'Prickly' Alberta election will have implications for B.C.: expert
If you've checked out the Alberta election on Twitter, you may have come across a picture of NDP leader Rachel Notley's dog with quills in his face.
Notley wrote Edmonton had a lot of wildlife, and the pooch, named Johnny, would be fine. That's probably the nicest jab of the whole campaign, according to political scientist, Duane Bratt.
"It's been a very heated election. And some of the rhetoric has just been way over the top," he told CTV News.
Bratt said there are probably a few reasons for the fever pitch of some of the politicking. One is that elections aren't usually close in Alberta. This time, the race is close, but also the two parties are very different. Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party is leaning further right, while Notley and the NDP are steadfastly left.
"So there's a wide vacuum in between the two parties," explained Bratt, adding, "There is a hangover from COVID that has made our politics very, very nasty. So yeah, it's an election the likes of which we haven't seen before."
Among the lingering effects of COVID-19 are a heightened dislike for Justin Trudeau and the federal government in the wake of their pandemic policies. Smith has often tried to link Notley to the prime minister and federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.
Yet for Bratt, the type of rhetoric that goes too far includes a tweet from a Smith supporter who says people will "hunt down" NDP supporters -- if that party wins.
Bratt points out that didn't come from a bot account, but a public figure who has been commenting on the election. He's also worried by rhetoric coming from the Take Back Alberta group.
"Which is an insurgency within the United Conservative Party, led by a man, by David Parker, who gave a speech saying you know, you could vote in socialists, but you have to shoot your way out," added Bratt.
In addition, Bratt pointed out the group was training volunteers to be election scrutineers and monitors, and to watch out for buses full of voters. Bratt said those comments seem to point to non-white Albertans.
As for the campaign itself, Smith is focused on economic issues, pointing out how bad finances were when Notley was premier.
Notley is emphasizing healthcare, claiming Smith would get rid of some of the universal aspects of the system.
Smith is also promising to opt out of the Canada Pension Plan and to replace the RCMP with a provincial force. Then, there's the Sovereignty Act.
"The Sovereignty Act was the principal piece of legislation passed by Smith last fall, that would allow the provincial government to unilaterally nullify federal laws and direct provincial entities to violate federal laws," said Bratt.
Even with an NDP win next door -- relations could be frosty. Notley as premier took on the B.C. government over environmental and energy issues related to the Trans Mountain pipeline.
Election day in Alberta is May 29th.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
As Israel pushes deeper into Rafah, Hamas regroups elsewhere in ungoverned Gaza
Israeli forces were battling Palestinian militants across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it had cleared months ago, where Hamas has exploited a security vacuum to regroup.
Thousands of civilians evacuated from northeast Ukraine as Russia presses renewed border assault
Thousands more civilians have fled Russia's renewed ground offensive in Ukraine's northeast that has targeted towns and villages with a barrage of artillery and mortar fire, officials said Sunday.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.
RCMP boss expresses desire for new law to deal with threats against politicians
RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme says he wants the government to look at drafting a new law that would make it easier for police to pursue charges against people who threaten elected officials.