EDMONTON — A daughter of former Alberta premier Ralph Klein is supporting the NDP in Tuesday's provincial election.
Angie Klein said Thursday that her famous father may have led the Progressive Conservatives for 14 years, but it's time for a new government. The Tories have had their turn running the province, and they're not doing a good job, she said.
Her father, who died in 2013, would have encouraged her to vote for the party of her choice, she said.
"He'd say, 'Go girl,' I'm sure," Klein said in a phone interview while working in her Edmonton flower shop.
"He was a firm believer in follow your heart and, quite frankly, he was a Liberal when he ran for the PCs."
Klein admitted that she supported the NDP before and even voted for the New Democrats when her dad was in office, although she's not sure if he ever knew. They didn't talk about politics much.
Klein also appeared in a video set to rock music and posted Thursday on YouTube. Wearing an orange shirt and holding a sign for Edmonton-Centre NDP candidate David Shepherd, she says that she is very proud of many things her father accomplished as premier.
"But one of the things I'm least proud of is the flat tax. I think that we should scrap the flat tax and in order to scrap the flat tax, what we've got to do is we've got to vote NDP," said Klein
"Say my staff member makes $12 an hour and someone else makes $1,200 an hour, they're taxed at the same rate. That's just ridiculous."
The Progressive Conservatives moved away from the 10 per cent flat tax in their last budget, adding two new tax brackets for anyone making more than $100,000 of taxable income. The NDP is campaigning on a plan that would include more brackets and higher rates for the top earners.
NDP spokeswoman Cheryl Oates said she was aware of the video, although it was produced by a campaign volunteer, not the party.
Still, the NDP welcome her support, Oates said.
Klein has made headlines before for her life outside politics.
In 2000, she received a conditional discharge on a charge of public mischief for wrongfully accusing her husband of assault. Richard Marcia, twice convicted for previous assaults, was also convicted of bigamy for marrying Klein before he was divorced from a woman in Saskatchewan.
Her dad, also a licensed marriage commissioner, officiated the wedding.
Marcia later escaped from prison. While he was on the lam, Klein was performing with her band at a hemp festival and fundraiser for legalizing marijuana.
