UCP Leader Danielle Smith Takes Public Questions, Explains Platform in Facebook Live Event

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks to members of the media during a press conference in Ottawa, on Feb. 7, 2023. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)

Alberta’s United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith made a video appearance on the nightly broadcast of the UCP War Room to answer questions from the public about her party’s election platform on the first day of the official campaign.

Bruce McAllister, former MLA for Chestermere/Rockyview and former host of the Global News morning show, served as the host of the live event, which aired on Twitter and Facebook, and invited the public to ask questions on the comment page.

The UCP’s biggest and first campaign promise was a no tax hike guarantee. Smith said that former Premier Ralph Klein brought in a similar promise, writing legislation to force any government contemplating a sales tax to hold a referendum of the people. Smith said it “makes sense.”

If the provincial government wants to increase personal and corporate income taxes, she suggested, it should be “subject to that same level of buy-in from the general public.”

Smith suggested that there is natural economic growth from giving money back to the people, “especially in the middle of an affordability crisis.”

According to Smith, the UCP’s decision to reverse an NDP corporate income tax rate from 12 percent to 8 percent has resulted in higher corporate tax revenue for the province. “In fact, we’re now at [$]6.4 billion in tax revenue, more money than we ever have,” she said.

She said in her view, the government has to give money back to the people. “The federal carbon tax ... keeps on just blistering our families with higher and higher costs of everything.”

Health Care Reform

Smith also highlighted changes to health care that have been made under a UCP government. The province under the UCP has spent a “record amount of money on health care” and eliminated user fees charged by the NDP, she said.

According to Smith, since being elected as premier of the province in fall of 2022, the province is carrying out 6,000 to 6,500 surgeries a week and working on a surgery backlog.

“We’re cutting it down at a rate of 3,000 surgeries a week. And we are going to have that backlog completely cleared by this time next year. We'll be the first province in the country to do so,” she said.

According to the UCP leader, the province has made “massive progress” in hospital wait times and emergency care by allowing paramedics to provide more treatment on-site, and implementing a new system of non-ambulance transfer to move patients for basic medical appointments.

She said the UCP government has also provided support for continuing care for the elderly. “It begins with homecare, so people can stay in their homes longer.”

“We want to have the type of facilities where you can age in place, where you might be able to enter in independent living and as you need support, move on to assisted living. And then as you need even more support, be able to have long-term care that way. You can also, if you’ve got a couple that is aging at different rates, be able to keep them in the same facility so that they’re not separated,” said Smith.

Social Disorder

The current premier said the province has to overcome social disorder by addressing root causes. She said an untreated mental health condition can turn into an addiction, then turn into homelessness, and chronic homelessness puts pressure on the health care system, she suggested.

Smith said the UCP increased funding from $87 million to $275 million for mental health treatments for children, additional addiction treatment beds, and a 211 helpline for same-day counselling support.

“We created the virtual opioid dependency program, which allows for somebody to call, and again, same day be able to get on one of the safer drugs that you can use as an opioid replacement. There’s a particular injection type drug that you get an injection and you’re good for 30 days,” said Smith.

She said the UCP government also expanded treatment care beds, with 10,000 spaces able to treat 29,000 people a year.

When it comes to crime, Smith said the province has to get tough and tackle addiction. Smith called for the federal government to “stop the catch and release” program and reform the bail system.

“We’ve got to be compassionate for those ... who are down on their luck and who need a little bit of a hand up. But we have to be on tough, really tough on those who are creating the public disorder,” said Smith.

She said drug addicts need an avenue for treatment and recovery. “I don’t think there’s such a thing as a safe supply of heroin, or crystal meth, or fentanyl. They are making more of these drugs available and the consequences are devastating,” she said. “We do not want Calgary or Edmonton or any of our midsize cities to become Vancouver’s Eastside.”

NDP

NDP Leader Rachel Notley was also on the campaign trail, laying out a platform for health care in Alberta, which included a pledge to launch “the largest healthcare recruitment campaign” in the province’s history, and to connect 1 million more Albertans with a family doctor within the next 10 years. She promised an NDP government would create “good-paying jobs now, and for generations to come.”

Notley said if elected, she would “bring transformational changes to public healthcare,” and ensure doctors worked more evenings and weekends. She has also promised free birth control pills and other contraceptives.

Notley and the NDP have stated they will “legislate protection” of the Canada Pension Plan “by passing a law preventing any Alberta government from leaving the plan.”

In some areas of the NDP campaign, details are lacking for now.

For example, on the issue of housing, the party said, “Alberta’s NDP will be releasing a clear plan to tackle the immense housing challenges facing Alberta communities today.”

Notley and the NDP did not respond to a request for comment on the party’s campaign made by The Epoch Times.