Trudeau: Liberal message getting through in Alberta

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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If you look like a cowboy, Alberta will listen.

Trudeau: Liberal message getting through in Alberta

CALGARY -- Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau says his party's message is getting through in the traditional Conservative stronghold of Alberta.

He says more and more Albertans seem to be embracing the party, even though the Liberals failed to snag two Alberta seats that were up for grabs in recent federal byelections.

"There's no question about the fact that people are more enthusiastically inclined toward the Liberal party in Alberta than they have been in a long time," Trudeau told reporters on the opening day of the Calgary Stampede.

"But we have a lot more work to do and we're going to keep to it."

Trudeau noted the Liberals had a strong showing in the Fort McMurray-Athabasca riding in the heart of oilsands country, which he visited three times during the campaign. Indeed, Liberal Kyle Harrietha took 35 per cent of the vote in that riding, triple what the party got back in 2011.

"The people in Fort McMurray understand the reasonable approach that the Liberal party is taking, the responsible approach that we're taking around needing social licence for these pipelines," said Trudeau.

"That's a good sign for the rest of Alberta."

The Conservatives ended up holding onto both the Fort McMurray-Athabasca seat and the southern Alberta riding of Macleod in Monday's byelections.

Trudeau took aim at how the Harper government has handled two issues that are top of mind in the oilpatch.

Trudeau reiterated his view that the Conservatives' management of the temporary foreign worker program is "anti-Alberta" and that the government has "fallen down" when it comes to advancing the controversial Keystone XL cross-border oil pipeline.

"If we had had an actual price on carbon, if we had figured out some way of actually demonstrating to our trading partners that we are serious about reducing carbon pollution, Keystone XL would already be approved," he said.

Trudeau said he delivers the same message in downtown Toronto as he does in downtown Calgary.

"And that's something that Canadians want to see," he said.

"So the fact that the Conservatives are attacking me out here for not being pro-pipeline enough and the NDP are attacking me in Toronto for being too pro-pipeline sort of reassures me that I've found a balanced place that I think most Canadians are going to appreciate."

Trudeau posed for pictures with supporters on a busy downtown Calgary pedestrian thoroughfare before taking public transit to the Stampede grounds with two of his children, where they planned to take in the rodeo.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Trudeau were on hand for the Stampede parade.

Trudeau: Liberal message getting through in Alberta | CTV News
 

Walter

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 28, 2007
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I guess that's why the Tories won both by-elections handily last week.
 

relic

Council Member
Nov 29, 2009
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Nova Scotia
Yeah walleye but not as "handily" as they thought, Soon there will be enough Newfies and Bluenosers in alta to cancel out all the ignorant hillbilly votes, then steve and his incompetent hand puppets will find out they shouldn't have made it harder to get pogey.
 

Corduroy

Senate Member
Feb 9, 2011
6,670
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Vancouver, BC
The Liberals didn't do as successfully in Alberta as everyone pretends. Conservative losses in those by-elections (in actual votes) are almost the same as the drop in voter turnout. Conservative voters didn't switch parties. They just didn't vote. This hardly surprising for an incumbent in a by-election in a party stronghold. You can't bet on the same result in the next general.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
108,906
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The Liberals didn't do as successfully in Alberta as everyone pretends. Conservative losses in those by-elections (in actual votes) are almost the same as the drop in voter turnout. Conservative voters didn't switch parties. They just didn't vote. This hardly surprising for an incumbent in a by-election in a party stronghold. You can't bet on the same result in the next general.

You're right. If there were a real threat they'd vote.
 

FiveParadox

Governor General
Dec 20, 2005
5,875
43
48
Vancouver, BC
Federal polling averages analysed on June 19, 2014, put the federal parties' standings, if an election had been held that day, as follows (clearly, the Liberals are doing better than the Conservatives would care to admit, in Alberta and elsewhere).

  • Her Majesty's Government (Conservative): 128 seats (-38)
  • Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition (New Democrats): 72 seats (-31)
  • Liberal Party of Canada: 128 seats (+94)
  • Bloc Québécois: 8 seats (+4)
  • Green Party of Canada: 2 seats (+1)

(It should be noted that the 42nd Parliament is 335 seats instead of 308, which is why this is not zero-sum.)

More here.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
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Vernon, B.C.
Federal polling averages analysed on June 19, 2014, put the federal parties' standings, if an election had been held that day, as follows (clearly, the Liberals are doing better than the Conservatives would care to admit, in Alberta and elsewhere).

  • Her Majesty's Government (Conservative): 128 seats (-38)
  • Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition (New Democrats): 72 seats (-31)
  • Liberal Party of Canada: 128 seats (+94)
  • Bloc Québécois: 8 seats (+4)
  • Green Party of Canada: 2 seats (+1)

(It should be noted that the 42nd Parliament is 335 seats instead of 308, which is why this is not zero-sum.)

More here.


There's one main problem with that...................................the day picked isn't election day! -:)
 

tay

Hall of Fame Member
May 20, 2012
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The Trudeaus, in white hats, bump into the Harpers wearing black ones at the Calgary Stampede.










 

damngrumpy

Executive Branch Member
Mar 16, 2005
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kelowna bc
Two reason for this youth are fed up with the message of the Tories
Second people moving into Alberta are from areas that are not
traditional Tories as the population grows the old Conservative stronghold
will weaken.
I am watching as I don't know which way I'll vote but it won't be Tory or Green
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
113
Vernon, B.C.
Two reason for this youth are fed up with the message of the Tories
Second people moving into Alberta are from areas that are not
traditional Tories as the population grows the old Conservative stronghold
will weaken.
I am watching as I don't know which way I'll vote but it won't be Tory or Green


Watch any pension splitting benefits evaporate! Green Party might be good for leading a troop of Boy Scouts!
 

wulfie68

Council Member
Mar 29, 2009
2,014
24
38
Calgary, AB
What most of you posting Liberal optimism from outside Alberta don't understand is that even when people move to Alberta, they become Albertans. Many find that the "redneck" mentality isn't as simplistic as many of the stereotypes cast by partisan hacks from other parts of the country try to make it out to be.

Part of the reason that Conservative support is monolithic and long lasting is that life is pretty damned good in Alberta, and although we all b*tch and moan at times, there isn't enough substance to the complaints to warrant a lot of change on the political scene.

Another aspect is the perceived hostility to the energy industry by the Liberals and NDP. Whether people like to admit it or not, energy makes Alberta happen (and contributes in large part to the functioning of the country as a whole). Justin Trudeau's talk of carbon taxes and appeasing the "environmentalists" in the Liberal party works against the notion of him not wanting to poison the golden goose. And yes his last name still DOES carry weight, as the spectre of the NEP still lurks in the shadows and is undeniably linked to his father. The NDP on the other hand has talked at times of nationalizing the industry and unionizing the labour force, both are completely against most Albertan notions of what is best for them.

Where the Liberals and NDP have their chance at a few seats, is in places like Edmonton and some parts of Calgary, where a larger concentration of civil service workers live; people not as reliant on a healthy provincial economy, but rather more insulated from the rest of the province by their job (until spending cuts dictate elimination of positions...). The dynamic really hasn't changed in the past 2-3 decades and contrary to what some want to believe, there is no impetus for change.
 

captain morgan

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 28, 2009
28,429
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A Mouse Once Bit My Sister
If you look like a cowboy, Alberta will listen. .

Justine should work on the look... He's more reminiscent of a rodeo clown

CALGARY -- Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau says his party's message is getting through in the traditional Conservative stronghold of Alberta.http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/trudeau-liberal-message-getting-through-in-alberta-1.1899996

Trudeau's own analysis, eh?

Must be fact I guess

Yeah walleye but not as "handily" as they thought, Soon there will be enough Newfies and Bluenosers in alta to cancel out all the ignorant hillbilly votes, then steve and his incompetent hand puppets will find out they shouldn't have made it harder to get pogey.

Ummmm.... "Should be enough Newfies".... Newsflash for ya Einstein, they are already there in force, in fact, they are Harper's biggest supporters

Two reason for this youth are fed up with the message of the Tories
Second people moving into Alberta are from areas that are not
traditional Tories as the population grows the old Conservative stronghold
will weaken.
I am watching as I don't know which way I'll vote but it won't be Tory or Green

The people that move to Alberta are observing the benefits of the Conservative policy. They understand the merit in being progressive and are taking full responsibility for their own futures and well-being... That's the reason that they are leaving high tax
provinces and moving to places where this is actual work that will pay them properly for their contributions.

As far as the youth are concerned, take a look at your own province, they are leaving in droves because of the horrific gvt policy that has proven to be an abject failure.
 

JamesBondo

House Member
Mar 3, 2012
4,158
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48
when we look at electoral results over the years, I think it is safe to say that when Liberals and NDPers move to Alberta for work, they general change their vote to Conservative.


IMO, JT can not address the root cause to this phenomena without alienating their grass roots supporters in other provinces.
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
39,778
454
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Harper's Trudeau jabs belie fear of the young lion

The Conservatives have recently been rattled by significant Liberal gains in both Alberta byelections (Fort McMurray-Athabasca and Macleod.)

It’s not that there was any danger of the Liberals winning; just that in a pure state of Conservative security, Trudeau’s party wouldn’t show a twitch of life in Alberta.

But the Liberals scored large increases in their percentage vote in both ridings.

Now the PM has fire in his belly. This is the kind of battle he has always relished; a clear choice between goals and ideologies.

Harper's Trudeau jabs belie fear of the young lion