Even though the writ hasn’t yet dropped on the 2019 Alberta spring election, all five of Alberta’s major parties actively campaigned on Twitter throughout February as if it had.
Each party had a number of tweets regarding candidate nominations and pre-election events, as well as addressing various issues important to their campaigns.
Here is a look at the most tweeted themes from each party during the month of February.
In addition to a number of funding announcements for various energy projects and education initiatives, the NDP Twitter account also focused heavily on criticizing UCP leader Jason Kenney. Their tweets drew attention to the irregularities in his UCP leadership campaign, what effect he may have on the healthcare system if elected, and Kenney’s opposition to the education curriculum review.
For the month of February, the UCP Twitter account focused on two general themes. The first featured Kenney’s experience and leadership capabilities. The second focused heavily on attacking the NDP government ahead of the election call. Their Twitter account covered many aspects of the NDP government, but the two biggest indictments centered around Alberta’s debt, and the use of a Lethbridge hospital for a campaign-style speech by the NDP.
The Alberta Party took to Twitter to talk about two issues that will strongly impact the party’s viability in the short and medium term. In the short term, the party spoke out against the Chief Electoral Officer’s decision to ban the party leader Stephen Mandel from running in Alberta politics for 5 years. In the medium term, the party protested funding cuts to parties with less than four seats in the legislature.
Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party tweeted about a number of policy issues in Alberta, with the three biggest mentions opposing NDP and UCP policies. The Liberal Party criticized the NDP over seclusion rooms, and their oil-by-railcar plan. They also criticized the UCP for not being tough enough on Political Action Committees (PACS) in their election platform.
Green Party
In February, the Green Party of Alberta used their Twitter account as a forum to speak about climate and democracy-related issues. They voiced support for the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling on orphan wells, and criticized the NDP’s oil-by-railcar plan, and funding cuts for political parties with less than four representatives.
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Featured image: Mark Wiseman