Alberta Premier Daniel Smith is not on the ballot, but appears frequently in the Calgary municipal election campaign when candidates running for mayor appeal to the provincial government.
The bulk of the messaging against the Alberta government comes from the Calgary party, which has issued more than 10 press releases and campaign statements about the province since last month.
Those campaign messages include blaming Smith for “derailing the Green Line” and accusing the province of “playing politics” and interfering with City Hall, and “undermining” public safety by banning the use of photo radar for traffic control.
“The reason we're reaching out to the province is because the province is in our backyard,” Calgary Party mayoral candidate Brian Thiessen told Global News.
“We believe it is important to put barriers in place and if (Smith) wants to lead Calgary City Council, she should give up her seat and run for office.”
Thiessen said the campaign's advocacy reflects the frustration Calgarians feel about a number of issues, including the ongoing teachers' strike.
This isn't just a Calgary party calling out the province. Incumbent mayoral candidate Jyoti Gondek held a news conference Wednesday to announce her intention to fight back and demand accountability from the provincial government if she is re-elected.
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On Wednesday, Gondek also opened her office to campaigners for the Forever Canadian petition, which aims to secure a referendum on whether Alberta should remain in Canada.
“The province has walked away from its responsibilities, instead focusing on secondary issues such as bike lanes and road separation,” Gondek said. “And Calgarians, we are all paying for it.”
Campaigning against the provincial government is not a new strategy, and Gondek has used it during her 2021 election campaign, according to Duane Bratt, a political scientist at Mount Royal University.
“Her campaign really targeted Jason Kenney, much more than Jeff Davison or Jeromy Farkas… We were still in COVID and Jason Kenney was incredibly unpopular in Calgary,” he said. “Now the Smith government is even more involved in municipal affairs than Kenney.”
Meanwhile, other mayoral candidates are taking a different approach than Thiessen and Gondek.
In her platform, Communities First mayoral candidate Sonya Sharp promises to “start over” the relationship with the provincial government by creating a joint committee on municipal and provincial roles, responsibilities and resources.
Jeff Davison also promised that if elected, he would work with the provincial government on issues such as public safety.
Jeromy Farkas, also running as an independent, said he promises to be able to work with “a Conservative prime minister and a Liberal prime minister.”
At a news conference Wednesday, Farkas said his plan was “inspired” by his work at Glenbow Ranch, which was being considered for a reservoir upstream. Farkas said he brought together a grassroots group to be persistent but work in partnership to find a solution.
“It’s about strategy, it’s about being thoughtful,” Farkas said. “Our next mayor must be independent, think critically about issues, push back when necessary, but also be willing to partner to get results for Calgarians.”
With large numbers of voters still undecided days before the election, Bratt said campaigns are trying to differentiate themselves.
“We're in the middle of a very tight race,” Bratt said. “I think they will take advantage of anything they think can give them an advantage.”
Calgarians head to the polls on October 20th.
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