Thanks for your question.  The Alberta Party is considerably different from the Wildrose Party, however, we do share some ideas and values.  First of all, members of both parties believe the PCs have lost touch with everyday Albertans, and have forgotten they are democratically elected.  Being in power for 42 years now, the PCs no longer respond to ideas and voices outside their own inner circle.  Both the Alberta Party and the Wildrose Party think this "entitlement to govern" is a unhealthy in a democracy.

The Alberta Party and the Wildrose Party also share common ground over land ownership issues and believe the PCs have gone way too far in taking away landowners' rights regarding private land... how it is used... and when government can expropriate it.  We also both believe in fixed election dates, unlike the PCs who said they believed in them but recently passed a law that didn't really fix the dates to provincial election dates at all.

However, the Alberta Party stands firmly for equal and accessible public health and public education while the Wildrose Party shows considerable interest in allowing private interests into those areas for private profit.

Although both our parties recognise the importance of a strong and vibrant energy sector, the Alberta Party is perhaps more interested in environmental sustainability and transitions to more sustainable energy sources... as strategy that we believe will keep Alberta at the very forefront of the global energy sector well into the next century.

The Alberta Party also believes strongly in livable communities, preventative health care, the Housing First concept and supporting rural Alberta through direct, stable funding based on rural populations.

You conclude your email with the likelihood that you will vote for the Wildrose Party.  I appreciate that you have given us a chance to explain ourselves.  Although we are the "newest" political party on the block, our policies are now coming alive through the participation of ALL Albertans.  We believe the voice of every Albertan should resonate with government and not only voices that buy political memberships.

Whether you end up voting for the Wildrose Party or the Alberta Party, we appreciate that you have taken the time to be involved in the democratic process.  Feel free to contact us anytime, either to ask a question or to submit a policy idea.

Good luck in 2012.