Alberta byelections: the campaigns up to now

Premier Jim Prentice is looking to gain a seat inAlberta's legislature Monday in one of four byelections, but herejects any suggestion that the votes are a referendum on hisgovernment.

"These are four individual byelections," Prentice told aCalgary radio station on Friday.

• Calgary-Elbow riding profile
• Calgary-Foothills riding profile
• Calgary-West riding profile
• Edmonton-Whitemud riding profile

"You run hard on the basis that you're four votes behind, whichis why I've knocked on 6,000 doors myself over the course of thelast period of time.

"I trust the judgment of the citizens in those ridings to makethe choice."

The vote caps a campaign of angry ads, pumpkins, no-shows, sodturnings and debates over the true meaning of political manners.

The legislature is set to resume sitting Nov. 17.

'Pumpkin Premier'

Prentice, who is running in Calgary-Foothills, called thebyelections four weeks ago. The others are in Calgary-West,Calgary-Elbow and Edmonton-Whitemud.

All four have been strongly contested by opposition parties.

The Opposition Wildrose took to running attack ads on TV andradio. They reminded voters of failed Tory promises to fix healthcare and build schools, while spending lavishly on travel and officeperks under former premier Alison Redford.

"Send the PCs a message. It's time to put the service back inpublic service," Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith said in one radio ad.

Prentice and his running mates also came under fire for notattending many candidate debates.

Prentice did not participate in any debates in Calgary-Foothills,which prompted rivals to put a pumpkin in his place on stage. Thatled to the nickname "Pumpkin Premier."

NDP member Brian Mason, in his farewell speech as party leaderlast weekend, used the Halloween gourd to craft a rallying cry,telling Albertans: "Don't elect four more pumpkins!"

Knocking on doors

The PCs said they felt the best way to connect with voters was byknocking on doors.

Prentice criticized the Wildrose party for running the attack adsagainst him. He said political "courtesies" traditionally give aparty leader a break in byelections.

The opposition, in turn, accused Prentice of being equallydiscourteous by running a passive-aggressive campaign for hiscandidates using taxpayer money.

In recent weeks, Prentice has announced millions of dollars forhundreds of new care beds to alleviate hospital bottlenecks and fordozens of new schools.

• Alberta to open 464 continuing care spaces over next 12 months
• Alberta schools promised $2B investment from province

Education Minister Gordon Dirks and HealthMinister Stephen Mandel are both running in byelections.

On Friday, Dirks posed for photographers as he helped turn thesod on three new schools in Calgary. Opposition members cried foul,but Prentice said the ceremony was an apolitical site blessingorganized by Calgary's Catholic School District.

Time for change, says opposing candidates

The byelection outcomes don't have the potential to change thebalance of power. The Tories have 57 seats in the 87-seatlegislature.

All the seats up for grabs were won by the Tories in the 2012election, including Redford's riding of Calgary-Elbow.

Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark, a candidate in that riding, saidmany voters are telling him it's time for change.

"How many second chances does the PC party want?" said Clark inan interview.

"What I'm hearing from people at the doors is very clearly thatafter 43 years (in government), the PC party cannot representchange."

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Donna Wilson, the Liberal candidate in Edmonton-Whitemud, saidvoters need to remember the past if they want to shape the future.

"It's not just our health-care system that is in deep trouble,"said Wilson."(It's also) our schools, post-secondary (institutions), ourenvironment (and) our job creation.

"This is a government that has failed in every way."