In our Jan. 22 issue, we published an editorial cartoon that inferred the United Conservative Party (UCP) was a bit of a smoke and mirror act.
What I believe the cartoonist was referring to is the seemly lack of published party platform.
And to be fair, as far as I know, neither has any of the other parties, including the governing NDP, which we find a bit surprising because, thanks to Alberta’s fixed election legislation, we know all an election is in the offing.
In the case of the NDP, whether or not they release a platform, it is fairly transparent what their vision and policies for the province will be because, one would hope, that it would be consistent on how they have governed over their term. In that way, it should be fairly easy for voters to decide whether or not they agree with the vision they have decided to follow, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t release a platform
For the opposition parties, however, it is not so easy. Certainly, we know all the opposition parties don’t agree with how the NDP government has been governing the province.
The UCP has been especially vocal. I get on average two e-mails a day from them criticizing something the government has done, or plans to do. Which is fair game, after all, that is what an opposition party is supposed to do.
But the problem is they only go part of the way. Nothing irks me more than a political party criticizing a policy or legislation and not saying what they would do in its place.
You are against the province’s carbon levy and will repeal it once elected. Great, but do you propose an alternative?
In a March 2018 CBC interview UPC leader Jason Kenny said he wasn’t opposed to putting a price on carbon, it is just his party would do it differently.
“I’m not opposed, in principle, to the charge on major emitters adopted by the previous PC government,” he said, adding he was open to bringing back Specified Gas Emitters Regulation — a program whereby industry had to pay for its carbon emissions.
In an interview on CBC’s Alberta at Noon on Jan. 22, Kenney was even less committed, saying that the party has a comprehensive plan to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, but only promised to give further details after the writ is dropped.
By delaying the release of their platform in full, they get all the benefits of getting to criticize the government without having to take potential hits by making your plan public.
It might seem that I’m picking on the UPC, but really I’m not. What I am doing is asking political parties of all stripes to put their cards on the table and then let the public decide.
