One of the reasons I am so passionate about the Alberta Party is because our members are forward-thinking and willing to make commitments to make our province and our quality of life better for our children and grandchildren. In the world of politics it isn’t easy to think further into the future than our next election but Albertans deserve it.

One thing that the Alberta Party has been trying to emphasize within our policies is a focus on preventative programming.
Simply put, it’s a lot less expensive to prevent an injury or social problem than it is to deal with it once it reaches the level of a crisis. An excellent example of our focus on prevention can be found within our Health Policy. Disease and injury prevention may not be as “sexy” as MRI machines or transplants but they are vital to the health of our health system.

With the family at the Alberta Party Election Launch

Tonight marks the end of the first week of the election campaign. If this week is any indication, it is going to be a whirlwind four weeks! This week saw the election called, signs go up, countless doors knocked upon and more emails and calls responded to than I can begin to count.

Image: Ambro

Earlier today, I had the pleasure of attending a Candidate Forum hosted by the St. Albert Chapter of Seniors United Now. The format for the event was “speed dating,” where candidates from the three parties in attendance (Alberta Party, PC and NDP) spent twenty minutes each with four groups of around 10-15 seniors. I have to say, this a great format that allows for some real dialogue and discussion to take place.

On Wednesday, Bill 4: St. Albert and Sturgeon Valley School Districts Establishment Act was introduced in the Legislature. The Bill calls for the expansion of the Sturgeon School Division to include Morinville and Legal, the creation of the Greater St. Albert Roman Catholic Separate School District, and the elimination of the St. Albert Protestant Separate School District which will become the St. Albert Public School District. While the Bill responds to the need for a secular schooling option in Morinville, it raises concerns regarding the implications for the St. Albert Protestant Separate School District and the process on how a decision of this magnitude was made.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend the morning with the Outreach Team from Boyle Street Community Services. The weather that day was a few degrees below zero but still cold enough to feel a chill after spending a few hours walking through the river valley. Having worked in the social sector for a number of years, it did not come as a surprise that there are people living outdoors in winter, but seeing their camps, putting a face to them and listening to their stories is an entirely different experience.

This morning, Glenn Taylor, the Leader of the Alberta Party was interviewed on Global TV. If you’d like to learn more about what we are all about, take a few minutes to watch the video:

In a recent article in the St. Albert Gazette, outgoing MLA for St. Albert Ken Allred offered some frank comments about the lack of real debate within the Legislature. The comments were quite candid, especially coming from a member of the PC Party who has seen the inner workings of government.  In the article, Mr. Allred states that, “That is one of my big disappointments is we don’t want to debate the tough issues. There is no debate that goes on in that legislature. It is just a bunch of silliness, half of it.” I encourage you to read the entire article for some additional comments.

In response to the article, I submitted the following Letter to the Editor: