Notley won't say if she'll approve or kill Calgary arena deal if elected premier

Alberta's election hasn't officially started yet, but the pre-campaign politicking hit a new high Tuesday when premier and UCP leader Danielle Smith announced $330 million for a Calgary arena project.

A statement from her party was titled: "Danielle Smith and the UCP will get Calgary's new Arena Built."

On Wednesday, Smith was asked why she is putting taxpayer dollars into the deal, along with the City of Calgary and Flames ownership, after she spoke against Alberta doing so for Rogers Place in Edmonton as leader of the Wildrose Party.

"This is not money going to an arena, so nothing has changed. This is money that is going to infrastructure support," Smith told reporters.

She also said she "hopes this doesn't become an election issue" before making a promise to voters that her party will get the arena project built.

"People will know, that if the UCP gets reelected, absolutely it's going to be a done deal," Smith said.

A few hours later, NDP Leader Rachel Notley was asked what will happen to the deal if she is elected premier on May 29, but she did not say if she'd support it or scrap it.

"Yeah, we're open to having that conversation. But it's super hypothetical at this point because we don't have all the details," Notley said.

"We got secrecy and we've got game playing and it's disrespectful to Alberta voters."

Notley demanded to see the fine print on the deal and said Smith was keeping details from Albertans.

She also raised concerns about how much taxpayer money is going into the project, but said she'll seek "independent expert advice" and consult with Albertans before making any decision.

A spokesperson for Smith later pointed to a document on the City of Calgary website while insisting that the terms are clearly outlined.

"Obviously, the allegations made by Ms. Notley in her press statement and news conference are untrue," Colin Aitchison from the premier's office wrote.

"What is clear, is that despite the Premier’s invitation to Ms. Notley yesterday to join with her in support of this deal, the NDP has decided to oppose it – and worse – to criticize the parties and efforts of those involved."

An NDP spokesperson fired back by saying the public document has "holes" in it and there is another "confidential document" not being released to the public. 

The timing of Smith's announcement, six days before she has promised to drop a writ to start an election, is clearly all about trying to win votes in southern Alberta, said political scientist Duane Bratt.

"It's almost like [Smith is saying], 'We're going to lose in Edmonton. We don't care. Calgary is going to decide this election, this is the appeal to Calgary,'" he told CTV News Edmonton.

"She thinks she has boxed in the NDP, even though this move completely contradicts the policy positions of Danielle Smith for years."

Bratt said on Twitter that the NDP is likely rushing to poll the public on the arena deal, suggesting that will help guide their political strategy going forward.

'FEELS LIKE WE'RE PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS'

The $330 million promise, which Smith said Wednesday was for infrastructure and a community rink around the arena that Calgary and the Flames will pay for, raised questions of fairness in other Alberta communities.

Shortly after the deal was announced, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he is "very happy for Calgary," but wants to meet with whomever sits in the premier's chair after the May 29 election, to talk about evening things.

He pointed out that Alberta did not contribute to Rogers Place or the attached community rink and suggested Commonwealth Stadium and other facilities could use an equal investment of provincial money.

"It feels like we're singling out one city and that's what's frustrating," Edmonton Coun. Andrew Knack said Wednesday.

"It feels like we're picking winners and losers right now and there only appears to be one city that's winning."

Smith did say on Tuesday that she is willing to discuss provincial funds for a future phase 2 development around Rogers Place in downtown Edmonton, but Knack believes that misses the point.

"That doesn't fix the foundational element. We are getting far less in provincial infrastructure dollars in 2022 than we were five or six years ago and that discrepancy makes it a lot harder to provide the services that Edmontonians expect of us, when we used to get so much more," Knack said.

The man who led negotiations for the city on Rogers Place about a decade ago, former mayor Stephen Mandel, said that Smith giving Calgary money when Edmonton did not get provincial support is frustrating.

He feels voters in the capital city are being "treated as second-class citizens" and he called on Smith to invest an equal amount in Edmonton.

A councillor from Spruce Grove, on the western edge of Edmonton, suggested her city should receive $9.4 million, to equal things per capita with Calgary's arena deal.

"While it’s great that roads and infrastructure around the new arena are being funded, it is not just the City of Calgary that needs this injection into investing in our communities," Coun. Erin Stevenson told CTV News Edmonton.

She said Smith needs to invest in all communities "in a fair and transparent manner."

Smith said the agreement still has to be finalized by cabinet ministers and Alberta's treasury board before August, but said Wednesday she is "confident" the deal will be approved if her government is reelected.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson and Amanda Anderson