Premier Alison Redford announced yesterday that the general election will be held on April 23.
“In the six months since I was elected premier, we have introduced policies to bring discipline to spending, to support seniors and vulnerable Albertans, to enhance education, and to put health care on a better path forward,” Redford said as she launched her campaign.
“In this campaign, I will talk about how we build on those foundational policies, and how we embrace the energy and imagination of all Albertans to continue building the finest place in the world in which to live,” she said.
Declared candidates in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills include PC Darcy Davis, Wildrose Bruce Rowe, and NDP Kristie Krezanoski.
Davis and Rowe have officially opened their offices in Olds recently (For more on Krezanoski, see this week's Gazette).
Meanwhile, Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith followed Redford's announcement by officially starting her campaign on Monday.
“For the first time in 41 years Albertans have a clear choice on election day: they can re-elect
an out-of-touch and over-spending PC government, or they can elect a responsible Wildrose government that operates within the bounds of integrity and genuinely understands the issues Alberta families face,” said Smith.
“Alberta has long awaited a viable alternative to represent and defend its interests. I am happy to say they need wait no longer, because Wildrose is here with new ideas that put Albertans first.”
Alberta Liberal leader Raj Sherman started his campaign by announcing that an Alberta Liberal government would double funding for home care and enhance non-profit long-term care.
“A clear starting point for fixing our broken health-care system is to invest properly in home care and non-profit long-term care,” said Sherman.
“Warehousing hundreds of frail seniors in acute-care beds, instead of providing the non-profit, community-based care they really need, is both cruel and ruinously expensive. It would actually be much less expensive to house them in luxury hotels like the Hotel Macdonald.”
Alberta NDP Leader Brian Mason's campaign has five key commitments.
“On power prices, health care, education, oilsands upgrading and environmental protection, poll after poll shows Albertans and New Democrats share the same values and priorities for making everyday life better. We can do it, because we are the owners of very valuable resources,” Mason said.
“These commitments are practical, attainable and they could be started the day after the election.”
