Danielle Smith won't call early election if voted UCP leader and premier Thursday
"I think that when early election calls occur, the public is suspicious"
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Danielle Smith says if she’s elected premier of Alberta by UCP members on Thursday, she’ll stick with the province’s fixed general election date in May and won’t call a snap vote.
In a Monday virtual news conference, Smith, the perceived front-runner in the race, said even without approval in a general election she believes she has the mandate to move forward with her controversial Alberta sovereignty act and with what some consider radical changes to health-care policy.
Smith said early election calls often result in the governing party losing or losing ground with a reduced majority.
“I think that when early election calls occur, the public is suspicious,” said Smith, arguing that one of the reasons the party had a leadership review that ended with Premier Jason Kenney saying he would resign is because the UCP didn’t live up to the mandate it was given in the last general election.
Smith suggested the UCP still has work to do to prepare for an election, with about 50 more nominations to go, and pointed to former Progressive Conservative premier Jim Prentice’s decision to call an early election appearing to backfire when the NDP was elected in 2015.
“I believe that people want us to stick with a fixed election date,” she said.
Critics, including most fellow leadership rivals, Kenney and legal experts have warned that the sovereignty act, which Smith has said would allow the province to ignore federal laws it doesn’t like, would create chaos and undermine the rule of law. A recent Angus Reid poll suggests only 34 per cent of Albertan respondents supported the idea, while 54 per cent opposed it.
Smith’s health-care plans include reviewing the entire system, firing the board of the provincial health authority, introducing $300 personal health spending accounts, and adding legal protections for those Albertans who choose not to get vaccinated.
Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams told Postmedia should Smith win Thursday, the question of whether or not she has a mandate from Albertans to push forward with controversial policies will likely continue to dog her.
“It’s going to be a serious question from Alberta voters right away. It may also be a serious question for members of caucus,” said Williams, adding that there will be continued questions about how far offside she is from a majority of Alberta voters on a long list of issues.
Smith has previously pointed to the province’s equalization referendum getting 62 per cent support among those who voted, and the province’s Fair Deal Panel as giving her the green light to plow ahead with her proposals.
Meanwhile Smith, the only leadership candidate who is not an elected MLA, will be looking to slide into a seat vacated by one of her UCP colleagues in a byelection as quickly as possible.
With the resignation of Doug Schweitzer, the riding of Calgary-Elbow is a possibility, but on Monday Smith didn’t commit to any specific seat, noting she lives in a rural riding and likes “the dynamic.”
Smith said with “a number” of colleagues offering up their seat should she be successful in gaining the leadership, she has options.
“I’ve had several MLAs step forward, so I’ll have to make the decision about which one makes the most sense,” said Smith, who added she expects many serving in Kenney’s cabinet will continue as ministers.
“Don’t be surprised if many of them carry on in their positions,” she said. Labour Minister Kaycee Madu, Service Alberta Minister Nate Glubish and Mental Health and Addiction Associate Minister Mike Ellis have publicly endorsed Smith.
Monday is the last day for UCP members to get mail-in ballots returned, with final results expected to be announced from Calgary at 6 p.m. Thursday.
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