Janet Brown: Latest News

Wildfires raging across Alberta have upended this month’s election campaign, but political watchers are split on whether it has made an impact on the razor-thin race.United Conservative Leader Danielle Smith has had to juggle campaigning with leading the province’s response to the crisis as premier. Her opponent, NDP Leader Rachel Notley, has also suspended some campaign events and even offered to help Smith, pointing to her own experience as premier during the Fort McMurray wildfire of 2016.But pollster Janet Brown told Mercedes Stephenson during a panel discussion that aired Sunday on The West Block that voters are not seeing the wildfires as a political issue.“It’s definitely an important story,” she said, “but when it comes to dealing with these fires, the premier is really a figurehead.“I think the bigger question for Albertans is, was the government ready to handle this?”The fires have given Smith — who’s facing her first campaign as UCP leader after being elected by the party seven months ago — an opportunity to prove she can be an effective leader and work with other levels of government.

The race to become Alberta’s next premier may be damaging to the governing United Conservative Party’s brand, a longtime pollster says, casting doubt on how long the winner will be able to hold on to the top job.

Political pollster Janet Brown joins Global News Morning via Skype to talk about Alberta’s cabinet shuffle, which saw Jason Copping become health minister and Tyler Shandro take over the ministry of labour and immigration.

Janet Brown, political commentator spoke about the resignations by cabinet ministers and punishments to political caucus members in the provinces following travel over the holidays.