Danielle Smith. Image credit Twitter @ABDDanielleSmith
Alberta/CMEDIA: Alberta’s United Conservative Party (UCP) with Danielle Smith as its leader elected for a second term in Monday’s election despite losing seats in a tight battle against the Alberta New Democrats.
Danielle Smith is still the premier of Alberta after surviving a vigorous campaign and a tight vote Monday against NDP challenger Rachel Notley,.
According to unofficial results at midnight Smith’s UCP was leading in about 50 ridings to hold majority control of the province’s 87-seat legislature.
A victorious Premier Danielle Smith promises she will work for people of all political stripes and was reported to say to a cheering crowd at the UCP’s Calgary victory celebration,
“To paraphrase our dear friend Ralph Klein, ‘Welcome to another miracle on the Prairies.'”
Smith reportedly said that although many had written off her campaign, Albertans had chosen to “move our province forward by re-electing a strong, stable United Conservative government.”
After repeating many of her party’s goals, including diversifying the economy, improving health care and keeping taxes low, Smith shifted her attention to challenge the federal government and prime minister.
“And finally, my fellow Albertans, we need to come together no matter how we have voted to stand shoulder to shoulder against soon-to-be-announced Ottawa policies that would significantly harm our provincial economy,” Smith was reported to say
She called on Trudeau to halt the plan involving restrictions on electricity generation from natural gas and work with Alberta on an emissions strategy.
“Now Alberta is willing to be that partner and we need our federal government to show it is willing to partner in good faith as well,” Smith said.
Smith also argued that the former NDP government had failed with policies that hiked taxes and offerd a tax break on the first day of the campaign.
The UCP and NDP were the only parties to run a full slate of 87 candidates.
#AlbertaProvincialElections; #UnitedConservativeParty; #DanielleSmith; #NDP; #RachelNotley; #TaxBreak
