With an election many expect will begin Monday, the Alberta Party unveiled its election platform this week.
Leader Glenn Taylor unveiled the fledgling party's plan that would move the province away from an over-reliance on energy revenues, expand access to health care and bring full-day kindergarten to schools across the province.
Taylor said his party developed its platform through its "big listen" approach, in roundtable conversations with Albertans.
He said the focus on a stronger economy and stronger communities, health care and education and a renewed democracy are what people told them they wanted government to focus on.
"Those are clearly the issues that stood out that they are looking for people to stand up for, those are the top-of-mind issues."
The party is promising to attract more physicians, especially in rural Alberta, hold a public inquiry into the health-care system and appoint a permanent auditor for the health system.
On education, the party is promising to give school boards more discretion to work with other community groups when it comes to new schools, offer more tax credits to offset housing costs for university students, and offer full-day kindergarten.
St. Albert candidate Tim Osborne said the party's commitment to education is one of the most important parts of the platform for him.
"We are committing to making education a priority and so that includes things like sustainable funding and a focus on early childhood development."
The party is also promising to limit a premier's term to ten years in office, to allow more free votes from its MLAs and to reform MLA pay.
Taylor said MLAs should be free to vote for their constituents' beliefs, not for the party's demands.
"We are not all like-minded absolutely down the line, so having to be whipped in line with the other MLAs is not good for democracy."
Osborne said he believes Albertans are ready for a more spirited democracy.
"I think the idea of just trying to re-invigorate our democracy is a big one, I think people are really tired of all the negativity."
The party is also promising to remake the province's finances; gradually making the province less dependent on royalties for annual funding and instead saving them for the future. Taylor said that won't be easy and will be part of a broad discussion with Albertans.
Two-step plan
Regardless of the outcome of the election, the party cannot form the next government because it currently has less than 30 candidates.
Taylor said in its first election the party wants to establish itself as a real presence and then move on from there.
"This is, if you will, our coming out party," he said. "Our focus is on 2016, our focus is on running authentic MLAs who have a representative history in their constituency."
He said the party could have bolstered its candidate numbers with names on a ballot, but they want real candidates who know and are connected to their communities.
"We are not going to do that, it is just not authentic."
Osborne said everything about Alberta Party MLAs will be different and he hopes when they are elected Albertans will see something different.
"If people see a different way of doing things from our MLAs then I think that sets us up well moving forward."
