Record early voting in Alberta as Canada's green agenda hangs in balance
EDMONTON, Alberta May 29 (Reuters) - Polls opened in Canada's main oil-producing province Alberta on Monday in a tight election race that is expected to have a significant bearing on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's climate goals, which are already seen as lagging global peers.
Data on early voting showed more than 758,000 Albertans had already cast their ballot before polls opened, up from a record 700,476 in 2019 - suggesting a strong overall turnout is likely.
The battle between populist Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party (UCP), which is seeking a second consecutive term, and Rachel Notley's left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) is expected to be extremely close, pollsters say, even though Alberta is traditionally a conservative bastion.
The result could reshape Trudeau's climate agenda if the UCP wins, making it harder for Canada to meet its goal of cutting emissions 40-45% below 2005 levels by the end of this decade.
Smith is opposed to many of Trudeau's policies including an oil and gas emissions cap and a net-zero electricity grid by 2035, arguing they will hurt an energy sector that contributes more than 20% to Alberta's GDP.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/alberta-heads-polls-with-canadas-green-agenda-balance-2023-05-29/
