Alberta UCP, NDP underline narratives with official election season imminent

Song unveilings and "Super Saturday" — Alberta's provincial election season kicked into high gear with campaign-style rallies this weekend, even though the writ won't officially be issued until Monday.

Though the United Conservative Party and the Alberta New Democrats have, in effect, been campaigning for weeks, Monday will bring a new urgency to the contest as both parties will have less than 30 days remaining to convince Albertans they are best positioned to form the next government. 

The UCP started the day in Calgary, the city that could decide the ultimate winner of the upcoming election. The party was scheduled to head north to Edmonton for a second rally later Saturday.

The morning event was held in a parking area near the campaign office of Rebecca Schulz, who is running for reelection for the UCP in Calgary-Shaw.

After taking the stage, UCP Leader Danielle Smith delivered a speech that ran just over six minutes, focusing largely on economic issues while members of the crowd waved "Move Alberta Forward" signs, the campaign slogan of the UCP.

"We have a responsible plan for a stronger, safer and more affordable future," Smith told the crowd.

In Calgary, polls have indicated that health-care ranks at the top of voters' minds. It's an issue that polls suggest is friendly to the NDP, followed by inflation and the economy, viewed as being stronger for the UCP.

On Saturday, Smith only briefly mentioned health-care, when she said her UCP government was focused on ensuring jobs were plentiful in that field, along with in film and television, agriculture, technology and others.

As the UCP campaign kicks off, the first order of business for the party will be crafting a narrative around defining a third issue for voters beyond inflation and the economy, said Michael Solberg, a partner and co-owner of New West Public Affairs, a government and public relations firm based in Calgary.

"I think that's what the war really is for right now. The UCP would love to see voters come to the ballot boxes with crime in mind, and how to address crime," said Solberg, a former Conservative staffer under Stephen Harper.

Smith signalled that approach Saturday, her emphasis on crime emerging as a close second to the economy. She said the UCP's plan was to "keep hard drugs and overdoses and criminals off the streets. A UCP government will ensure that criminals are behind bars."

Some supporters at the rally said they were focused on the economy, while others expressed concerns with Alberta's relationship with Ottawa.

"Ottawa has been running roughshod over Alberta for a long time," said supporter Rob Haynes.

Another supporter of the UCP said he hoped that the campaign focused squarely on the economy, and didn't, in his view, go "off the rails" on issues like the Alberta Sovereignty Act and COVID-19 restrictions.