I find it ironic that Danielle Smith took the leadership of the UCP party with basically the same number of votes (53 per cent and 51 per cent) that Premier Kenney took as an indication to step down.
But with this dismal level of support, she immediately tries to seize dictatorial queenship over our province with a diversionary tactic like the sovereignty act.
What I see here is the old divide-and-conquer scheme. Point to the federal government as the enemy, so the lack of sound policy or performance is overlooked.
I identify myself as a Canadian first rather than an Albertan, and I appreciate the literally hundreds of programs that the federal government supplies to our nation as a whole.
Alberta benefits from about a dozen agricultural programs alone. And as well as employment and labour training, education, community development, social programs business and investor grants and subsidies, Old Age Security, military, disaster relief and so on.
I don't think trying to pick the pockets of Parks Canada is the best first move for a new premier when we have so many other pressing problems like health care and the EMS crisis.
And the proposed health care spending account is ludicrous – $300 won't get you much at the doctor's office, but will cost millions to set up and open the door to ‘pay what you can afford’ versus universal health care.
I've yet to hear anything from Queen Smith that is remotely feasible or beneficial to the average Albertan. Look beyond the smoke and mirrors, and see her true agenda.
She is a career politician and will say and do anything, sensible or not, for power. She might once have been Wildrose, but the rose is gone and all that’s left is wild.
Alex Baradoy,
Red Deer County
