BEISEKER, Alta. – Premier Alison Redford focused her attention outside of Alberta’s two major cities Monday by unveiling a series of nuggets aimed at voters in what has long been the Progressive Conservative heartland.
Redford hopes her “Plan for Rural Alberta” will appeal to people in small towns and the farm sector who polls suggest are now considering supporting the upstart Wildrose party.
Her pitch is to voters who have helped the Tories win big majorities in provincial elections for more than 40 years. In the last election the Progressive Conservatives won almost every one of the 42 seats outside of Calgary and Edmonton.
“I’d like to reaffirm my commitment to those Albertans who live outside of the two largest cities. Rural Alberta does figure prominently in the hearts of Albertans who live in rural Alberta and also a lot of people who don’t,” Redford said in Beiseker, a village northeast of Calgary.
“As a province we are very proud of the fact that we are able to sustain communities, to ensure that our agricultural sector is strong and the services in towns like this will continue.”
Redford touched on key promises she has made in the campaign to bolster health care and education by building new family clinics and schools and to recruit more physicians to practise in rural areas.
The Tory platform also calls for bursaries for students from rural and remote communities to help offset the cost of post-secondary education.
“We know it can be a challenge living in communities outside the two major centres, to attract doctors and to make sure we have the education infrastructure in place to allow communities to thrive,” Redford said.
“It’s all about protecting our way of life in rural Alberta.”
The Wildrose party was quick to challenge the Progressive Conservative’s commitment to rural areas.
The party accuses the Tories of stripping land owners of their property rights and burdening them with red tape.
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