Four weeks after the writ was dropped, Alberta’s party leaders are making one final push before Tuesday’s Alberta election. The leaders will focus on Calgary and Edmonton on the last full day of campaign before the election.
A Global News/Ipsos poll released Monday showed while support the NDP has continued to grow through the campaign, it has not been enough to bridge the gap between the United Conservative Party, which holds a 10-point lead, according to the poll.
WATCH BELOW: Freelance writer Jen Gerson joined Global News Calgary to discuss the latest in the 2019 provincial election campaign.
NDP Leader Rachel Notley made appearances at leader’s events in the province’s two major cities on the final day before Albertans go to the polls.
Notley was at Nardei Fabricators in Calgary in the morning and visited McKay Avenue School in Edmonton in the afternoon.
READ MORE: Jason Kenney promises to make Vancouver carbon-free in 2020 — by turning off the gas taps
United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney is also in the Edmonton region on Monday. He took part in a door-knocking kickoff in Sherwood Park at 11 a.m. and was scheduled to be at a party rally in St. Albert in the afternoon.
Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel is in Edmonton on Monday.
Alberta Liberal Party Leader David Khan is in Calgary making a policy announcement.
WATCH BELOW: 630 CHED host Ryan Jespersen and Danielle Smith with 770 CHQR take their shows province-wide to reflect on the 2019 Alberta election campaign.
Where the leaders are Monday on the campaign trail:
NDP Leader Rachel Notley
Alberta’s NDP leader spent the final day of the provincial election campaign contrasting her winning-hearts-and-minds approach to building pipelines with the more combative strategy of her chief rival.
Rachel Notley donned a hard hat and work boots Monday as she toured a pipe fabrication yard in Calgary, a key battleground in Tuesday’s election.
“Through patient and determined action, we have built a durable national consensus on the need for pipelines,” she said, the occasional clanging of machinery interrupting her remarks.
“A strong and growing majority of Canadians support Alberta pipelines, including in British Columbia. And I intend to keep it that way.
She said she’s expecting a federal green light next month for the stalled Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which would move oilsands crude to the west coast for export.
Kenney has spent much of the campaign criticizing Notley for what he has said is her dithering on pipelines and collaboration with Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on energy and climate policy.
He has said that if elected, he would set up an Alberta government “war room” to go after pipeline critics in real time, file several legal actions and block energy exports to British Columbia over its government’s resistance to Trans Mountain.
Notley said Kenney’s stance puts the pipeline in jeopardy.
“Mr. Kenney is prepared to mess it all up so that he can make headlines. It’s risky. It’s wrong for Alberta. It’s wrong for our economy and our jobs, and it’s wrong for our future.”
Notley ridiculed Kenney’s promise to turn off the taps to B.C., because the province is currently not the major roadblock to Trans Mountain. Rather, the expansion was delayed last year because the Federal Court of Appeal ordered more Indigenous consultation and study into the impact on marine life.
“Unless he thinks he’s got one particular judge that he’s going to somehow pull back on their access to gas … it’s just not connected to the real problem,” she said.
“And he knows it, but he’s just playing games. It’s irresponsible and Albertans deserve better than that.”
Notley has also taken flak for declining to take legal action against U.S.-funded environmental groups that have attacked Alberta’s energy sector.
But she said that’s not a winning strategy.
“The way to fight any of these sort of external forces that are trying to take on or somehow undermine our energy industry, is to do better … The way to do it is to win hearts and minds by talking about our record of responsible environmental sustainable development,” she said.
“It’s a long game. It’s hard work. But I think we’re making progress. And it would be a real shame to go backwards on all the work that so many people in the industry have done.”
United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney
United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney says the strong turnout at advance polls means a boost for his party heading into Tuesday’s election.
Almost 700,000 people voted in recent days, dwarfing the 235,000 who cast ballots ahead of time in 2015.
READ MORE: Nearly 700,000 votes cast in Alberta election advance polls
Kenney says that means voters want change, which bodes well for his United Conservatives as they seek to defeat Notley’s NDP.
Kenney made the comments at a rally with supporters in the Edmonton bedroom community of Sherwood Park on the last full day of campaigning.
“Just one more sleep, one more day before Albertans have an opportunity to vote for change that gets our province back to work and that gets Alberta back on track,” Kenney told cheering supporters outside a campaign office in Sherwood Park.
Also Monday, Kenney addressed the issue of his Calgary-East candidate Peter Singh. Mounties raided Singh’s auto-repair shop last week and confiscated a computer hard drive and other items.
Singh has said he has done nothing wrong.
Kenney told reporters that while he has not talked with Singh, he understands police are dealing with Singh’s son, not Singh.
“I’ve learned nothing more than what I’ve read in the media,” said Kenney.
“As far as I know, he (Singh) hasn’t been accused of anything.”
Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel
EDMONTON — Coffee, media interviews with leader (11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., 16745 111 Ave.)
Liberal Leader David Khan
Alberta Liberal Leader David Khan released the details of his party’s justice policy while in Calgary on Monday. He said the Liberals would put more officers on the street, reduce court wait times and address the root cause of crime: poverty and mental health.
Khan said his party would invest $10 million to hire more police officers. A $100 refundable tax credit would be created for home security, he said.
“We will strengthen our social safety net to make our streets are safer,” he said in a media release.
“More resources will be invested in mental health, addictions and poverty reduction policies. We will expand the use of Mental Health and Drug Courts with counselling services so offenders get more help. We want to stop the reoffending cycle.”
Two task forces on family law reforms and reducing court wait times would be launched, Khan said.
“Our Family Law Task Force will examine creating an informal family case management system. We will set the date of separation for the division of property,” he said.
“Our Court Wait Times Task Force will review standardizing case management procedures. This includes more alternative dispute resolution, and hiring more clerks, masters and provincial court judges.”
The Liberal Party would also separate the offices of Attorney General and Justice.
Corus Alberta radio coverage
— With files from Global’s Slav Kornik
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