The six MLA hopefuls for the Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul riding laid out their platforms during the first of three all-candidates forums.
Hosted by the Cold Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, Alberta Party candidate Glenn Andersen, independent Kacey Daniels, Alberta Independence Party candidate David Garnett-Bennett, United Conservative Party (UCP) David Hanson, Alberta Advantage Party's David Inscho, and NDP candidate Kari Whan took to the podium to explain why they should become the next MLA for the area at the Lakeland Inn on Thursday, April 4.
First up was Garnett-Bennett, who told the crowded room that he threw his name into the running after reaching the conclusion that the province needed a new direction. A major component for him was the debt Alberta faces.
"The economic instability right now, there are things we can rectify, we can deal with this, but we need to step up and take ownership of the economic trouble that we're in. Everyone in Alberta is connected, everybody is united... We need to do something, and we've got to stop asking permission," he detailed.
One of the ways he believes this can be accomplished is to consider separation. According to Garnett-Bennett, if the province became independent, Alberta would become a landlocked nation, they would be guaranteed access to tidewater, and a pipeline would get built.
After spending four years as the Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills MLA, UCP candidate Hanson said a priority of his is changing how much it costs to get into the workforce.
"I started an apprenticeship when I was 17. When I started work, you could walk up to a job site with a pair of steel toe boots, a lunch kit, and you got put to work. Nowadays, the young people in our area, if you're getting into the oil and gas industry or any industry, you're probably looking at upwards of $1,000 by the time you get your safety courses, protective coveralls, and all that gear. It's something that we really need to work on changing."
Hanson also used the opportunity to speak about his accomplishments in his previous riding, such as working to have a permanent dialysis centre opened in Lac La Biche, noting "there's no fight too small or too big for me."
As a teacher in Cold Lake for the last 16 years, Whan's main priority is families in the area.
"The families depend on funded public health care, funded public schools that are in good repair, as well as jobs. Jobs are a top priority for myself and the NDP," she detailed.
While she noted Alberta has seen recovery, Whan said her party's goal is to ensure that everyone feels it.
"Rachel Notley has been a champion for the pipelines, and has been pushing and has been relentless in that fight. Besides that, we’re shipping by rail right now in order to get those resources that we all own to market so we can get fair value. Diversification is a big part of this plan, as well, and will increase the number of jobs by the thousands.”
For the Alberta Party, Andersen said one of their top focuses is the economy.
"We will fight for things that matter for Albertans, like fixing Bill C-69 and getting the Trans Mountain and/or Gateway Pipeline built. We need to implement the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, and enhancement of small business opportunities. That act has already been approved on April 7, 2017, so we can do inter-provincial business across Canada and we still can't get it done."
He added, they believe you can't tax your way back to prosperity and will cut the carbon tax to homes, schools, businesses, and farms.
Inscho said the Alberta Advantage Party will ensure students have a well-rounded education, parents have the school of choice option, and they will also implement tax credits for children under five-years-old.
He outlined some of the ways the Alberta Advantage Party is advocating for change in the criminal justice system, such as hiring more sheriffs and elevating training, as well as bringing in more prosecutors and judges.
"There's no point in police catching a criminal if you don't have the prosecutors to prosecute, and you don't have a judge to judge," he explained.
He also emphasized the importance of restitution from criminals, and for them to take greater responsibilities for their actions.
Running as a independent, Daniels believes separating from Canada is the only way for Alberta to prosper.
"There's no way we're ever going to get a good deal from the corrupt Government of Canada. There's no way it's going to happen, and there's no point in even trying," he said.
After presenting their opening statements to the crowd, the chamber had four prepared questions that each candidate had the opportunity to answer. The floor was then opened up to the public, to allow residents to pose their own questions to those in the running to represent them.
When asked what regulations they would address to reduce the amount of red tape for businesses and to create jobs, as a former business owner himself, Garnett-Bennett believes you can't tax a nation into wealth, but, you can build wealth without taxes.
By eliminating the carbon tax and GST, he thinks that will put more money into Albertans' pockets now.
"Business generates and creates money, not the government. All Albertans inject it back into the economy, and this movement of money results in the prosperity for all. It's not the duty of the government to decide, through over-taxation, where money is spent because that stifles the economy and that's the reason the Alberta economy is where it is now," he detailed.
Hanson noted the current processes in place can be frustrating for businesses.
"A UCP government would introduce a red tape action plan, which would reduce Alberta's regulatory burden by at least one-third within its first term... Our goal would be to move from the worst to the best regulatory ranking among the provinces."
When it comes to the province's current economic climate, the candidates were posed with the question of how their party would reach a balanced budget
With the Alberta Advantage Party's plan to increase the GDP through dealing with the energy sector, Inscho said it would assist with this issue.
"It deals with coal, natural gas, and it has an awful lot of aspects to it. But, this can put people back to work, this can put some revenues into the government coffers, and this helps to bring us back from the brink where we're headed. We simply can't keep going down the road that we are. We have to put people back to work," he explained.
Whan said, "We (the NDP) will balance the budget by 2023/2024, and we will get to balance while making life more affordable, investing in schools and hospitals, and strengthening and diversifying our economy."
According to Hanson, the UCP's job creation tax cut would reduce the tax on the businesses who create work from 12 per cent to eight per cent over the next four years to ensure Alberta's competitiveness.
"Changes to our tax structure, alleviating our regulatory burden, and opening the doors to businesses are what is needed to stimulate our economy and get our province back to being the place to invest and raise your family," he expressed.
It wasn't long before a question regarding pipelines was brought up, and the candidates were asked to share their plans on getting Alberta oil to new markets.
Hanson explained, "We need to continue to pursue every option available to us, including but not limited to reintroducing the Energy East Pipeline, helping promote the great work the Eagle Spirit Corridor group has done on the proposed route from Fort McMurray to the BC coast... We need a strong, committed, and serious leader to push these initiatives and pressure the federal government into action."
All of the candidates agreed Alberta needs pipelines to flourish.
Whan noted Notley has led the fight to build pipelines and to help diversify Alberta's economy.
"While we continue to hold Ottawa's feet to the fire, our medium-term (plan) is to lease 4,400 new rail cars and locomotives to get our energy products to export markets."
According to Garnett-Bennett, separation will ensure Alberta becomes a member of the United Nations and will have the Law of the Sea, which would guarantee Alberta tidewater access. He views it as an instant solution to prosperity.
For the topic of health care, candidates were asked how they, and their parties, propose to reduce costs while improving what's offered in Alberta.
Daniels believes there aren't many options for assisting with the rising demand for the services, but Alberta would be able to address the matter better as their own nation.
"In a province with an ageing population, the truth of the matter is that it will only get more expensive, and wait times will increase. The only alternative I see to improve health care is, upon separation, spend more and we will have more to spend," he said.
Garnett-Bennett expressed there is no answer to this question, so long as the province continues under the current system.
"You cannot reduce costs and improve Albertans' health at the same time... This is actually a contradiction because you can't offer more for less, the numbers don't add up," he noted, adding he would figure out a way as MLA to explore the inefficiencies in the current system to ensure Albertans have access to health care throughout their lives.
A question from the floor wondered if the candidates planned to maintain the coverage for senior's programs, and provide universal, accessible coverage that's not income tested and is premium free.
The candidates agreed seniors are vital to the province and need to be supported on a government level.
"The seniors' programs absolutely will be continuing with our support for those," stressed Hanson. "We’ve actually put out a platform with very extensive supports for seniors... We do owe it to our seniors, they’re very important. They built this province to what it is today and we need to respect them for that.”
Whan said, "In our platform, prescriptions will be covered for seniors that earn $75,000 or less, so we think that everyone deserves access to premium healthcare."
Ensuring seniors don't have to make tough decisions regarding paying for their health or other amenities was important for Inscho.
"When we’ve got people that have contributed to this province all of their lives, I think it's an extremely small thing for the rest of the province to be able to supply them with the drugs and transportation that are needed for senior citizens. Many senior citizens make a decision, ‘am I going to fill my prescription or am I going to eat today?’ and I don’t think that’s a tolerable situation, I think that practice of that kind of stuff has to end. It is not a reward that we’re offering to seniors, I think its something that seniors have earned to have the ability to have their health looked after.”
How the candidates would address social issues, such as addiction, was what one attendee wanted to know.
Daniels took a strong stance against drug trafficking.
“Addiction is a bad choice that somebody made, and I know there are drugs out there that people get hooked on that they are very hard to get off. I was married to one, not anymore. As far as I’m concerned, anyone caught transporting methamphetamine (or) fentanyl, put to death. That will put an end to it quick.”
Andersen suggested there was a "missing link" for people transitioning back into the community after completing rehabilitation programs, and that finding a solution would be able to prevent someone from falling into the vicious cycle again.
Inscho said, "When people have no hope, when they look day after day and their bills are getting higher and higher, when they look at their neighbours down the road, they’re not getting ahead. This leads to very serious mistakes that are made in their personal choices. Then, it's compounded by not having the addictions treatments to deal with it. Once again, we’re back to creating the jobs so that people can actually have hope for the future.”
The rising cost of tuition and how the candidates would assist students in repayment after graduation was another query from an attendee.
“If Alberta is being serious about diversifying their economy, education is critical to the economic and social prosperity of this province. You have to wonder why the post-secondary education rate is 22 to 24 per cent, and in Alberta, it's only 17 per cent," Andersen explained.
With a son who spent 10 years in school to become a doctor, Hanson wanted to ensure students have the ability to find jobs upon completion of their education to assist with paying back their loans.
Daniels noted there's a "level of greed in the operations" of colleges and universities in Alberta that needs to be dealt with.
He continued, "There’s no one running a university of a college that deserves to be making the money that they’re making. That money should be spread out, reduced to a point where education becomes affordable again.”
As candidates gave their closing statements, attendees were encouraged to go out and vote on April 16.
The next all-candidates forum is being hosted by the Bonnyville and District Chamber of Commerce on Monday, April 8 at Dr. Bernard Brosseau School starting at 7 p.m.
