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Red Deer Advocate FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015
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JUMPING FOR HEART
PROVINCIAL ELECTION
Getting inside voters’ heads When you try and get inside a Red Deer voter’s brain — just like trying to predict the outcome of the May 5 provincial election — well, it’s kind of complicated. That may have a lot to do with what a smart bunch Red Deerians truly are — so the totally unscientific but random task of talking to people to measure local election sentiment is just not tallying the yeas or nays for any of the brave souls who appear on the ballot. What’s it going to be — status quo, or something unheard of in 43 years, change? For the record, that’s how MARY-ANN long Red Deer has been ProBARR gressive Conservative. In 1971, when Peter Lougheed’s PCs swept the province, James Foster won Red Deer, then a single constituency. Red Deer was split into the current North and South constituencies for the 1986 election. This particular batch of conservatives has never looked back since 1971, but if current political polls are any sort of indicator, they may be hearing the pitter-patter of other-party footsteps close behind, or slightly ahead of them. We do know already there will be some change. The MLAs for Red Deer North and Red Deer South, both Progressive Conservatives, Mary Anne Jablonski and Cal Dallas, have decided not to seek re-election in Alberta’s 29th provincial general election. During a toodle around the city on a very windy Wednesday, I talked to a number of Red Deerians about the election. Some are already decided but most who are planning to vote, are undecided. One person will deliberately not vote while another would like to vote but won’t be able to. Here’s how it went. Amanda West is a 31-year-old medical lab technologist who works part time at the hospital. She has four children (two pre-schoolers, and two in elementary school). Her husband is a teacher. She has been paying close attention to the election campaign. Education is a big issue for her. “More the issues for me are people not realizing either we have to pay more for what we’re getting or get less services. “I think it’s funny that people think they should get exactly what we have and not pay anything more for it. For me it’s actually frustrating hearing people.” She does not know how she is going to vote yet but “I know I’ll change my vote” from previous elections. She does think this election is different.
Please see VOTERS on Page A2
WEATHER 40% flurries. High 11. Low 0.
FORECAST ON A2
INDEX Four sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . C3,C4 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5-A7 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . D5-D7 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C7 Entertainment . . . . . . . . D1-D4 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-B8
Numbers dominate as leaders woo Albertans during debate BY THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Jim Prentice traded barbs with NDP Leader Rachel Notley — mock commiserating with her that “math is hard” — and literally turned his back on Brian Jean of the Wildrose in a flinty debate Thursday night. Numbers dominated the theme as the leaders attacked one another’s plans to balance the budget, fix large classroom sizes and reduce long health-care wait lists. At one point, Prentice misstated that the NDP wanted to raise Alberta’s 10 per cent corporate tax rate to 20 per cent instead of the 12 per cent outlined in the NDP budget plan. “What are you talking about, our proposed corporate tax rate is 12 per cent. I am not sure who is briefing you,” Notley interjected. “I know that math is difficult,” Prentice said as the two leaders talked over one another. “Ten per cent to 12 per cent is a 20 per cent increase.” Notley wouldn’t let the mistake slide. “You said a 20 per cent tax ... I just need to make that clear that we are not proposing a 20 per cent
Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS
Alberta Progressive Conservative leader Jim Prentice and NDP leader Rachel Notley chat as they prepare the leaders debate in Edmonton on Thursday. corporate tax. That would be ridiculous.” Prentice later told reporters the math comment referred to the $1 billion costing error the NDP admitted it made in its proposed budget unveiled earlier in the week.
Please see DEBATE on Page A3
Killer took photos of victims A relative of a woman and three children murdered this week said their killer took pictures of the bodies.
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FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Hitting their stride, Hannah Giannioudis, Isabelle MacPherson, Emilie Rheaume and Jenna Jervis jump rope together as Noah Andrews spins the cord on Thursday. The Ecole Camille J. Lerouge students, along with all students at the school, took part in the school’s Jump Rope for Heart event on Thursday with a goal of raising $13,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Over the past four years, the students have brought in about $40,000, which they have donated to the foundation. A small portion of these funds have then been returned to the school to support programs that promote good heart health. In the past cross country ski equipment has been purchased with these funds.