Anti-Alberta comments by Liberals probably affected Calgary byelection: Redford

TORONTO - Alberta Premier Alison Redford says anti-Alberta comments made by two prominent Liberals probably had an impact on a tight byelection race in Calgary.

Liberal leadership contender Justin Trudeau apologized last week for comments he made in a 2010 interview, where he blamed Canada's problems on Albertans controlling the "socio-economic" agenda.

Liberal MP David McGuinty was quoted calling Alberta MPs "shills'' for the oil industry and suggested they "go home."

The Tory premier says anyone seeking a national leadership role shouldn't be promoting divisions among Canadians.

But Redford says that doesn't necessarily mean that the Liberals are moribund in Western Canada.

However, she says she's glad the Conservatives won in Calgary Centre, a riding she represents provincially.

Tory Joan Crockatt won by a margin of just over a thousand votes, after being neck-and-neck with Liberal challenger Harvey Locke for most of the evening.