Share this Story: Braid: A fierce debate but not a great one, and no clear winner Braid: A fierce debate but not a great one, and no clear winner Article content Who won the great debate? Maybe the viewers, when it ended. This was not a classic of the 2015 kind, when NDP Leader Rachel Notley took down the PCs effortlessly after Premier Jim Prentice condescendingly told her “math is difficult.” We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Braid: A fierce debate but not a great one, and no clear winner Back to video This was chippy, snippy business, with UCP Leader Jason Kenney accusing Notley of defamation when she outlined his leadership campaign troubles. At another point, Liberal Leader David Khan said Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel essentially killed people when he was health minister and refused opioid funding. After over-the-top allegation, and Khan’s charge that the the Alberta Party would privatize health care, Mandel retorted, “Maybe you were smoking something you shouldn’t have been smoking.” Photo by Larry Wong / POSTMEDIA NETWORK At one point a media panelist asked Kenney, “Why are you, at this time, the best leader for Alberta?” Unsurprisingly, Kenney said, “That’s a very good question.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content We can put this debate in the drawer labelled Soon Forgotten. That was a disappointment. There’s never been a campaign as dramatic and consequential as this one. It deserved a debate to match. Usually, the premier comes in for most of the attacks. Notley got her share, but many more rockets were launched at Kenney. That’s because the other leaders all think he deserves them, but also because the polls have him ahead. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or The focus on Kenney ended up separating his “fight back” agenda very sharply from the other three. “I know Mr. Kenney says I should be picking fights and doing nothing else,” Notley said. “They might make me feel good, but it’s not going to get a pipeline built.” Khan said: “Hot-headed actions and misleading rhetoric are getting us nowhere.” Mandel wants Alberta in a place the rest of Canada “must respect.” They all lumped themselves together in the drawer labelled Conciliatory. Kenney was left with the clear ownership of Alberta anger, one of the most powerful themes of this campaign. Photo by Larry Wong / POSTMEDIA NETWORK He repeated his calls to dump the carbon tax, sue protest groups, help defeat Justin Trudeau, etc. Kenney seemed distinct. That’s exactly what he wanted. As the others cordially shook hands at the end, he stood alone for a moment, looking pleased with himself. The big battle, of course, was between Kenney and Notley. He only needed to maintain support. Notley had the much tougher job of moving voters from UCP ranks to hers. More On This Topic Special Section: Alberta Votes 2019 Alberta Election 2019: Party leaders break out their greatest hits in 90-minute debate Replay: Alberta's party leaders face off in debate Viewers will make their own decisions, and those are usually far different from those of a daily observer. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content But I thought that on pure debating points, if not the political ones, Notley did some damage. When the leaders were asked about social issues, the most dangerous area for Kenney, Notley said protecting LGBTQ kids is settled law, “but quite frankly Mr. Kenney’s candidates have put those issues back on the front pages by the vile things they say. He failed that test.” Photo by Larry Wong / POSTMEDIA NETWORK She was talking about the recent controversy involving UCP education critic Mark Smith, who made homophobic remarks to a church congregation and has supported firing gay teachers. Khan, who is gay, looked straight at Kenney when he said LGBTQ students often have troubles at home. Mandel pointed out that 40 per cent of street kids are LGBTQ. Kenney once again said his party is inclusive, diverse and tolerant and will respect LGBTQ kids. Notley noted — also once again — that he still supports people like Smith. He accused Notley of a “fly-by smear of my party, fear and smear.” When she accused him of supporting white supremacists, he said “this is getting ridiculous” and cited the Nigerian-Canadian who won a UCP nomination in Edmonton. Photo by CODIE MCLACHLAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS The secondary battle was between Khan and Mandel, who are fighting for a small share of the electoral pie between the two big parties. This sideline scrap was surprisingly tough at times, especially with Khan’s attacks on Mandel. The former Edmonton mayor, meanwhile, came across as the only one with much of a sense of humour. After the 2015 debate, it was obvious that Notley scored big and changed the campaign. This isn’t nearly so clear. The final days of the campaign will be very important. Don Braid’s column appears regularly in the Calgary Herald. dbraid@postmedia.com Twitter: @DonBraid Facebook: Don Braid Politics Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Calgary Herald Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Calgary Herald, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Calgary Herald Headline News will soon be in your inbox.<doc-sep>EDITOR'S NOTE: This is one opinion. Under the heading Opinion, we are carrying a range of different points of view on the issues facing Albertans during the current election. You can find them on our Alberta Votes 2019 page. Rachel Notley, not Jason Kenney, is the incumbent, the one to beat in the Alberta election on April 16. But you got the impression their roles were reversed during the televised leaders debate Thursday night. It is the incumbent who is normally the one under relentless attack from the others in a debate but this time around it was Kenney who had a target on his forehead. In this election campaign, according to the public opinion polls, Notley is trailing behind Kenney who is far out in front. And so, this is the first time in decades in Alberta politics that the person elected premier in the previous election is not the front runner heading into a leaders debate. That meant everyone, including Notley, had to adjust their debate strategy. Underdogs and overdogs In politics it's all about the underdogs tearing down the overdog. And boy did they take off the muzzles at the very start. Kenney would have felt the teeth sinking in the moment the debate began. "Mr. Kenney wants to stoke fear and division for his political gain," said Notley who was focused on Kenney for the whole debate. She ironically began to stoke her own version of fear and division with the spectre of a UCP government and Kenney as premier. Listen to The Ledge podcast , as CBC's legislative reporters bring you expert analysis and insiders' insight. Sign up to get our election newsletter The Scrutineer delivered directly to your inbox twice weekly. "Your record in Ottawa is a decade of failure," said Notley of Kenney's record as a federal MP. "It is becoming clearer and clearer that people on Mr. Kenney's leadership team, at the very least, cheated for him to win the leadership," said Notley of the 2017 UCP leadership race. "So the real question is this: If Mr. Kenney would cheat his own party members to have a chance at running to be premier, what will he do to the people of this province to keep the job?" Consequently, Kenney found himself on the defensive — looking much like Alberta premiers of old, who approached these debates like a fox given a 10-minute head start ahead of the hounds. The former Conservative premiers (who all went on to win re-election with the exception of Jim Prentice in 2015), were always happy just to avoid being taken down. And that's what Kenney managed to do Thursday night. He emerged unscathed. There was no moment when he fell under the claws of his opponents, no time when they drew more blood than he managed to extract in return. Justin Trudeau Oh, he complained, as he often does on the campaign trail, that he was being unfairly attacked by the other leaders. That he was being "defamed." That he was the victim of a "fear and smear campaign" as if that was unusual in politics. It's also a bit rich coming from someone who is the master of simplistic criticism of his opponents. Kenney, naturally, launched his own attacks against Notley. Alberta Votes 2019: CBC News brings you all the news, analyses and columns you need for the election. VOTE COMPASS | Find out how your views on campaign issues line up with the platforms of Alberta's major parties "I respect your leadership, but you made a grave mistake with the alliance with Justin Trudeau. You sold Alberta down the river to your ally Justin Trudeau," he said. If anyone watching the debate at home was playing a drinking game with "your ally Justin Trudeau" as the trigger phase, they risked alcohol poisoning after the first 30 minutes. Kenney was laser-focused on Notley and Notley only had eyes for Kenney. Albertans haven't seen two leaders so personally combative since the days of Premier Alison Redford and Wildrose leader Danielle Smith — who both had their own mixed-martial arts debate in 2012. But of course there were two others sharing the stage Thursday night: Alberta Party leader Stephen Mandel and Alberta Liberal leader David Khan. Talking over each other The debate at times degenerated into a verbal free-for-all, with all four leaders talking over each other. It gave the impression of drama, but just made it difficult for the folks at home to make out what they were saying. Interruptions make for difficult listening CBC News Edmonton 0:56 At multiple times throughout the debate, two, three or even all four leaders spoke over each other, prompting warnings from the moderator. 0:56 Mandel, who apparently thought he'd look more relaxed with an open necked shirt, but who looked like someone who had forgotten his tie, didn't seem to know who to attack more — Notley or Kenney. "You're both culpable," he said at one point. "It is sad on the one side Mr. Kenney is attacking Ms. Notley, and Ms. Notley is attacking Mr. Kenney, and Mr. Khan is absolving himself of any responsibility of anything," said Mandel without really explaining what Khan — who has never held elected office — has actually ever done wrong. And then there was Khan looking serious and nervous but just happy to be invited to the party. However, according to public opinion polls Liberals have such an uphill climb in this campaign he should have brought ropes and a grappling hook to the debate. His strategy wasn't to get into a fist fight with the others, except for a moment when he accused Mandel of recently stating the Alberta Party was in favour of privatizing parts of health care. "No, we didn't," interjected Mandel, who, in one of the few lighter moments of the debate, accused Khan of "smoking things you shouldn't be smoking." Khan's idea to grab the spotlight was to bring up ideas that will shock Albertans, such as introducing a provincial sales tax. "We need a sales tax to stabilize our revenues," said Khan.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Elise Stolte: No clear debate winner as long-shot parties fail to score points needed Elise Stolte: No clear debate winner as long-shot parties fail to score points needed Photo by Larry Wong / Postmedia Article content Thursday night’s party leaders’ forum was a good debate but not one I see shifting the course of this election as dramatically as the 2015 debate did. Here’s my quick take: there was no clear winner. With a so-far polarized campaign between the NDP and the UCP, this was the chance for the Alberta Liberal leader or the Alberta Party leader to steal the show. Here’s how I think each leader did. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Elise Stolte: No clear debate winner as long-shot parties fail to score points needed Back to video Photo by Larry Wong / Postmedia Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel Mandel needed a big win. He needed to channel the Rachel Notley of the 2015 leaders’ debate and said as much with his not-so-subtle introduction. He echoed her famous line: “I’m Stephen Mandel and I’m running to be premier of Alberta.” But he didn’t have that same spunk and fire. He seemed most effective when taking down the budget promises of the NDP and UCP, calling their oil revenue projections “whacky” and warning a one per cent hike in interest rates would bankrupt them. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content He was also convincing on the LGBTQ issue; took the issue right down to what matters. “Forty per cent of the children on the street today are from the LGBTQ community,” he said. “They’ve run into issues at home and need a supportive community at school. “If we as a society cannot protect our children, what can we do?” Photo by Larry Wong / Postmedia Alberta Liberal Leader David Khan Khan needed to step out of obscurity. He looked the most stiff and scripted of the leaders but presented himself as the leader for the next generation of Albertans. He scored points just by getting platform details in front of Albertans, outlining how a new harmonized sales tax could be revenue neutral. The tax would stabilize revenue and smooth Alberta’s boom and bust cycles. In exchange, the Liberals would eliminate provincial income tax for 70 per cent of Albertans. But his most effective moment was his attack on Mandel, who to that point had been only talking about his time as the popular mayor of Edmonton. Khan had a sharply worded question: “When you were PC health minister, Mr. Mandel, you turned down federal funding for the opioid crisis. How many Albertans died under your watch?” Mandel simply brushed it off, refused to answer. It left the question hanging dangerously. Photo by Larry Wong / Postmedia NDP Leader Rachel Notley While Mandel didn’t tap the Notley of 2015, neither did Notley. I was looking for sparky and inspiring. She was just OK. She came across as reasoned but more focused on pulling down the UCP than delivering exciting new ideas. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Her strongest quotes were all negative, outlining why voters should not choose the UCP. She suggested the UCP plan is akin to paying for a tax cut for your boss by “freezing your children’s education and freezing your loved one’s health care.” On the UCP leadership campaign and associated RCMP investigation, she was more pointed. “It is becoming clearer and clearer that people on Mr. (Jason) Kenney’s leadership team, at the very least, cheated for him to win the leadership. … If Mr. Kenney would cheat his own party members to have a chance at running to be premier, what will he do to the people of this province to keep the job?” Photo by Larry Wong / Postmedia UCP Leader Jason Kenney Kenney needed to avoid social controversy, act like a leader and bring clarity to some crazy-sounding ideas. He generally succeeded. He hammered his points soundly. He wins when controversies dodging his party look like mud slinging by a desperate NDP. That’s why his comeback to Notley’s accusations was strong. The “drive-by smear campaign” is just a distraction from the NDP’s failed economic agenda, he said. “Whenever you hear that fear and smear, that’s what’s really going on.” Kenney also scored points by presenting his education platform in a more empathic light, highlighting the many parts of the new education curriculum the UCP would keep. He talked about his dad waiting 14 hours in an emergency room before he died. His fighting-for-Alberta ideas came out slightly less crazy-sounding than they have in the past. He said a referendum on equalization would force a federal debate. “What I’m talking about is using the 1998 Quebec succession reference of the Supreme Court. (It) says if a province holds a referendum on a Constitution amendment it forces binding negotiations. Let’s take a page out of Quebec’s playbook.” estolte@postmedia.com twitter.com/estolte Related Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Edmonton Journal Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Edmonton Journal, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Edmonton Journal Headline News will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Trending<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email Alberta party leaders sparred in a debate Thursday night, 12 days before voters go to the polls. The debate ran the gamut of issues, from health care to the economy, from Trans Mountain to the LGBTQ community. WATCH: Pipeline debate continues during Alberta leaders debate 4:24 Pipeline debate continues during Alberta leaders debate Pipeline debate continues during Alberta leaders debate – Apr 4, 2019 All party leaders made claims that could be backed up by facts — and there were plenty of jabs that can’t quite be considered uniformly true. Story continues below advertisement Here are a series of claims from the Alberta leaders debate that warranted more scrutiny: David Khan: ‘We support Trans Mountain — we’re losing $80 million a day because it’s not built’ — a claim that has also been advanced by Rachel Notley The $80-million figure is claimed often — Alberta’s government cited it late last year, around the time it unveiled a “real-time lost-revenue counter” in response to delays on pipelines such as the Trans Mountain expansion. And now the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party is repeating it. The government said it arrived at a figure of $84 million using methodology employed by Scotiabank, and that was “revised based on as high as a $45-per-barrel difference between West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Western Canadian Select (WCS).” The Scotiabank analysis showed Alberta losing as much as $15.6 billion per year, if a discount on Canadian oil from February 2018 were to be maintained. There are, however, other estimates of how much money is being lost amid oil discounts — the Arc Energy Research Institute last year said oil price markdowns could be costing the Canadian economy as much as $100 million per day. And G. Kent Fellows of the University of Calgary has done a back-of-the-envelope calculation showing losses to Alberta of as much as $60 million per day, as reported by The National Post. Story continues below advertisement In other words, the $80-million estimate is high by some counts, but doesn’t quite capture the cost to the whole of Canada’s economy. WATCH: Rachel Notley highlights economy and diversity during closing 0:59 Rachel Notley highlights economy and diversity during closing Rachel Notley highlights economy and diversity during closing – Apr 4, 2019 Jason Kenney: ‘The premier opposed Northern Gateway, she gave licence to Justin Trudeau to cancel Northern Gateway… surrendered to Obama’s veto on Keystone XL’ NDP Leader Rachel Notley indeed opposed Northern Gateway in 2015, but made clear that she supports other projects — though she later rethought her stance on the controversial project. As premier, she has championed the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and openly tangled with British Columbia over its realization. However, Kenney’s claim that her position gave licence to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to cancel Northern Gateway is questionable. Story continues below advertisement The federal government approved Northern Gateway in 2014, but the project was later challenged by eight First Nations, four environmental groups and one labour union in the Federal Court of Appeal. That court overturned the then-Conservative government’s approval of Northern Gateway and said Canada fell short in its duty to consult with Indigenous people. That same court overturned the federal Liberal government’s approval of the Trans Mountain project, for very similar reasons. WATCH: Alberta party leaders debate relationship with Ottawa and pipelines 4:43 Alberta party leaders debate relationship with Ottawa and pipelines Alberta party leaders debate relationship with Ottawa and pipelines – Apr 4, 2019 Jason Kenney: ‘It’s not true, premier,’ when Rachel Notley said, ‘the leadership campaign of which you were a part is under RCMP investigation’ The RCMP are investigating the United Conservative Party’s (UCP) 2017 leadership race, in which Kenney emerged victorious. Story continues below advertisement Alberta’s election commissioner had been looking into the campaign of Jeff Callaway, which was alleged to have been launched in an effort to thwart Brian Jean’s candidacy for the leadership and help Kenney win. Kenney said in mid-March that neither he nor his party had been asked to speak to the Mounties, but that they would “comply fully if we were.” The UCP leader confirmed later that month that a party lawyer was speaking with the RCMP about the leadership race. Stephen Mandel: ‘In reality, it’s more like a sales tax, we should call it a sales tax but it’s a carbon tax’ University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe has challenged this claim at length. In a 2016 op-ed for Maclean’s, Tombe said a carbon tax is “no more a sales tax than income taxes are.” He said carbon taxes and sales taxes have two different purposes — a sales tax is aimed at raising revenue, while a carbon tax is aimed at changing people’s behaviour. A carbon tax, he said, is meant to correct a market failure — specifically, the damage caused by pollution, and the failure to consider such damages. Tombe admitted that carbon taxes do raise revenue — at the time, he expected Alberta’s to raise about $2.6 billion per year, “roughly equivalent to the amount of revenue generated by a three-per-cent sales tax” in the province. Story continues below advertisement But he also noted that resource royalties raised approximately $2.5 billion in revenue in 2015, and those aren’t considered carbon taxes. WATCH: David Khan highlights tackling debt, creating jobs during closing 0:56 David Khan highlights tackling debt, creating jobs during closing David Khan highlights tackling debt, creating jobs during closing – Apr 4, 2019 Jason Kenney: ‘This government has the worst economic record and jobs record in modern Alberta history, also the worst health care record’ This claim depends largely on what people consider “modern Alberta history,” and which metrics they’re looking at. The provincial government’s economic dashboard showed Alberta’s gross domestic product (GDP) at $327.4 billion in 2016. That was lower than the peak of $338 billion in December 2013, but it was up from $313 billion in December 2015. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate sat at 7.3 per cent in February, though that wasn’t the highest monthly rate under their tenure. Story continues below advertisement<doc-sep>
Share this Story: Alberta Election 2019: Party leaders break out their greatest hits in 90-minute debate Alberta Election 2019: Party leaders break out their greatest hits in 90-minute debate Photo by Larry Wong / Postmedia Article content Four party leaders put their best sales pitches forward Thursday to an Alberta-wide audience in the only debate scheduled during a 28-day campaign so far weighed down by mud-slinging between an NDP looking to win a second term and a UCP anxious to put the province back in conservative hands. The UCP, NDP, Liberal and Alberta Party leaders sparred over pipelines, balancing the budget, health care, education and more. But in some of the most contentious exchanges of the night, the candidates zeroed in on the issue of integrity. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Alberta Election 2019: Party leaders break out their greatest hits in 90-minute debate Back to video NDP Leader Rachel Notley and UCP Leader Jason Kenney traded jabs about controversies that have dogged their respective campaigns. Kenney had to respond again to allegations that his campaign ran a “kamikaze” candidate to sink his main competitor in the 2017 UCP leadership race. That race has also been linked to an ongoing RCMP investigation into irregular financial contributions into Jeff Callaway’s campaign, who was alleged to have been picked as the candidate to sink former Wildrose leader Brian Jean. Article content “Do you think it’s normal … to run somebody as a kamikaze candidate to take down your most competitive (rival),” Notley said during the debate. In response, Kenney said Notley and the NDP have been engaged in a “fear and smear” campaign against him and his party. “Whenever she does this, it’s because she’s incapable of defending her failed economic record, the jobs crisis, her alliance with Justin Trudeau, her carbon tax,” Kenney said. “Whenever you hear that, that’s what’s going on.” Photo by Larry Wong / Postmedia And he asked Notley why her party didn’t name the two NDP MLAs who were accused of sexual misconduct during her party’s first term. The behaviour wasn’t criminal and the NDP said the party followed recommendations from two independent investigations, Notley said. “Part of rooting out sexual misconduct and harassment is creating the conditions for people to come forward,” she said, repeating that disclosing the names publicly would breach the privacy of the complainants. While the two front-runners focused their attacks on each other, Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel and Liberal Leader David Khan remarked on the combative relationship on display. Khan said Albertans are sick of the rhetoric between the duelling parties, referencing attack websites. Mandel told reporters after the debate that Kenney and Notley were childish Thursday. Growing the economy, creating jobs and getting Alberta oil to tidewater took up the bulk of the debate questions from a panel of reporters. Article content “My opponent Mr. Kenney wants to stoke fear and division for his political gain,” Notley said during debate over the beleaguered Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. Photo by Larry Wong / Postmedia She hammered on the ongoing NDP narrative that Kenney failed to move pipeline projects forward during his time in Stephen Harper’s federal Conservative cabinet. “You didn’t get a pipeline built, so there is truly no reason why we should take advice from you,” Notley said. Kenney blamed Notley’s government for the lack of movement on the pipeline in the last four years. “This government has left us with a faint hope of only one pipeline,” Kenney said. Notley also fired out at Kenney for plans to cancel a rail deal that aims to narrow Alberta’s oil differential by adding transport capacity, saying it would kill jobs in downtown Calgary. “With respect, you’re the expert on killing jobs in downtown Calgary,” he responded. Mandel also slammed the NDP record on pipelines. “Ms. Notley, I was there in the legislature when you promised shovels would be in the ground last summer,” he said, adding the “reality is we still don’t have a pipeline.” Photo by Larry Wong / Postmedia Khan targeted Kenney during the economic debate, saying it’s “really rich” for conservatives in Alberta to talk about fiscal issues. Debates have been a turning point in some past elections, including in 2015 when then Progressive Conservative leader Jim Prentice made the infamous “math is difficult” remark directed at Notley. Article content There was no such moment in Thursday’s debate.