Addressing the questions

Times Contributor

 

The Strathmore Chamber of Commerce hosted Strathmore-Brooks provincial candidates to address voter’s questions on April 10 at the Strathmore Civic Centre. The Liberal and NDP candidates were not available for this engagement.

Moderator Marcy Field took written questions from attendees prior to the presentation and presented them to the candidates by subject area. Field had just completed a trip to Africa where young people told her how important it was for them to be involved in the political process, because it determined their future.

“On April 23 Albertans vote. The demographics have changed significantly since we became a province in 1905, due to the struggles and efforts of many individuals who believed that voting was more than a privilege. It was a right. Exercise your right, it is your future that is being decided,” said Field.

Each candidate introduced himself and gave reasons why they felt they and their party could best serve the Strathmore Brooks constituent needs.

Hale indicated he supported the Wildrose party because democracy and rights were eroding and the existing party was distant from things that Albertans value. He wants to move politics back to a local level. To accomplish this, he suggested some of the Wildrose party changes would be:

• Restoration of democracy and accountability in government

• Protection of property rights by repealing bills 19, 24, 36 and 50

• Passing  a property preservation act

• Developing public health care initiatives supporting palliative care, kinship care for family members caring for loved ones, guaranteeing reduced emergency room wait times,  fixing the existing hospital system before additional money is designated and providing full staffing for hospitals and care homes

• Giving an assisted senior drug program, diverted home tax for seniors, programs to help seniors age in home 

• Help for municipalities

• Listing information like expenses and budgets online

• Free votes for MLAs in the legislature

• Introducing recall measures for voter supported referendums

• Setting fixed election dates 

• Whistleblower protection for employees and healthcare workers

Incumbent MLA Arno Doerksen wanted voters to consider Premier Redford’s record and his personal record as an MLA.

“Those experiences over the past four years have given me the understanding of how government works both local, at the provincial and international level,” said Doerksen.

Doerksen outlined the many things that he had the privilege of working on with constituents while being MLA for Strathmore-Brooks area.   

Some of his accomplishments during his four-year term were:

• Serving on various boards and committees in agriculture

• Chair of provincial export boards

• Interacting with people locally, provincially, nationally and internationally

• Working with municipal leaders to place the water line to Strathmore, installation of  lines to take waste water to the Bow river

• Getting funding for the Sagewood Seniors Apartments and continued efforts on seniors living

• Supporting the modernization of the Aquatic Centre

• Helping develop leadership initiatives that promotes growth and investment for the future

Constituents asked questions on property rights, resource planning and regulation, health care, water rights and marketing, education funding, immigration, workforce and employment training, balancing the budget and funding and governance.

Candidates both agreed and disagreed on several of the issues.

The attendees offered varied opinions on the discussion.

Eric Nelson had not made up his mind and said that he usually waits until he is standing in the ballot box to make his decision. Lori Wagenar said that the meeting was very informative and would help her make up her mind, even though her particular question was not answered, others were.

Archie Hall, on the other hand, wore his decision on his jacket. He wore a PC supporter button.

“There is no question who I will vote for,” said Hall, a long-standing PC supporter.