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Alberta NDP seek to gain from Tory split

Alberta’s NDP say they are getting ready to seize an opportunity created by the battle between the Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose Alliance. NDP leader Brian Mason said the rise of the Wildrose Alliance is causing a split within the Tories.

Alberta’s NDP say they are getting ready to seize an opportunity created by the battle between the Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose Alliance.

NDP leader Brian Mason said the rise of the Wildrose Alliance is causing a split within the Tories.

“So far the Wildrose Alliance has shown no sign of expanding beyond disgruntled and right-wing Tories so for us it represents an opportunity.

“And with the disarray and defections from the Liberal party, that opportunity is enhanced,” Mason told about 250 people who attended the NDP 44th annual provincial convention at the Red Deer Lodge on Saturday.

People see the NDP as an effective opposition party, but now is the time to show off the party’s positive policies for the future of the province, he said.

“(Albertans) are tired of a government that can’t maintain our public health care system. They’re tired of a government that won’t clean up the oil sands.

They’re tired of a government that won’t protect children in its care, that doesn’t protect workers on the job, that doesn’t provide care for seniors at a cost their families can afford.”

He said the NDP is fiscally responsible with a policy of balanced budgets and would not put the oil sands out of business despite the accusations of Premier Ed Stelmach.

“Our position is to clean the oil sands, not shut them down.”

The NDP supports staged development, caps on emissions, eliminating tailings ponds completely within a fixed period of time, and eliminating the pollution that affects the health and the wildlife downstream of the Athabasca River, Mason said.

“It is in fact Ed Stelmach and the Progressive Conservatives who are jeopardizing the long-term prosperity of Alberta.

“By failing to enforce their own environmental laws, they have given this province an international black eye which has fed growing boycott campaigns aimed at our oil and our tourism and other industries are sure to follow. There’s the real threat to our economy and our jobs. Add in the unchecked export of unprocessed bitumen and the Tory government stands as a major job killer.”

Premier Ed Stelmach’s government has also made some very bad health care decisions by refusing to build new long-term health care beds which has left emergency room patients waiting for beds, he said.

“Long-term care beds are far more affordable than acute care beds, in some cases a 10th the price.

“They’re not listening to the people in the system and they’re not acting.”

To prepare for the next provincial election and to pay off its existing debt of about $250,000, the NDP have launched a special one-time, $1-million fundraising campaign.

Work is underway to create a rural caucus to rebuild support and Mason said some excellent potential NDP candidates are involved in agriculture.

“Despite the attempt by the Tories to kill the national Wheat Board a majority of farmers actually support the single desk and our party has been very clear about (supporting) that.”

szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com