Alberta Politics

[Gus Haynes]

Danielle Smith to Fraser Institute: "You know, I wonder if an error was made in choosing physician services to be under that umbrella [publicly funded healthcare], because not every time you go to the doctor is it essential".

 

[Airboy]

Not essential. !

 

[The_Cat]

I’d say most times it is. Also, it’s cheaper than a trip to Emergency.

 

[MacLac]

Danielle Smith to Fraser Institute: "You know, I wonder if an error was made in choosing physician services to be under that umbrella [publicly funded healthcare], because not every time you go to the doctor is it essential".

That’s our Premier!!!!!

 

[David A]

Perhaps it is Smith who is not essential. I would leave judging what is essential to doctors and the people with health care issues.

 

[kcantor]

Danielle Smith to Fraser Institute: "You know, I wonder if an error was made in choosing physician services to be under that umbrella [publicly funded healthcare], because not every time you go to the doctor is it essential".

Because I normally sit around wondering if I should visit my grandchildren or go grocery shopping or get a haircut or go to the doctor when I’m looking for something to do.

Of course maybe I don’t need to worry about what she really believes because she could have just been using imprecise language.

And as of last week we now have her “guarantee” regardless of what she really believes. Unless it’s written in imprecise language…

 

[Garneau2Go]

I’d say most times it is. Also, it’s cheaper than a trip to Emergency.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and family physicians are the backbone of preventive medicine. It's such a shortsighted comment from Smith.

 

[bodsbods9090]

Because I normally sit around wondering if I should visit my grandchildren or go grocery shopping or get a haircut or go to the doctor when I’m looking for something to do.

Of course maybe I don’t need to worry about what she really believes because she could have just been using imprecise language.

And as of last week we now have her “guarantee” regardless of what she really believes. Unless it’s written in imprecise language…

Don't worry. I expect her to come out and say she didn't mean what she said in that interview and that everything should be covered under health care while the UCP under he leadership is in power!

She's a master of talking out of her ass then having to pull her head out of it too a few days later when anything comes out about her.

 

[The_Cat]

I did see a shift in 338 Alberta. 10 Calgary seats are tossups, and Spruce Grove-Stony Plain and Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin races are getting closer.

338Canada Alberta | All 87 districts

338canada.com

 

[David A]

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and family physicians are the backbone of preventive medicine. It's such a shortsighted comment from Smith.

Yes, the problem is after years of being undervalued by governments and others a lot of people now don't have or can't get family physicians. So what should have been manageable or preventable eventually ends up being a crisis and our emergencies are clogged up.

The cracks are being somewhat papered over now, by a lot of spending until the election. I suspect after that, if they win, the UCP will revert back to restraint and it will become worse.

 

[The_Cat]

Made-in-Alberta pension plan isn't catching fire with voters: poll

The Leger poll shows only 21 per cent are in favour of replacing the Canada Pension Plan with an Alberta version

calgaryherald.com

 

[David A]

So its pretty clear why Smith doesn't want to "campaign" on or talk about replacing the CPP now,. But I feel it also needs to be pointed out that is not the same thing as her saying she wont do it later or she has actually dropped the idea.

 

[TAS]

But...

A Leger Marketing poll, conducted after the $1.22-billion arena project was announced, showed the UCP at 48 per cent in Calgary and the NDP with only 38 per cent support.

If that’s true, said Herald columnist Don Braid, and lasts for three more weeks, the election is already over. The NDP couldn’t possibly win the 15 to 20 Calgary seats it needs to defeat the UCP.

 

[Gronk!]

A Leger Marketing poll, conducted after the $1.22-billion arena project was announced, showed the UCP at 48 per cent in Calgary and the NDP with only 38 per cent support.

If that’s true, said Herald columnist Don Braid, and lasts for three more weeks, the election is already over. The NDP couldn’t possibly win the 15 to 20 Calgary seats it needs to defeat the UCP.

You should know by now that these marketing polls mean diddly squat.
All that matters are election votes.

 

[TAS]

You should know by now that these marketing polls mean diddly squat.
All that matters are election votes.

Is polling here to stay?

Despite some failures, polling remains the most effective way of obtaining voters’ opinions or concerns on key issues or voting intention.

How the Leger poll noted above was conducted is certainly a factor in its accuracy and it's certainly a surprising finding that isn't as consistent with some other recent polling (which makes it interesting). Certainly, the closer to election day a well conducted poll is taken matters more.

Polling results apparently can have an impact on election day as they can have a bandwagon effect. It can also influence some people whether they are even going to vote on election day or not, according to some experts. And if polling results are tight, it can even impact how hard parties work to get their vote out. So polls do matter to political parties - absolutely, and can have an impact on voting.