A quartet of candidates hoping to become Alberta's next top politician faced off during Thursday night's televised election debate in Edmonton, with issues such as healthcare and the province's oil wealth taking centre stage.
Progressive Conservative Leader Alison Redford was forced to fend off attacks from three rivals, but she still managed to land a few shots of her own against her perceived chief competitor, Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith.
Smith and her Wildrose party have been dealing with attacks over their plan to use citizen-led referendums on some major issues, which critics say could be hijacked by special interest groups.
But Smith said that Albertans should be able to guide the political future of their own province.
"It's nothing but fear-mongering by a government that is on the run and worried about its opposition and competition," Smith said.
But Redford fired back during the debate in Edmonton, saying that Smith is confused about what effect the referendum plan could have on divisive social issues.
"The reason it has come up is because the Wildrose has talked about doing it -- it's part of their party platform," Redford said.
"Three weeks ago, we heard from this leader that her personal views didn't matter. Then we heard that she would take her marching orders from her party. Then we heard that her caucus was important, then we heard her own personal views.
"I will tell you that in our view, a Progressive Conservative view, everyone in our caucus, takes the view that these matters have been settled. They do not need to be raised again."
The debate could have a big impact at the voting booth, considering that polls suggest a very tight race between Redford and Smith.
Meanwhile, NDP Leader Brian Mason said that the referendum plan smacks of U.S.-style politics and marks a shift toward an Americanized system.
"The Americanization of our political system that the Wildrose prefers with citizen-intiated referenda and so on allows special interests to hijack the political agenda, because it is not usually the citizen themselves, the ordinary person," he said.
Liberal Leader Raj Sherman referred to his career as a medical doctor and attempted to frame the province's health debate through his experience.
Sherman also accused Redford and her government of bullying doctors in the province.
While the two left-leaning parties are eager to grab seats, the election is shaping up to be a contest between Smith and Redford, whose PC party has held power in Alberta for four decades.
Smith, who was the only leader not to hold a seat in the provincial legislature when the writ dropped, spent Tuesday and Wednesday this week prepping for the debate.
It is Smith's first as party leader -- and also a first for Redford, Sherman and Smith.
While the province's oil wealth and its beleaguered health system – which has long wait-times – were debated, much of the political exchanges dealt with the moral view of Smith's party.
Wildrose has come under fire for "conscience rights," which would allow public workers to opt out of duties like marrying gay couples or performing abortions depending on their religious beliefs.
Redford accused Smith and her party of raising such issues because they "didn't like what the courts have already decided over 20 years ago."
Redford has a lot on her shoulders, with her party seeking its 12th-straight majority government.
The Tories had 67 out of 83 seats coming into this election, while the Liberals had eight, the Wildrose at four and the NDP had two.
A second debate will be held next week in Edmonton.
With a report from The Canadian Press
