Alberta prepares for hotly contested election

Edmonton - After a hotly contested four-week campaign, Alberta voters are expected to turn out in force Monday for the conclusion of the provincial election. 

The last time Albertans went to the polls in 2008 to choose their provincial government, voter turnout sank to a record low of 40.6 per cent.

But after a hard-fought race in 2012 that has received national — even international — attention over the past month, experts are predicting a more robust display at the polls.

“By every theory you can think of, turnout should be up,” said Harold Jansen, a political scientist at the University of Lethbridge and an expert in Canadian voter turnout. 

“Voter turnout is also supposed to go up when it’s more competitive — and we haven’t seen a competitive election like this since 1993. 

“I can’t recall the last election when I’ve seen so many people talking about it and interested in it.”

A spokesman with Elections Alberta said the office would not be able to provide a tally of voters at advance polls until all the ballots are counted Monday evening. 

But anecdotal accounts from party officials and political observers suggest big crowds have already turned out to vote in Calgary.

One of the key factors will be how well the various parties are able to get out their vote — whether it’s simply reminding people to cast a ballot or having volunteers provide rides to polling stations, Jansen said.

“Those things are important,” Jansen said. “Even if it only makes a couple-hundred votes difference, that can be the difference between a seat and not a seat.”

On Sunday, political leaders of all stripes were rallying supporters for the last big push before Monday’s election, in which Albertans will decide whether to re-elect the long-ruling Progressive Conservatives or opt for a new government in the front-running Wildrose party.

On Sunday, both parties released a tally and names of campaign contributors. Wildrose said it has collected nearly $2.4 million in donations during the four-week race, while the PCs reported a total of $1.8 million over the first 3 1/2 weeks.

In Edmonton, Liberal leader Raj Sherman wouldn’t predict how many seats his party will end up with after the election, but argued a vote split between the Tories and Wildrose will benefit his members.
Speaking in the same city on Sunday, NDP leader Brian Mason said his party has concentrated its campaigning in key ridings, and feels they are in a “very good” position.

Alberta Election will have National impact

Edmonton - The Alberta provincial election campaign heads into its final sprint this weekend, leading up to Monday's vote, in a race that is as exciting as it is important for the rest of the country.

Danielle Smith's upstart Wildrose party is ahead in the polls and appears on the verge of defeating Alison Redford's ruling Progressive Conservatives and toppling the 41-year Tory dynasty.

At stake are the keys to the premier's office and control over one of the richest jurisdictions in North America, as two conservative parties battle it out in what's a messy political civil war.

Yet, all Canadians arguably have an enormous amount riding on the results of the election - both politically and economically.

"It matters (to Canadians), given that the population centre and the economic centre of gravity is starting to move West," said Duane Bratt, political scientist at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

"The premier of Alberta should be playing a larger role on the national stage."

Indeed, resource-rich Alberta has become an economic juggernaut in Confederation.

The northern Alberta oilsands contribute tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs across the country and billions of dollars to the national economy.

Moreover, the federal Conservative government's environmental policies and regulatory reforms for oil and gas projects are influenced by Alberta's petroleum-powered economy.

The province also remains a lightning rod within Canada - and around the world - for the environmental footprint of carbon-intensive oilsands developments on land, air and water.

Also, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has complained the high "petro-dollar" is hobbling Central Canada's manufacturing sector.

The oilsands are the third-largest proven oil reserves in the world next to Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, but also the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.

Certainly, Wild Rose Country remains a polarizing province. Alberta's role in Confederation and how Canadians view the province could be heavily shaped by the results of Monday's vote.

"Twenty years ago, people wouldn't have cared because Alberta was not the economic powerhouse that it now is," said David Taras, a political analyst at Mount Royal University.

Courtesy: Edmonton Journal 

Earth Day 2012

Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22 after it was first held on April 22, 1970. US Senator Gaylord Nelson is credited for the genesis of Earth Day as he conceived it as a tool to raise ecological awareness after witnessing a huge oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969.

Punjab to set up 24X7 call centre for NRIs

Chandigarh, April 22
The Punjab Government has decided to set up a 24X7 call centre to enable NRIs from Punjab to register their complaints through telephone or Internet. This was decided in a meeting presided over by Minister for NRI Affairs Bikram Singh Majithia, in which NRI Commission chairman Justice (retd) Arvind Kumar, Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh and other senior officials of the state participated.

Asking NRI Commissioner Vikas Partap Singh to prepare a case to set up a round-the-clock call centre to address grievances of NRIs, Majithia said besides the call centre, the department would also come up with an interactive website.

Over cases of harassment and cheating reported by NRIs, Majithia said ADC (General) and SP (Headquarters) would be ex-officio designated as nodal officers for NRI affairs and would deliver justice to NRIs in a time-bound manner.

Pakistan plane crashes near Islamabad airport

A plane carrying 127 people has crashed in a residential area near Islamabad international airport.

Aviation officials said the Bhoja Air jet, flight BHO-213, was flying from Karachi to Islamabad when it came down in bad weather minutes from landing.

Emergency teams are at the crash site, in the small village of Hussain Abad.

There are no reports of survivors. Rescue teams have been working in darkness to try to assess if there are any casualties on the ground.

The plane, a Boeing 737 believed to be carrying 121 passengers and six crew, was making its final approach to the airport when the crash happened.

Hafeez Chachar, of the BBC Urdu service, who is near the site of the crash, says seats from the plane are strewn over a wide area.

Reporters say conditions on the ground are difficult because of heavy mud following rain.

Witness Samab Ahmad told the BBC: "I saw the plane crash land and then suddenly catch fire. It crashed on top of some sort of building, which could be residential."

Saifur Rehman, from a police rescue team, told Pakistan's Geo TV: "The wreckage is on fire. The plane is completely destroyed."

A police official at the crash site, Fazle Akbar, told AFP news agency it would be a miracle if there were any survivors.

Relatives of those on board have gathered at Karachi and Islamabad airports awaiting news.

A Bhoja Air official in Karachi said it was making arrangements to fly one member from each family to the capital.

At Islamabad airport, one man yelled "my two daughters are dead", before slumping to the floor in a state of shock.

The uncle of the sisters, aged 18 and 20, said: "We don't even know when or where we will get to see their bodies."

Another woman at the airport was desperately trying to find out if her husband was on the flight.

Zarina Bibi said: "He called me before leaving Karachi but I don't know if he was on this flight or not."

The jet left Karachi at around 17:00 local time (12:00 GMT) and had been due to arrive at 18:50 (13:50 GMT).


There were reports of storms in the area at the time, but it is likely to take investigators weeks to determine the cause of the crash.

There have conflicting reports about the exact numbers of passengers and crew on board.

Bhoja Air is a small new commercial airline which was started about 10 years ago but closed because of financial difficulties. It recently re-opened.

In July 2010, an Airbus A321 crashed as it was about to land in Islamabad, killing all 152 people on board - Pakistan's worst-ever air disaster.

Although Pakistan's air industry has been booming, critics say standards have not always kept pace with the increase in services.

Haroon Rashid, of the BBC Urdu service, said the crash had disrupted flight schedules, with a number of planes bound for Islamabad diverted to Lahore.