While there has been no official writ dropped, the tents are going up and sides are aligning for a spring provincial election.
New regulations brought in by Premier Alison Redford pegs an election to happen between March and May each year and most expect an election this spring. Despite this so far only three candidates have lined up to get in the Drumheller-Stettler race.
Incumbent Jack Hayden is itching to go to the polls. He tells The Mail that he likes election time.
“I like elections because I look forward to the forums debates,” said Hayden. You don’t get a chance in the legislature to defend your government’s actions like you do on the campaign trail. The difference between being an elected official and especially being a minister, if you say it, you have to do it. Whereas being in the opposition you can say whatever you like, because until you get a chance to get in a position to govern, you don’t have to deal with reality.”
“I love the debates, because what we do for our vulnerable, what we do for our education, what we do for our health care are all necessary. When you talk about this, that is over 80 per cent of our budget. I love to get into the election because who are you going to take way from? Who is not going to be getting what they are getting now to meet the promises some people make.”
He said one local issue he would like to address is the struggles of rural pharmacies. inSide Drumheller reported on the changes to how pharmacists are compensated in its February 17 edition. Hayden said this is a real concern to him.
“I want to work for some changes in our legislation because I don’t think it recognizes come of the challenges they face financially. On the funding formula we need to make some changes,” said Hayden.
Another project he is championing is the Specials Areas Water Project. Currently they are working on the environmental impact assessment. He is hoping for a positive outcome on that report.
“That is going to offer a number of new options for people in the east country. If you have water you can do value added, but we really need it for the livestock component,” said Hayden.
He says he is comfortable with the changes the government has made in regards to property rights and its review of proposed legislation.
“I am looking forward to debates on property rights and power lines. That has been the biggest press of misinformation that I have ever seen. It has worried rural residents, it has frightened some of them,” said Hayden. “…My farm is 102 years old this year. I have 30 colleagues in caucus that are farmland owners. All of us support this legislation because I believe it gives better protection and it also plans for the future, guaranteeing we are going to keep our farms alive.”
Provincially, The Wildrose Party continues to gain traction and in Drumheller-Stettler, Rick Strankman is the candidate for the party. He is confident that party will be forming the next government.
“It certainly is an onerous challenge, I’ve never done this before, but just about everywhere I go people are supportive of it,” said Strankman.
He too is concerned about health care.
“The rural people are being overwhelmed about this stuff. Another function of government is the issue of drugs and the costing and benefits to the rural drug stores. The rural druggists who are business owners are being unfairly treated by the government in the benefits they are paying,” said Strankman. “If these rural drug stores are forced to not operate, it will close hospitals in towns like Oyen and Consort, Hanna even,” said Strankman.
He says the party believes in local administration of tax dollars that come from the area.
“We are talking about allowing the local municipalities, where the revenue is generated, to allow them to administer that revenue. What is going on now, is a lot of that is going to central Edmonton,” said Strankman. “We are put in a benevolent-subservient position by the system. It is a symptom for an overall central planning society that is being generated by the legislature in Edmonton.”
He says these are key to keeping rural Alberta vibrant. One tenet of his beliefs is less government.
“The rural people in this constituency are doing quite well, but it is an adverse area, we are used to adversity out here, but it is not that we are above the challenges. We live and deal with the challenges, but if government regulation and central planning gets in the way, it becomes even more frustrating,” said Strankman.
So far, of the remaining major political parties The Drumheller Mail has learned that the NDP has nominated candidate Aditya Rao.
Rao graduated from DCHS and is currently working on a double major in Political Science and Economics at the University of Alberta. In fact, he is already on the campaign trail in another contest, running to be president of the University of Alberta’s Students Association.
DVSS English teacher Lynn Hemming said Rao made an impact on the school as a student leader.
“He was an exceptional student, a real dynamic leader. I remember he won a Canadian Millennium Scholarship based on marks and involvement, which is quite exceptional,” said Hemming, “He’s an amazing young man.”
He was involved in Students Against Drunk Driving, and rose to a leadership position in the provincial association. He was also involved in student council and was active working and raising funds for various causes.
While the Alberta Party has not named a candidate for the Drumheller-Stettler riding, Andrew Berdahl, who is interested in the party says they are on their way to organizing a constituency association, and have a couple people interested in representing the party in the election. He says his interest in the Alberta Party comes from his frustration on the political climate of the province.
“I am not happy with traditional party politics. That culture is obviously sub optimal, I’d say it is sick, and something that needs to be addressed” said Berdahl. “It doesn’t take much for people’s passions to overwhelm reason, it’s a very fine line, you want people to be passionate, because the alternative to that passion is apathy,” said Berdahl.
He said many of the issues are communicative.
“We don’t talk about these issues and then the government decides. When you look at some of the bills that were passed this term, they were poor laws poorly done. The process was flawed, the outcome was flawed, and we need to resolve it without pointing fingers and making it an issue more than it is,” sad Berdahl.
The Mail's attempts to contact the Alberta Liberal Party were not immediately returned.
