Edmonton Journal Article on the Edmonton Unknown Factor
From http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/features/albertavotes/story.htm...
Edmonton still up for grabs
City's undecided voters could extend Tory dynasty -- or end it
Darcy Henton, The Edmonton Journal; With files from Jason Markusoff
Published: 6:42 am
It's people like city dweller Mark Woronuk who hold the fate of the 37-year-old Progressive Conservative dynasty in their hands -- and more specifically, whether or not the Tories make inroads in the province's capital.
The south Edmonton resident is among the 25 per cent of Edmonton voters identified in a Leger Marketing poll this week who haven't decided where to put their vote.
The huge percentage of undecided voters, along with the massive influx of newcomers and the appeal of a northern Alberta premier, could all be factors in whether Albertans decide to change their government or change their representation in Edmonton.
The capital city has often been dubbed "Redmonton" as a result of its tradition of electing opposition members of the legislature.
Premier Ed Stelmach has vowed to put the "Ed" back into Edmonton.
Currently opposition members hold all but three of the city's 18 seats.
But the Leger telephone poll suggests that could change Monday.
The poll, conducted Feb. 21 to 25, suggests that 39 per cent of city voters support Stelmach's Conservatives while 21 per cent support Kevin Taft's Liberals and nearly nine per cent support Brian Mason's NDP.
That suggests there could be an 11th straight Tory majority.
Woronuk, a 28-year-old policeman who was born and raised in the city, has never known anything but a Conservative provincial government.
He voted Conservative previously when Ralph Klein was the premier, but he's not so sure about Stelmach.
None of the other leaders has grabbed him either.
"Like a lot of people, I'm kind of on the fence with Ed," he said when a Liberal candidate came door-knocking this week. "I will do some research and look into the core values of each party and make a decision from there."
Chaldeans Mensah, who teaches political science at Grant MacEwan College, said rookie premier Stelmach may receive some sympathy from city residents because of the way he has been treated by the Calgary establishment.
"You hear people say: 'Give the guy a chance. He's been in just over a year. Whatever his foibles are, he deserves a chance to prove himself,' " Mensah said. "There's a sense this individual hasn't been given the opportunity to demonstrate his leadership."
But Liberal Leader Kevin Taft said his candidates don't sense any Stelmach momentum in the capital.
"We're in a race to the finish line, but we're not picking up anything unusual," he said.
Taft noted that in Edmonton, his party has an advantage it didn't have in 2004 -- 10 incumbents and strong riding-by-riding organizations.
Edmonton-McLung Liberal incumbent Mo Elsalhy, who knocked off Tory cabinet minister Mark Norris in 2004, said he has heard voters express sympathy for Stelmach.
"Very infrequently somebody says: 'Mr. Stelmach deserves a chance.' I tell them he has been the premier for 14 months. How much more time do you need to give him?"
Alberta Liberals are confident they can hold all of their seats in the city, but the Tories are hopeful they can take Edmonton-Meadowlark, where incumbent Liberal Maurice Tougas has stepped down, and Edmonton-Manning, where former Liberal Dan Backs is running as an independent after being expelled from the Liberal caucus.
With recent polls in their favour, Edmonton's Tory candidates are exuding a quiet confidence, but they say they've also been working very, very hard.
Health minister Dave Hancock, who won narrowly in Edmonton-Whitemud in 2004, said he hopes to benefit from a higher profile after taking a run at the party leadership in 2006.
He said voters in his riding are generally supportive of the new premier. "People have their concerns about presentation, but he's getting marks for being willing to step into the middle of controversial issues and deal with them in a thoughtful way," Hancock said.
Tory candidate Gene Zwozdesky, an associate cabinet minister and the incumbent for Edmonton Mill Creek, said Stelmach earned points with voters in his riding with his performance during the leader's debate. "Any time you can stand your ground against three opponents, that's appreciated."
Edmonton-Castle Downs Tory incumbent Thomas Lukaszuk, who won by only three votes after a protracted recount in 2004, said he never stopped campaigning.
He said there are 8,000 new eligible voters in his riding this time and he's been out meeting them as often as he could.
"Most people who come here are happy to be here," he said. "They're not likely to stage a revolution. They like having a job and a house."
But Liberal Chris Kibermanis, who lost the squeaker, has also been pounding the sidewalk.
"I think we'll have a very close election again," he said. "There's a real mood for change. If we get the vote out we'll be successful."
The retirement of popular NDP MLA Raj Pannu in Edmonton-Strathcona has opened the door for rivals in Old Strathcona, but NDP candidate Rachel Notley, the daughter of former NDP leader Grant Notley, has been campaigning hard for months.
"There are not a lot of people saying: 'I'm just so happy to be part of the Alberta Advantage and I can't wait to vote the Tories in for another 37 years,' " she said.
dhen...@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2008
Edmonton still up for grabs
City's undecided voters could extend Tory dynasty -- or end it
Darcy Henton, The Edmonton Journal; With files from Jason Markusoff
Published: 6:42 am
It's people like city dweller Mark Woronuk who hold the fate of the 37-year-old Progressive Conservative dynasty in their hands -- and more specifically, whether or not the Tories make inroads in the province's capital.
The south Edmonton resident is among the 25 per cent of Edmonton voters identified in a Leger Marketing poll this week who haven't decided where to put their vote.
The huge percentage of undecided voters, along with the massive influx of newcomers and the appeal of a northern Alberta premier, could all be factors in whether Albertans decide to change their government or change their representation in Edmonton.
The capital city has often been dubbed "Redmonton" as a result of its tradition of electing opposition members of the legislature.
Premier Ed Stelmach has vowed to put the "Ed" back into Edmonton.
Currently opposition members hold all but three of the city's 18 seats.
But the Leger telephone poll suggests that could change Monday.
The poll, conducted Feb. 21 to 25, suggests that 39 per cent of city voters support Stelmach's Conservatives while 21 per cent support Kevin Taft's Liberals and nearly nine per cent support Brian Mason's NDP.
That suggests there could be an 11th straight Tory majority.
Woronuk, a 28-year-old policeman who was born and raised in the city, has never known anything but a Conservative provincial government.
He voted Conservative previously when Ralph Klein was the premier, but he's not so sure about Stelmach.
None of the other leaders has grabbed him either.
"Like a lot of people, I'm kind of on the fence with Ed," he said when a Liberal candidate came door-knocking this week. "I will do some research and look into the core values of each party and make a decision from there."
Chaldeans Mensah, who teaches political science at Grant MacEwan College, said rookie premier Stelmach may receive some sympathy from city residents because of the way he has been treated by the Calgary establishment.
"You hear people say: 'Give the guy a chance. He's been in just over a year. Whatever his foibles are, he deserves a chance to prove himself,' " Mensah said. "There's a sense this individual hasn't been given the opportunity to demonstrate his leadership."
But Liberal Leader Kevin Taft said his candidates don't sense any Stelmach momentum in the capital.
"We're in a race to the finish line, but we're not picking up anything unusual," he said.
Taft noted that in Edmonton, his party has an advantage it didn't have in 2004 -- 10 incumbents and strong riding-by-riding organizations.
Edmonton-McLung Liberal incumbent Mo Elsalhy, who knocked off Tory cabinet minister Mark Norris in 2004, said he has heard voters express sympathy for Stelmach.
"Very infrequently somebody says: 'Mr. Stelmach deserves a chance.' I tell them he has been the premier for 14 months. How much more time do you need to give him?"
Alberta Liberals are confident they can hold all of their seats in the city, but the Tories are hopeful they can take Edmonton-Meadowlark, where incumbent Liberal Maurice Tougas has stepped down, and Edmonton-Manning, where former Liberal Dan Backs is running as an independent after being expelled from the Liberal caucus.
With recent polls in their favour, Edmonton's Tory candidates are exuding a quiet confidence, but they say they've also been working very, very hard.
Health minister Dave Hancock, who won narrowly in Edmonton-Whitemud in 2004, said he hopes to benefit from a higher profile after taking a run at the party leadership in 2006.
He said voters in his riding are generally supportive of the new premier. "People have their concerns about presentation, but he's getting marks for being willing to step into the middle of controversial issues and deal with them in a thoughtful way," Hancock said.
Tory candidate Gene Zwozdesky, an associate cabinet minister and the incumbent for Edmonton Mill Creek, said Stelmach earned points with voters in his riding with his performance during the leader's debate. "Any time you can stand your ground against three opponents, that's appreciated."
Edmonton-Castle Downs Tory incumbent Thomas Lukaszuk, who won by only three votes after a protracted recount in 2004, said he never stopped campaigning.
He said there are 8,000 new eligible voters in his riding this time and he's been out meeting them as often as he could.
"Most people who come here are happy to be here," he said. "They're not likely to stage a revolution. They like having a job and a house."
But Liberal Chris Kibermanis, who lost the squeaker, has also been pounding the sidewalk.
"I think we'll have a very close election again," he said. "There's a real mood for change. If we get the vote out we'll be successful."
The retirement of popular NDP MLA Raj Pannu in Edmonton-Strathcona has opened the door for rivals in Old Strathcona, but NDP candidate Rachel Notley, the daughter of former NDP leader Grant Notley, has been campaigning hard for months.
"There are not a lot of people saying: 'I'm just so happy to be part of the Alberta Advantage and I can't wait to vote the Tories in for another 37 years,' " she said.
dhen...@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2008
Trackbacks
No Trackbacks
Comments
Display comments as Linear | Threaded