In this episode, we discuss the lack of opposition research done by the United Conservative Party of Alberta, and why the party seems to be sitting on a "Fort Knox" of dirt to smear the other party's candidates.
00:00:00.000The NDP have been meticulous in opposition research. Anytime anyone has even sniffed around a UCP nomination, the NDP have done a colonoscopy into everything they've ever done, said, whispered, or farted.
00:00:16.300They're on it. And, you know, they certainly did it last time. And then as soon as, you know, those candidates kind of get defeated, if, you know, say the three of us ran in a nomination and Najinai get defeated and Corey is for some reason the candidate here, then they'll release dirt on the two who lost to kind of smear the party overall.
00:00:37.300The NDP has been very strong on that. You've seen very little from the UCP on it. There's been a little, I mean, they, you know, they had a, I think about two weeks ago, they did kind of a release on some of the very anti-police and defund the police or police are all wife beaters kind of stuff from various NDP candidates, primarily in Calgary and Edmonton.
00:00:58.360A little bit of that stuff, but that was all pretty public record already.
00:01:04.460Let's start with you, Corey. Why do you think the UCP has been so light on opposition research so far? Or do you think they're just kind of sitting on a Fort Knox of dirt right now, waiting until these guys are stuck on the ballot and can't be removed before the cutoff?
00:01:20.020I don't know. I mean, it could be tactical that they're hanging on until a little later, but usually with that sort of stuff, you want to hit it as it's happening.
00:01:26.100I mean, as you said, the NDP have been effective. It's kept the UCP on their heels. They're having to apologize almost for half of their nominations.
00:01:33.060One candidate just the other day pre-apologized for something and didn't say what they were apologizing for, just that they've done something offensive.
00:01:40.280And we know it's out there. I mean, the NDP has no shortage of some flaky folks attracted to the party as well on the far left that I'm sure have some great quotables out there in social media.
00:01:51.340They're not nearly as hard to find things on candidates as it used to be 20 years ago. So all we can guess is either UCP hasn't been looking for some reason, didn't look at it as a strategy, or they do have stuff.
00:02:01.880And as you said, they're sitting on it and waiting for the right time to use it.
00:02:05.240Nigel, why do you think UCP has been so quiet on the opposition research? Or is it just that the NDP have impeccably vetted candidates who have never done, said or written anything controversial?
00:02:16.700Impeccably vetted according to NDP principles, I would have to say. I mean, you made reference to some anti-police statements made by, I think it was about three NDP candidates.