Alberta PC's way out front

[killer_carlson]

I don't think it was.

The second choice was about the environment, followed by health care.

The first choice for "best leader" was Raj Sherman, followed by Mason, Redford, Smith.

choices, in order, of what party you would support were:

Alberta Liberals
New Democrats
PCs
Wildrose

I don't think that's a push poll.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

I don't think it was.

The second choice was about the environment, followed by health care.

The first choice for "best leader" was Raj Sherman, followed by Mason, Redford, Smith.

choices, in order, of what party you would support were:

Alberta Liberals
New Democrats
PCs
Wildrose

I don't think that's a push poll.

I do agree that it was less of a push than what could be expected (by any party), but basically coming right out and giving a party policy word for word as a choice when asking what's important wasn't exactly neutral either. I didn't notice who the firm was conducting the research, which is also strange. I would bet that this was a poll by a party and not an independent firm; any firm would identify that they are calling from "Ipsos Reid" or wherever if they were.

It was interesting that they asked both which leader you would support and which party given those running candidates in your riding though. Maybe it was even an NDP poll with that in mind.

[killer_carlson]

If it was an NDP poll, they are going to be mighty disappointed with my responses. I'd love to chat about it in person with them as well.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Slava

I do agree that it was less of a push than what could be expected (by any party), but basically coming right out and giving a party policy word for word as a choice when asking what's important wasn't exactly neutral either. I didn't notice who the firm was conducting the research, which is also strange. I would bet that this was a poll by a party and not an independent firm; any firm would identify that they are calling from "Ipsos Reid" or wherever if they were.

It was interesting that they asked both which leader you would support and which party given those running candidates in your riding though. Maybe it was even an NDP poll with that in mind.

Push polls generally give very leading questions and draw you to a point of committing to something. For example:

Which Mayorty candidate do you support:

1) Ric McIvor who always says no.
2) Barb Higgins who read teleprompters.
3) Naheed Nensi who has thought out policy points.

Great you choose Naheed Nenshi. Would you be willing to display a sign for Naheed?

1) For yes,
2) for no.

Thank you... would you like to donate, volunteer, etc......

From the sounds of the poll mentioned above the issues were in alphabetical order, as were the parties and candidates (based on party). Push polling will put the candidate/party they are pushing closer to the top of the list and/or limit the choices.

Not sure the ND's have money to be polling. The phrasing may sound like WRP policy to you, but it could also be a PC poll doing that on purpose to gauge if there really is support for those issues.

If there was no choice for "other" or "undecided" then I'd say it is more likely was from a party as opposed to an independent firm.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by First Lady

Not sure the ND's have money to be polling. The phrasing may sound like WRP policy to you, but it could also be a PC poll doing that on purpose to gauge if there really is support for those issues.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...-wildrose.html

History shows that this is a Wildrose tactic.

Question was this the question that was being asked?

The first asks: "Alison Redford's Progressive Conservative government has announced it is planning on balancing the budget by increasing revenues through some form of taxation. Which kind of new tax would you prefer?"


It then gives respondents the following choices: "Press 1 for a provincial sales tax; press 2 for an increase to personal income taxes; press 3 for an increase in business taxes; press 4 for a $1,000 per-family health tax; press 5 for an increase in alcohol and cigarette taxes; press 6 for no tax increases; press 7 if you're not sure; or press 9 to repeat the question."

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/djcl...ding-redford-t

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...-wildrose.html

History shows that this is a Wildrose tactic.

Wildrose is not alone on this front. Carter is very skilled at it, some will be from the PC's as well.

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/djcl...ding-redford-t

Quoting Climenhaga... really. He makes the NDP look right wing...

Either way, I can't confirm nor deny it is/was a WRP Poll.

Besides, I hope everyone realizes polls commissioned internally are seldom released to the public (by any party).

[Slava]

Well the on issue question was just weird. It was something like "which one of these is most important to you?
A) a balanced budget and no tax increases
B) healthcare
C) education
D) environment

(something like that anyway, if its wrong its just my going from memory). I purposefully picked healthcare, mostly because I would've said economy save for the tax/balanced budget part. After picking healthcare it gave a few more Wildrose policies for me to select which was most important. I seem to recall it was also during my watching hockey, so I wanted to take the poll (a junkie is a junkie and politics is no different!) but there was a pretty important game on!!

[Azure]

Oil prices have risen a bit, and might continue to rise with the sanctions against Iran.

How long till the $800 million dollar deficit is gone, and everyone is happy again?

[sevenarms]

Originally Posted by Azure

Oil prices have risen a bit, and might continue to rise with the sanctions against Iran.

How long till the $800 million dollar deficit is gone, and everyone is happy again?

When natural gas is not tanking.

[Jacks]

Every day now there are ads on the radio promoting the 2012 budget. Maybe my memory is escaping me but I don't remember any ads for the 2011 budget or the 2010 budget.

Nice that tax dollars are bringing us pre-election spam at no cost to the governing party.

Edit: Another interesting thing. A few minutes later I'm streaming a show from CBC.ca and there is an ad promoting Redford. The ad didn't say who is paying for it.

[GP_Matt]

The distinction between campaigning and governing is hard to determine. A full caucus meeting at the Jasper Park Lodge or a whirlwind tour of the province are both deemed an acceptable use of taxpayers money. It would be interesting to see if these expenses were higher in an election year or not?

[Slava]

Were you also up in arms about the last 3-4 years of ads the federal government ran touting their "Economic Action Plan"? Those signs and commercials are still run regularly.

[GP_Matt]

I didn't notice the commercials as most of the TV I watch is on a PVR, but the signs did bug me. From what I heard, every job that received funding had to spend some of that funding to purchase a sign stating that the project was brought to you by Canada's economic action plan. If the sign had instead broken down the budget for the project and indicated which sources provided how much money I would have been happy. Similar to the signs they had on Deerfoot stating that the overpass would cost 25 million with 14 coming from the province and 9 from the city.

[fredr123]

I met Prasad Panda last night when he came knocking on my door. I tweeted about the experience and mentioned that it was the first time I can ever recall a candidate knocking on my door. That woke up Ben Li or whoever is running Teresa Woo Paw's twitter account these days prompting her first three tweets since November.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Slava

Were you also up in arms about the last 3-4 years of ads the federal government ran touting their "Economic Action Plan"? Those signs and commercials are still run regularly.

Don't like them either, hate 10%'ers too.

What's your point?

[Azure]

Originally Posted by sevenarms

When natural gas is not tanking.

Natural gas prices won't go back to 2004 levels anytime soon. The price of oil is going up though, and isn't far from the $140/bbl that it was back in the boom days.

Surely that will increase royalty revenues, and considering the PCs are stupid enough to just waste all that money as soon as they get it, I figure the deficit will actually be gone by the end of the year.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Don't like them either, hate 10%'ers too.

What's your point?

I just think its interesting that we heard nothing about that ad campaign, presumably because people in Alberta tended to support the party behind it.

[Azure]

Oil prices went up again with increasing tension with Iran. I guess it should help drive development and investment throughout Canada, although the labour shortage won't help.

Read an article the other day that Sask is sending a group over to Ireland to recruit workers. Looking to fill almost 300 spots or something like that. Alberta should do more stuff like that as well.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Slava

I just think its interesting that we heard nothing about that ad campaign, presumably because people in Alberta tended to support the party behind it.

People here tended/tend to support the provincial PC's also, that doesn't make wasting tax money on partisan spam a good thing.

I assume you are outraged at the waste of money on the federal level and will therefore condemn the Redford government for doing the same thing as the Harper government?

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Jacks

People here tended/tend to support the provincial PC's also, that doesn't make wasting tax money on partisan spam a good thing.

I assume you are outraged at the waste of money on the federal level and will therefore condemn the Redford government for doing the same thing as the Harper government?

I think that they're both ridiculous. I do find it striking though that the Wildrose supporters are up in arms about this provincial example, and basically couldn't care less about the same situation dragging on federally. That situation went so far that the government ministers were even giving out cheques with CPC logos on them!

Anyway, as you were. We agree on this point so it would seem.