Global Courant 2023-04-19 07:37:11
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CALGARY — Alberta’s two major provincial party leaders shared the same podium Tuesday, but not at the same time, delivering competing visions for the province’s largest city as they go into campaign mode ahead of this spring’s election.
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Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek interviewed opposition leader Rachel Notley and then Prime Minister Danielle Smith as part of Calgary Economic Development’s annual report to the community.
Gondek asked each leader questions, including how they would diversify the city’s economy, what their vision was for downtown Calgary, and how they would work with the federal government to ensure a steady source of municipal funding.
Notley praised tax cuts, a reinvestment in post-secondary education and ways an NDP government would revitalize the city’s downtown.
“Post-secondary is a critical partner in business development,” she said with applause.
Notley spoke of a plan to create a post-secondary footprint in downtown Calgary and address issues such as public safety, mental health and affordable housing.
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She also received applause when she vowed to “get rid of this ridiculous Sovereignty Act” to provide greater investment security in the province. The bill was introduced by Smith as key legislation to pursue a more confrontational approach with the federal government on issues considered to be out of scope in the county areas of responsibility.
When Notley came out on one side of the stage, Smith moved to the other side to sit down for the same series of questions from Gondek.
The leader of the United Conservative Party focused on her government’s movie tax credit and corporate tax cuts, as well as a national campaign to attract more workers to Alberta.
“We have six quarters of the people who have moved to our county and I think that will continue to be the case,” Smith said. “We just want to make sure that we have stability, that people know they have a low-tax environment.”
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When asked about the downtown area, she focused on private investment.
“If you get the economy right and people see this is the place to be, they’ll come and make those kinds of investments,” she said.
Smith was applauded when she said the government is committed to a new sports, arts and entertainment building for Calgary.
“That will be essential to complete development in the East Village,” she said.
She also highlighted a recent plan to hire more police officers to tackle security in cities.
Smith did not take questions from reporters, while several other NDP politicians joined Notley when she spoke after the event. She pointed out the differences in philosophy between her party and the UCP.
“They’re basically washing their hands off the issue around downtown revitalization and the issue of encouraging more diversification and really actively promoting… the kind of economic plan that will help us for many decades into the future Notley told reporters. “It’s a very hands-off approach.
“We have to be strategic and we have to work together as partners to ensure that Alberta attracts the kind of investment that we have the potential to have.”
Notley acknowledged that both provincial parties are starting to switch to campaign mode.
“We have a fixed election date,” she said. “It’s not uncommon for the focus to shift when that happens, so I’m just continuing to talk to Albertans about the things that matter to them and what our plans are.”
The subpoena is expected to be dropped on May 1 for an election day on May 29.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on April 18, 2023.
