Wildrose Alliance leader Danielle Smith stopped by the Lakeland last week to speak with party members and voters on the party's outlook and policy.
Smith held a press conference and addressed the party's positions on a variety of topics on Wednesday. She applauded technological innovations in the energy sector, specifically the advances in reducing in the amount of water used in oil production.
“I think that our companies are doing a tremendous job, and it was reaffirmed with my visit to the facility yesterday,” she said, referring to a tour at Imperial Oil the day before. She said the province needs to achieve a balance between environmental and economic concerns.
“You don't have to kill your economy to save the environment, nor do you have to kill the environment to have a vibrant economy. We actually can have both,” she said. However, she said companies need to do more to publicize what they're doing to improve environmental performance.
“I have so much confidence in our industry to be able to solve virtually any technological and environmental problem that they're faced with.”
She criticised the province's response to negative advertising by buying advertising in the U.S., as well as the province's carbon capture and storage fund.
“Giving direct subsidies to some of the biggest and richest corporations in Alberta, on unproven technology, is really more of a show that you're doing something rather than actually doing something.”
Smith also visited Western Pride Auction while in town. She said the visit allowed her to see how cattle prices are recovering after nine years of excessive regulations. The party plans to release its agriculture policy in October.
“We believe we have to find a way to make agriculture profitable again, because once you've got an industry that's vibrant and profitable, you don't have a problem attracting young people to come back to the farm to stay in that industry,” she said.
“The starting point for us is how can we assist in getting government out of the way to be able to allow for our producers to find markets and be able to capitalize on that.”
She said the disconnect between urban consumer and rural producer led to overreaction by politicians to BSE, avian flu and H1N1, which created more regulations for producers and reduced profits.
“We have to find a way to strike a proper balance between ensuring the safety of our food supply, but also creating reasonable expectations and educating consumers about what's reasonable and what is a genuine risk,” she said.
Smith addressed around 150 people at the Seniors Centre Wednesday night at a fundraiser dinner. She praised the former Reform Party of Canada and Ralph Klein's Progressive Conservative Party.
She highlighted the party's grassroots democratic policy, using MLA Guy Boutilier as an example of an MLA who was “doing exactly what he was supposed to do,” standing up for his constituents, which led to his departure from the PCs. In contrast, Smith told the crowd that the “world hasn't come to an end because we've allowed free votes in our caucus.”
Boutilier, MLA for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo and a former minister, joined the Wildrose Alliance after being ousted from the PCs.
“As MLA, the people in the room are our bosses,” said Boutilier after Smith's speech. “In being our bosses, we are accountable to you.”
Bonnyville Mayor Ernie Isley helped organize the tour. He said his goal in life is to do everything possible in the next two years to elect a Wildrose government next election.
He said if an election were called tomorrow the party would form the “strongest opposition that you've ever seen in this province.”
However, “if the mood keeps swinging, two years from now we could be the government.”
After touring Glendon, Bonnyville, and Cold Lake, Smith went to Fort McMurray for the unveiling of the party's environmental policy.
