve on. You know, we were going through a great difficult time, and of course, one of the things is that Alberta's economy is deeply tied to the price.”.Notley then admitted she “Didn't always get it right.”.At Thursday's debate, Smith confidently outlined the successes of the UCP government and put forward a positive vision for Alberta’s future. At the same time, the UCP said Notley used every opportunity to run away from her record and failed to articulate a plan for a better Alberta..In a message to all Albertans, Smith clearly and confidently laid out her plan for stability, job growth, economic diversification, safe streets, and affordable life..“Alberta’s opportunities are endless. And I know our best days are still ahead,” said Smith..“My commitment to each of you — if re-elected — is to serve you with everything I have and to the best of my ability, however imperfect that may be at times. I will continue to focus on growing and diversifying our amazing economy, making life more affordable and our communities safer, and improving healthcare for all Albertans.”.The UCP said the debate reinforced what Albertans already know. Smith and the UCP have a solid, stable, forward-looking plan that Albertans can rely on. A plan that ensures stability for job creators as well as jobs and opportunities for every Albertan, whether they have been here for decades or if they are one of the tens of thousands who have chosen this province as their home in the past year..The UCP said it also reinforced that Notley has nothing to offer Albertans besides “fear, negativity, misinformation, and an aversion to facing the reality of the NDP government’s term.”.The UCP said throughout the entire hour that Notley refused to accept her role in the devastation of Alberta’s economy and failed to put forward ideas that would improve Albertans' lives..“She had no rebuttal to her plan to increase Albertans’ electricity bills by 40% and no rationale for her plan to increase taxes on Alberta job creators by 38% a plan criticized by well-respected economists,” the UCP stated..Over the past four years, the UCP government balanced the budget twice, paid off $13.4 billion of the record NDP debt, contributed $1.8 billion to the Heritage Savings Trust Fund for the first time since Premier Ralph Klein, and attracted billions of dollars of investment, creating of tens of thousands of new jobs for Albertans across a growing number of industries..“This election, Albertans have a choice between a UCP government that has lowered taxes, balanced the budget and returned Alberta to its place as the economic powerhouse of Canada,” Smith said..“Or we can choose to go backwards to the same failed NDP policies that hiked taxes, drove out jobs and investment, and almost bankrupted our province.”.During the scrum, Smith told reporters she thinks Albertans saw the real her..“The type of person that I am, but I always hear when people get a chance to see me, you're not like how the media depicts,” Smith said..“I'm somebody who cares and we're going to lower taxes and make life more affordable.”.On Thursday, the Office of the Ethics Commissioner found that UCP leader Danielle Smith contravened the Conflicts of Interest Act in her interaction with the justice ministry about the criminal charges against Artur Pawlowski..The allegations were that Premier Smith sought to influence the prosecution of Pawlowski, who was facing charges relating to the Coutts border crossing blockade, and, thereby, improperly tried to interfere with the administration of justice..“Minister Shandro and I have worked on many, many pieces of legislation. He is one of my most trusted ministers when he gave me advice.”.Due to a high level of spam content being posted in our comment section below, all comments undergo manual approval by a staff member during regular business hours (Monday - Friday). Your patience is appreciated.
