Targeted questions for Strathmore/Brooks Candidates
Sharon McLeay
Times Contributor
With the provincial election only a few weeks away we decided to ask our candidate’s some questions voters want to know.
The Green Party has no candidates running in the Strathmore/Brooks division at this time.
Brad Bailey
NDP
Biography: Brad Bailey is an energetic Edmonton based activist who is deeply committed to social justice and democratic reform. Brad has a multifaceted understanding of Alberta’s political climate. Brad is completing his degree at the University of Alberta with a focus on philosophy, psychology, and biological sciences. He volunteers with new immigrant services. He volunteered at a family owned and operated local business and now works as a street outreach worker. Brad is committed to being a strong voice for Strathmore-Brooks by preventing further school closures, getting needed programs, and encouraging youth engagement in politics
Response to questions: People should vote for me because I am a passionate individual dedicated to social change and democratic reform. In an election as dynamic as this, it’s crucial that voters are pre-sented with strong alternatives. I stand beside Brian Mason and the NDP because we are committed to representing all Albertans in the legislature and we say it’s time for change in Alberta.
Decision making always comes down to principles. The New Democrats always put families first, and doing so means putting public interest ahead of private. First and foremost come the needs of the Albertan people. We don’t believe in back room negotiating. We place great value on transparent, fair, and all-inclusive decision making that ensures sure no one gets left behind.
The best way to provide good quality, accessible healthcare for everyone is to keep it public! Our publicly funded, publicly delivered healthcare system and the principle of universal access to quality care has come under attack in this election. The New Democrats will guarantee fully public healthcare that is accessible and affordable for all Albertans, not just the rich. The current government hasn’t come close to fulfilling their own targets for wait times, availability of hospital beds or the required number of doctors and nurses.
We need to start regulating the cost of power for Albertans. The current government’s deregulation of power means that we Albertans now pay the highest real rates for power in Canada. The New Democrats are in favour of making the Alberta Utilities Commission independent from industry. This would help protect Albertans and make sure that all consumers are benefiting. To make life more affordable for everyone, the NDP propose an increase in minimum wage to $10 dollars an hour; limit the size of rent increases and limit fees and fundraising for school essentials. One measure we believe needs to be taken for seniors is to increase funding to homecare by $100 million dollars improving services to more than 100,000 Albertans in their homes. Seniors have the right to live in dignity in their own homes as long as possible, and when they can’t, ensure they have access to quality long-term care.
Working with trade unions to increase apprenticeship training and launching a “buy Alberta local” marketing campaign are a few NDP initiatives that promote industry other than oil in Alberta. We support creating an educational certificate in organic farming to add value to Alberta farmers crops.
The New Democrats are concerned that modern fracking is a new technology and there’s much we don’t know about it. Alberta has hundreds of thousands of wells now, and so it is hard to know what might happen once high-pressure chemicals are injected into rock that has so many disruptions already.
Alberta has taken a casual approach as the complexity of fracking has grown. It is not the same as a few years ago, relative to the use of chemicals.
Albertans need to be sure their water stays uncontaminated; some people are already worried that their well water has been affected. Reports seem to point to fracking having effects at substantial distance from the actual activity. Policy decisions on fracking need to be made based on scientific findings, instead of bowing to pressure from industry. Therefore, Alberta’s NDP supports reviewing hydraulic fracturing through an independent scientific panel, to make sure we have the facts on the effects of this technology, and would not permit fracking until such a review is completed.
Arno doerkson
Progressive Conservative
Biography: Arno Doerkson is the current MLA for the Strathmore Brooks area.
He was elected to his first term as a Member of the Legislative Assembly on March 3, 2008. Arno currently serves as Chair of the Standing Committee on Community Services and as a member of the Private Bills Committee and the Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing Committee. Prior to his service as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Arno was the owner/manager of a farming/ranching business for over 20 years. He served as chair on the Alberta Beef Producers’ organization, through the BSE crisis from 2003 to 2004. He traveled internationally as a representative of the Alberta and Canadian livestock industry. Arno has been very active with the farming community. He has been a member of many agricultural and livestock associations. In his community, he is a member of the Gem Curling Club, local church board, Gem Home and School Association and Camp Evergreen. Arno and his wife, Wanda, and three sons live in Gem, Alberta.
Response to questions: Prior to becoming your MLA, I was very active in the community. I have spent over 10 years in associations representing Albertans who make their livelihood in Agriculture. I have an understanding of how the government operates at the local, provincial, federal and international levels. This experience has allowed me to be effective in representing the concerns and interests of the residents of the constituency of Strathmore-Brooks over the past four years. With your support, I will continue for the next four years.
I rely on common sense and past experience in decision making. I find that most often there are common sense solutions to complex problems.
About healthcare initiatives: The recently announced Family Care Centers will help improve access to medical professionals for Albertans and our families. These clinics will be complimentary to the Primary Care Initiative that was developed to improve access to family physicians and other frontline health care providers. The family care clinics will be developed in consultation with members of our community to ensure they will meet our local needs.
While there have been incremental changes in the cost of living, Alberta leads the country in employment opportunities. We will introduce new initiatives to encourage active lifestyles for Alberta’s children and reduce the effective cost of participation. We are committed to doubling the current funding to amateur sporting organizations, and introducing the Alberta Children’s Physical Activity Tax Credit of up to $500 a year per child. The PC government is committed to our post-secondary students. It will make a number of changes to student financial aid. These changes will include eliminating parental contribution and part-time earnings from eligibility considerations for the provincial portion of all student loans. We will increase the interest free grace period to 12 months from six months after graduation, and the introduce graduation and retention grants of up to $2,000.
I have heard from many of our seniors who want to stay in their homes close to their family and loved ones. We have proposed a Property Tax Deferral policy to assist our seniors who own their homes to pay their property tax through a home equity loan.
Research and development will and has played a critical role in helping to diversify our economy. This would include areas such as agricultural technology and practices, and our natural resource production.
Fracking allows our producers to extract oil-and-gas when conventional technologies are not effective. I believe we have a regulatory framework that protects our environment and that it is important that this framework be guided by sound science and technological advances.
Jason Hale
Wildrose
Biography: Jason Hale was born and raised near Bassano. In 2010, the Hale family celebrated its centennial anniversary of living in the region. Jason, along with his wife and two sons currently run a cow/calf operation. He also works as a consultant in the oil and gas industry. Jason graduated from SAIT with a diploma in Chemical Technology. Jason was also a Professional Bullfighter for 10 years, a member of the Bassano Rodeo committee for the past eight years, and a Director on the Bassano Ag Society for the past three years. He has regularly volunteered as a coach for hockey and baseball. Jason’s father was a quadriplegic for 40 years – he and his family have extensive experience with the healthcare systems.
Response to questions: I am running because the Wildrose Party and I are committed to working for Albertans, bringing the government back to the people. It is time for a change.
I use a common sense approach on issues, what is best for the people of this area. I will consult with individuals directly related to the issue at hand. My job is to represent the people.
We need to decentralize healthcare and bring back local decision making. We need to work with local healthcare professionals and create a system that puts Albertans first.
We will be helping families by giving a $2,000 Child Tax Credit, $500 tax credit for fees spent on their children’s sports, arts, and cultural activities. A review of federal and provincial tax law will identify other ways in which the law unfairly penalizes families with children, and we will work to implement tax reforms that will lesson the financial burdens families face.
We need to ensure seniors have proper housing so they do not have to spend their time in acute care beds or in other facilities away from family.
As a province, we must find ways to boost local economies, attract new businesses to communities, which will create jobs and strengthen local economies.
In regards to frackingI have been involved in the oil/gas sector in Alberta for many years. In order to produce gas and oil from wells you must frack them. Companies must insure that this process will not affect adjacent landowners and is environmentally responsible. The ERCB has a strict set of rules that must be followed. There have been substantial technological developments with fracking procedures and we must continue to develop procedures that will ensure the public and environment will not be affected.