The best line from the first UCP leaders debate came after the event was over.
It was from Todd Loewen, who said: “The UCP asked for $1,050,000 in leadership fees, of which apparently very little was spent on a stable internet connection.”
The debate was live-streamed, but was constantly cutting out for extended periods. The terrible broadcast was the first news-making item from the event and it reflected poorly on party management. Leadership contenders were forced to pony up $175,000 each to take part in the race. The least they could have hoped for is a solid streaming broadcast for an official leadership event.
Every candidate got a short opening statement. Almost all of them used those moments to take shots at Danielle Smith. This is not unexpected. A perceived front runner is always going to take the most flack in these events. Smith used her opening to clarify her stance on cancer prevention as she knew it would be coming up. Smith answered the question on her stance in advance and the other candidates just sounded repetitive as they tried to reopen the issue.
It was during the body of the debate where the candidates trying to pull down Smith blew it.
With seven candidates in a race, it’s tough for contenders to stand out in the crowd in a debate. Organizers created a format where each candidate got a chance to respond to an issue, then they could choose another candidate to debate with them. It was a way to encourage one-on-one debates, rather than having seven voices shouting over each other.
[Interesting Read]
See Also:
(1) The Free Alberta Strategy has merit along with flaws
(2) Smith says Notley’s statement on cancer was ‘beneath her’
