Does the truth still matter in Alberta politics?

As the first UCP leadership debate inches closer, people are asking whether Albertans are being too easily fooled by misinformation spread by some of the candidates.

Some of the misinformation shared by UCP leadership candidates:

•  Candidates sharing anti-COVID vaccine rhetoric on Twitter.
• At the start of the pandemic, Smith claiming that French doctors have found that “hydroxychloroquine cures 100 per cent of coronavirus patients within six days of treatment.” She later deleted the tweet.
• Brian Jean and Danielle Smith misrepresenting the proposed federal emissions cap as a mandated cut on energy production.

"In an interview on Monday, Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault was unable to explain how the proposed emissions cap would avoid a production cut…"
A mandated production cut is unacceptable. And Liberal consultations are fake consultations. pic.twitter.com/aGHaZuZwmM

— Brian Jean (@BrianJeanAB) July 19, 2022

Unbelievable! @JustinTrudeau wants to decimate Alberta’s economy with a nearly 50% cut to oil production.

This is another unprovoked assault on Albertans.

If you want another “strongly worded letter” sent to Ottawa, choose the establishment politician. (1/2) #cdnpoli #abpoli pic.twitter.com/ctbnSLCj6I

— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) July 20, 2022

• Travis Toews claiming his work as finance minister led to a boom in oil prices.
•  And most recently, Smith with her claims about controlling cancer.

“There is a clear pattern in how [Danielle Smith] is running her campaign,” said Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt.

“She is getting a high degree of enthusiasm, she is appealing to conspiracy theorists — and I would also add there are conspiracy theories around cancer, there are people convinced that there is a cure for cancer but it’s being hidden by the medical establishments for ‘reasons’, so I think she is tapping into those people as well.”

Chaldeans Mensah, a political scientist with MacEwan University, agrees with Bratt.

He explains that candidates like Jean and Smith are trying to win over the far-right voters with radical misinformation about things like the COVID vaccine.

“It’s a high stakes game, and the purveyors of misinformation are using this as a means to solidify their support,” Mensah said.

“I think to some extent, some of these issues that are happening around the contest in terms of information flow and miscommunication, I think it’s simply designed to shore up support.”

However, in Smith’s case, we’ve seen many Albertans call her out — not just politicians, but people who seem to be unaffiliated with political parties.

Danielle can you come to the Stollery Oncology ward & tell the parents there that their children’s cancers would have been preventable if they’d only taken care of themselves? I’ll wait.

— c u next tuesday (@rosepoptosis) July 25, 2022

So, I trust you @ABDanielleSmith will be setting an example by not seeking any care nor treatment when ill with anything, so Albertans can see what you mean by saving tax dollars?
¯_(ツ)_/¯ #AskingForAllAlbertans

— Mike (@mikebatke) July 25, 2022

What accredited medical school did she go to?

— Messy (@jesswithie) July 21, 2022

1/2 How dare you say that people who receive the diagnosis of stage 4 cancer that it’s their fault. My grandfather suddenly passed away 2 weeks after a diagnosis of stage 4 kidney and lung cancer. So you’re telling me it’s his own fault he died even though he wasn’t able to make

— Lakeisha Flobert (@lakeishaflobert) July 26, 2022

The first UCP leadership debate is set for Wednesday at 5 p.m. (MT).

In total, there are seven candidates, the three which were previously mentioned — Smith, Jean, and Toews — along with Rajan Sawhney, Rebecca Schulz, Leela Aheer, and Todd Loewen.