Martin Long, re-elected in West Yellowhead, sees lots of positivity for the future

Monday, May 29, proved positive for Martin Long, re-elected to serve the West Yellowhead
constituency, garnering just over 70 percent of the votes in the riding. With four more years to look
forward to, Long sat down with the Whitecourt Press to discuss his thoughts on the most recent election
and his party’s plan for the next 48 months.
Having gone through two elections, Long said he respects those who put their names forward. “It’s a lot
of work going through an election campaign and everything that leads up to that. I spoke with Mr.
Kreiner (NDP) on election night and thanked him for putting his name forward and running a relatively
clean campaign in West Yellowhead.”
Moving forward, Long said it’s about working together. “I made it clear in my first term, and I stand by
this now being re-elected, (that) my role as the MLA is to represent 52,000 people whether they voted
for me or not. That’s what I think I’ve displayed for the first four years, and many folks that I’ve met and
chatted with have told me that.”
Long said he sees his colleagues who make up the opposition as those who may have differing views but
ultimately want the same result as him, which is a better Alberta. Long said his goal continues to be
focused on maintaining relationships for the betterment of the residents in his riding.
“It’s easier to get things accomplished through relationships. Sometimes there’s politics in politics, and
I’ve chosen not to get into some of that and instead treat all colleagues, both government and
opposition, with respect, and from that standpoint, try to get the things that my constituents need in
West Yellowhead accomplished by that relationship. Each community has their own specific agenda
items. My approach is to have my colleagues pick up the phone when I call and tell them what we need
in West Yellowhead.”
In speaking with constituents on the campaign trail, Long said he heard concerns about health care and
affordability. “We’ve been making a lot of progress in a short period of time on health care with coming
out of the pandemic and starting to make headway on the waitlist for certain surgeries and lowering
EMS response times. On affordability, we have the lowest level of inflation in the country based on some
of the affordability measures we’ve taken.” Long added that they still need more time to get things
“righted.”
One big concern Long said he heard involved the storyline that residents would supposedly have to pay
out of pocket to see their physicians should the UCP be re-elected. Long didn’t mince words. “You won’t
have to pay to see your doctor. There are no plans to privatize healthcare. I am very open with folks that
the Canadian Health Act doesn’t allow for us to privatize healthcare, not that there would be any plans
to anyway.”
Looking to the future, Long said he is excited about what he sees. “There are some really exciting things
on the horizon. One that will impact every Albertan, and I think it’s been a long time coming, is lowering
taxes on the first $60,000 of income. That will help every Alberta household, and I’m excited to see
initiatives like that where a government is purposely trying to create less tax burden on its citizens.”

He said continuing to grow the economy was another positive point on the list. “We’ve got so much
momentum right now. We have the leading economy in the country, and we have the most diversified
economy in Alberta history,” said Long, also mentioning the UCP’s two back-to-back balanced budgets.
“We need opportunities for our kids and grandkids for the future, and we will do that by not passing on
our debt burdens to them and by having a strong economy for them to enter the workforce and create
opportunities for them and their own families.” Long said the UCP would continue to “attract investors,
businesses, and companies into Alberta.”
Long said he looks forward to continuing to advocate for West Yellowhead residents and is honoured by
voters’ trust. “The democracy that we get to have in our country and our province is such a key
component of our makeup. The fact that people have elected our United Conservative government to
continue on the momentum that we’ve started, I’m very grateful for that opportunity.”
The diversity of West Yellowhead, spanning from mountains to rivers and agricultural lands, holds just
over eight percent of Alberta’s land mass within its border. Jasper, Hinton, Grande Cache, Yellowhead
County, Lac Ste. Anne County, Edson, Brazeau No. 77, Drayton Valley, Woodlands County and
Whitecourt comprise the municipalities. Long said he boasts about his area often.
“I get to represent the most beautiful riding in the province, and I always clarify that, yes, we have the
landscapes, with mountains and rivers, and that every one of my communities is beautiful in and of itself
as far as the look, but it’s actually the people that make us distinguished in the province. I have the most
incredible people, everyday Albertans. That’s what makes us the best riding in the province, and I’m so
honoured to be able to represent the families and people who make up West Yellowhead.”
There were 24 voting locations throughout West Yellowhead and 36,648 eligible voters listed. From
those, 20,135 votes were cast. MLA Long garnered 14,456 votes, equating to 71.8 percent. The Allan &
Jean Millar Centre voting location saw the most votes cast in West Yellowhead, with 9,229. Edson was
second with 8,244, and the Hinton Centre was third with 7,797. The combined voter turnout for West
Yellowhead was 55.4 percent, just shy of the provincial turnout of 59.5 percent.