Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday May 2, 2015
Rachel Notley campaign has ‘shades of Jack Layton’
The Alberta NDP is poised for a historic breakthrough, and a lot of that momentum can be credited to the party’s leader Rachel Notley.
An exclusive CBC poll suggests Notley, who was first elected to the Alberta Legislature in 2008, is driving the party’s surge with a strong campaign. She was given the highest approval rating at 53 per cent when Albertans were polled by Return On Insight (ROI).
“Rachel Notley has built this campaign around her. It has shades of Jack Layton, in that she is quite popular and she has a lot of energy,” said ROI president Bruce Cameron.
“Most Albertans, regardless of who they are voting for, would acknowledge the NDP has run the best campaign so far.”
Wildrose Party Leader Brian Jean received a 34 per cent approval rating while Progressive Conservative Leader Jim Prentice sits at 31 per cent.
Notley is taking the latest poll results in stride.
“People are looking for something different. They’re looking for an alternative,” she said. “They’re looking for a government that will reflect their opinions on issues of fairness, on protecting our education and our health care and protecting jobs, so I’m encouraged by what the polls show, but I don’t bank on them and I don’t think most politicians do these days.”
Jean also weighed in on the several polls released in the last 24 hours, while on a campaign stop in Calgary.
“It’s not going to change our principles, which is really the key to this race, because we are the only party that stands up for Alberta’s principles and priorities,” said Jean.
PC Leader Jim Prentice hasn’t commented on the poll results, but used a major fundraising speech Thursday evening to attack the NDP as potential killers of jobs and investment. (Source: CBC News)
Published in The Prince George Citizen, Gull Lake Advance (Saskatchewan), Duncan Citizen (BC), Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal