Tories spend big to unseat Linda Duncan
One of those targets is Edmonton-Strathcona, where the city's newest Conservative candidate, Ryan Hastman, is getting financial help from Calgary in his effort to oust the province's only opposition member, New Democrat MP Linda Duncan.
...Edmonton-Strathcona is one of several dozen swing ridings selected for special attention by Calgary Conservatives determined to see a Tory majority government, says Andrew Constantinidis of the Calgary West constituency, held by Rob Anders.
They also want to see Alberta's 28 seats go Tory blue next time and they've got the cash to help defeat Duncan, the province's only opposition MP, he said
..Duncan says she's not sure the people of Edmonton-monton-Strathcona will be happy with Calgary dollars flowing north to try to influence their votes, she said.
"I'm not sure they'll look kindly on that," she said. (In the 2008 campaign, Duncan received about $3,700 from NDP supporters outside her riding, raised about $83,000 in her riding and spent about $64,000 on her campaign.)
...What's more irksome, she said, is that Hastman was invited by the federal government to assist in giving out stimulus cheques to community building projects in her riding, even though he is not an elected official.
Duncan, the duly elected MP, was excluded from these events and not informed about when the cheques were going to be handed out.
Hastman's Facebook site displays photos of him with Rob Merrifield, federal minister of state for trans-transport, provincial Tory minister Gene Zwozdesky and others at the cheque presentation at King's University College, in Duncan's riding.
Duncan said Hastman was on hand with Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose to hand out $14.8 million to the University of Alberta, also in Duncan's riding.
In the fall, Calgary MP Diane Ablonczy was flown into Edmonton-Strathcona to hand out a cheque to the Ottewell community league for a new playground along with Hastman.
More on this from the blogs:
Edmonton-Strathcona: more than an NDP outpost, it's a bulwark against a Tory majority
From the comments on the Edmonton Journal web site:
Please keep your money, your right-wing politics and your loser politicians. We in Edmonton will continue to actually use our brains to select our MPs, selecting the people that best serve our interests. Also, if you could, could you do something about that Prime-minister you have foisted upon us. He seems to need a lot of time off, but we are not sure why as it doesn't seem to help his running the country very much.
Sincerely,
Edmontonians that think.
Tories would do better to try and protect their turf in Edmonton East and Edmonton Centre.
This type of support is practiced by all parties. This is nothing new. In the last provincial election my riding was a targeted riding and there were many outside constituency party organizers working in th riding as well as piles of money from other riding associations. It however did not work for them as the incumbent party increased their voter support.
No one should be critical over this, if they are then they should practice what they preach and stay out of other constituencies. Lead by example then.
You nare right that it isn't categorically a diiferent thing what the Cons are doing in Edmonton Strathcona. Volunteers do move around a lot, and are encouraged to do so.
But the amount of money they are tossing into the fray is indeed without precedent.
I don't have an issue with the Tories spending their own money or resources as they see fit. What I have an isue with is two things:
What Lou said.
My hunch is that the NDP will win more seats in Alberta in the next election.
Edmonton East is within reach at least.