With the UCP Government running behind NDP in the Polls halfway through its Mandate, what can they do to re-earn the trust of Albertans? With Duane Bratt

Following their convincing election victory April 16, 2019, Alberta’s UCP Government led by Jason Kenney, has seen a steady decline in their support from Alberta voters, particularly in Calgary and some urban centers, where the opposition NDP and other parties have made gains according to the latest polls. While it can be argued that the COVID-19 pandemic has made life difficult for all provincial governments in Canada, it appears Jason Kenney and his party has suffered more damage than most.

Right from the start of UCP forming government, many of their stated policy changes and initiatives did not age well for a variety of reason, some of which may have been out of their control. But severely lowering the corporate tax rate without creating the promised jobs hasn’t worked out so far and neither has picking fights with doctors, healthcare providers and public service workers during a pandemic. Massive funding cuts to universities and colleges, opening up for coal mining in the Eastern Slopes and blaming others for pretty much anything that’s gone wrong, hasn’t been a winning strategy either. The speaker will contextualize what the Alberta UCP’s will need to do if they are to re-emerge as a voter favorite in the next election. 

Speaker: Dr. Duane Bratt

Duane Bratt is a political science Professor in the Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University (Calgary, Alberta). He was educated at the Universities of Windsor (BA 1991, MA 1992) and Alberta (Ph.D. 1996). He teaches in the area of international relations and Canadian public policy. His primary research interest is in the area of Canadian nuclear policy.