Most political strategists are probably relying on rural voters to vote Conservative no matter what and so do not direct policy discussion to rural issues for the most part. However, I imagine that local members do try to relate to their constituency more than the party leaders.
In spite of the grumpiness the rural voters will for the most part vote Conservative I expect. Rural voters are always grumpy aren't they? Wheat and other grains are at good prices so grain farmers should be smiling! Maybe those raising cattle do have a legitimate beef ;).
Rural Alberta voters voice frustration in provincial election campaign
1 day ago
PONOKA, Alta. - Amidst the sound of mooing cattle and the stench of manure, tired farmers gather for a livestock sale in Ponoka, smack in the middle of the Progressive Conservative party's rural Alberta power base.
As the auctioneer works the crowd looking for bids on the animals, candidates in the provincial election campaign patrol outside the ring delivering their own spiel to anyone who will listen.
Faced with a weak beef market and a lacklustre election campaign, frustrated producers aren't buying much of either.
"I am not keen on this election. I haven't seen anything that stands out in my mind," says Brian Matheson, a longtime Tory supporter who runs a cow-calf operation near Heisler.
Matheson can't understand why the Tories aren't doing more for agriculture when beef producers are being hammered by low prices, high feed costs and the soaring value of the loonie.
"A change might be a good thing," he says.
But what other party would you go to?
"That is another question. I don't know at this point. I do like our local Progressive Conservative candidate - unless somebody better comes along."
Voters in rural Alberta have been key to 10 straight Tory electoral victories, and - outside of the narrow victory by Wildrose Alliance leader Paul Hinman in Cardston-Taber-Warner - they elected nothing but Tories in the last election in 2004.
Of Alberta's 83 ridings, 42 are outside Calgary and Edmonton. Those rural seats pack more electoral punch than their urban counterparts. For example, the rural riding of Dunvegan-Central Peace has 14,752 registered voters compared with 40,396 in Calgary-North West.
But after almost four decades of electing Progressive Conservatives, some rural voters are getting antsy and even angry, wondering when the booming economy will benefit them.
As energy companies report multibillion-dollar profits, some people in rural areas can't get a family doctor or face delays for a hospital bed because of a shortage of nurses and other health-care staff.
The trumpeting of huge government budget surpluses rings hollow in communities awaiting schools, seniors' housing or road repairs.
While the number of million-dollar homes has increased almost tenfold in Calgary, more than a dozen forest industry mills have closed or have cut their operating capacity in rural communities such as High Level, Hines Creek, High Prairie, Hinton and Drayton Valley. The cuts have thrown about 1,000 people out of work and eroded the tax base of the municipalities.
The disconnect between those who are benefiting from the boom and those who are not is growing.
People who live outside electoral battlegrounds in Calgary and Edmonton say their issues aren't making much of a blip on the Tory radar.
"The whole focus seems to be on energy. Folks that are concerned with other top industries such as forestry and agriculture feel left out," said Hinton Mayor Glenn Taylor, who is also chairman of a group of small communities called the Grand Alberta Economic Region.
"People are grumpy, but they are not seeing a lot of options and choices. There is a sense that they would sure like a change, but they just don't know what that change would be or who would lead it."
None of the other parties running in the March 3 election has much experience representing rural Alberta. The Liberals and NDP have won the odd seat outside the major cities over the years.
The Wildrose Alliance holds Hinman's one seat. The Greens, who have never won a seat anywhere, have strong candidates in two rural ridings.
Tory candidates say they are aware of what they like to term the "challenges" facing them. They also say they are taking nothing for granted.
In the first two weeks of the campaign, incumbent Jack Hayden put 5,000 kilometres on his car criss-crossing his Drumheller-Stettler constituency in southern Alberta. He expects to drive another 5,000 before the vote.
Hayden said more people are moving into rural areas, including seniors and others seeking more affordable homes. They want more hospitals, seniors lodges and schools.
"It is go hard every day if you expect to overcome the apathy and get people out to vote," said Hayden, a former president of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties who won the seat in a byelection last year.
"In Alberta, people don't walk away - they stampede. You have to be sure you are addressing the concerns of people or you will lose support very quickly."
In Battle River-Wainwright, Tory incumbent Doug Griffiths said he is working hard to connect with voters.
The former school teacher said people appear bewildered by the pace of change in Alberta.
"There is a feeling of uncertainty. People are wondering, 'What do we do now?' That doesn't mean they are switching parties," said Griffiths, who has represented the riding since 2002.
"I think generally people in rural Alberta trust the PC party. Nobody in the coffee shops is yelling at me, 'You need to do this, we need to do that."'
Part of the reason for the longevity of the Tories is the party's ability to regenerate itself under new leaders and to attract good candidates.
In Drayton Valley-Calmar, candidate Diana McQueen has been campaigning hard since she wrested the nomination from the sitting member of the legislature in October.
The former mayor and businesswoman is smart, personable and politically savvy. Her campaign literature cites problems the government has been criticized for and promises to work at solutions, such as helping the slumping forest sector and recruiting more doctors and health staff.
She is also promising to work to ensure that rural communities are not left out of Alberta's growing prosperity.
"I think there is a large segment of the population who feel that they are not benefiting from the booming economy, and I think that is where we need to focus," McQueen said in a coffee shop during a break from door-knocking in the village of Thorsby.
"Do we have tough issues? Yes. I never stick my head in the sand. Deal with the issues. Don't hide from them."
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