The latest PC leadership debate was held in Red Deer on Thursday, and this one was slightly different from previous ones. With less than three weeks before PC members head to the polls to elect a new leader, the most recent forum packed more of a punch.
About 600 people came out to watch the six leadership candidates hash it out in Red Deer, making it the most attended forum of this race so far. And unlike previous debates, the standing-room only crowd wasn’t made up of just the candidates’ staunchest supporters, but rather people looking to get more informed about where the candidates stand on a variety of issues.
“I thought that a lot of the questions were really good and need to be addressed,” said Sam Plett, who attended the debate. “I thought a lot of the answers very bureaucratic though.”
“It was good, conformative, but helped you see where they’re coming from and what they’re about,” said another person in attendance, Mike Dodman.
Some of the issues discussed included a high-speed rail between Edmonton and Calgary – an idea supported by Doug Horner and Alison Redford. Bill 50, the contentious legislation that would allow cabinet to declare new transmission lines as “critical infrastructure” without a needs assessment, was a hot topic as well, with Ted Morton being the only candidate who would want to repeal it.
Get breaking National news
All six of those vying for Premier Ed Stelmach’s job did agree on one issue though: each promised to restore recently-cut funding to the restorative justice program.
The candidates tried to pander to the crowd, speaking about many Red Deer-centered issues, a strategy that didn’t appease everyone.
“I was sorry they never mentioned any other surrounding (communities),” said Susan King. “Red deer isn’t the only people here. There’s Lacombe, Innisfail, (and) other places.”
Premier Stelmach, who was also at the event, did touch on an Edmonton-centered issue, though: the funding of a new Edmonton arena.
“The rules around the Treasury Board are very straight-forward. We have about one percent movement within the revenue that comes to the province that we can make changes to the budget – add or subtract. And this doesn’t allow us to make any changes mid-year,” he said, implying it’ll be up to whoever becomes Alberta’s next leader to decide whether Edmonton will get any money for a new arena.
The PC leadership candidates are set to go head to head again in Calgary next week, and one final time in Edmonton the following week before the big vote on September 17th. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top three will continue to a second ballot, slated for October 1st.
With files from Vassy Kapelos and the Edmonton Journal.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.