With less than two weeks before Albertans decide which party will form the government, new poll results show the Wildrose surge from the beginning of the election campaign, may be over.
In a new poll by Leger Marketing, the gap between the Wildrose and the Progressive Conservative Party is apparently closing, with 35 percent of decided voters planning to vote for the Wildrose, and 34 percent support for the PCs.
The poll had a +/- 3 percent margin of error.
Despite the not-favourable results in the poll, Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith made no public appearances Tuesday – which had some political experts questioning the party's strategy.
"I'm very surprised, you cannot coast in the campaign," Political Scientist Chaldeans Mensah said Tuesday. "This is a critical campaign for the Wildrose, they really have a shot of becoming government."
Mensah said party leaders should not be taking time off during the 28 day campaign, and said the optics of Smith's day off could make it appear as if her party is ‘coasting'.
"I was very surprised to hear that she is taking the day off because it gives a sense that she is coasting, that is a very dangerous posture in this close contest."
Another political scientist believes the poll results could be a direct result of so-called fear mongering against Danielle Smith becoming premier.
"I think this may be a reflection of what's going on out in the electorate," Lori Williams, political scientist with Mount Royal University said. "[Some may be thinking] 'I really like this party, the Alberta Party, the NDP, or the Liberals, but I'm going to vote PC because they're better than the Wildrose'."
Another choice by the Wildrose Party that has raised eyebrows is the party decision to announce their entire platform early on.
Danielle Smith made her fifth, and final, campaign announcement Monday – which means for the next two weeks the Wildrose will be defending its policy, or reacting to other parties.
With files from Kevin Armstrong
