Successful Meet and Greet

United Conservative Party (UCP) candidate Martin Long held a Meet and Greet last Wednesday evening in the Eagle River Casino banquet room. The event had 110 guests and was part of a fundraiser for his campaign and provided an opportunity to meet residents and business owners on a more personal level. Other dignitaries who traveled to show their support were Glenn van Dijken, MLA for the Barrhead, Westlock, Athabasca Constituency; Jason Nixon, UCP House Leader and MLA for the Rocky Mountain House, Sundre, and Rimbey Constituency; and Shane Getsen, UCP candidate for the Lac Ste. Anne and Parkland Constituency.

The common theme among the dignitaries is to band together to ensure the NDP is removed from its position. The party has a few items that make the top of its list and that is to get Albertans back to work, the second is getting the pipeline built, the third is to have politicians reconnect with the communities, and lastly is to remove the carbon tax.

United Conservative Party candidate Martin Long for the West Yellowhead region has a very large area to cover since the electoral boundaries have been moved. Long is new to politics and got into it because he was tired of his voice not being heard. It was a commonality with many he’d spoken with. Long wants to give people back their voice and ensure they are heard. “I enjoy traveling to each town as everyone has a different story to tell. There are so many people hurting right now with the increase in taxes and lower wages. Something must be done,” he said.

As for the evening’s event, Long said, “The energy in the room was overwhelming and fantastic. I’m very honoured to have my fellow UCP members and candidates take the time to travel, and for the support of former opponents Ray Hilts and Paul Chauvet and past MLAs for the region. It is not easy to run a campaign. It takes hard work and long hours. If you’re in a relationship, your spouse must be on board with what you’re doing otherwise the relationship will not survive.” The focus on Long will be to rid the province of the carbon tax and get the pipelines going. The UCP has come up with the slogan of Alberta Strong & Free which has resonated with all members.

In his speech, MLA and UCP House Leader Jason Nixon said, “We need to remember why we need to win. Focus on Albertans, work for Albertans, and be accountable to Albertans. I’ve been hearing lots of concerns from all the constituencies regarding the economy, oil and gas issues, pipeline issues as well as land use concerns with the caribou in our region.” The UCP has plans to remove the provincial carbon tax within days of the next legislature forming. As for the federal carbon tax, plans are to continue fighting in court with their provincial allies. “If we’re not successful we will defeat Justin Trudeau in the fall. We will not stop until we are successful,” Nixon said.

A promise the UCP made is to bring in recall legislation which would allow constituents the ability to fire their MLAs if they don’t follow through with their promises. “That’s our way of showing how serious we are about our platform and if we don’t follow through, I suspect there will be a whole bunch of MLAs being recalled by their Constituents,” Nixon added.

Although the official election hasn’t been declared yet, it must be completed by May 30 and allow each candidate 28 days to campaign. Nixon is expecting it to be announced within the next week or two.

MLA Glenn van Dijken said, “My biggest issue is recognizing the concerns of the economy and jobs. It’s disheartening when you get the phone call from a business owner who says we’re done. It’s hard to see families out of work. The agriculture industry needs the government to know it’s there for them especially when it relates to Bill 6. Too much investment has been leaving the province; we need to bring it back and let investors know Alberta is open for business.”

UCP Candidate Getsen for the Parkland region is new to politics after coming from the energy sector. He decided to run out of pure frustration with the current government. As a former energy worker, he was slated to help manage a pipeline project in the Whitecourt area that would move processed water from the ANC plant to Fox Creek. Subsequently, the project was set aside and pushed back about one year. “I feel it will be a challenge to go against the NDP. It will not be a cake walk, but I feel we have enough voters who are concerned about our economy to want to make the change. We need to be proud of being Albertans. If I can say anything to your readers it’s vote for team blue. Our province will not last another four years of this. Your vote counts,” Getsen said.

Hinton resident Brian LaBerge attended the event to show his support for Martin Long’s candidacy. “I’m a small business owner and the levels of regulations that have been imposed in the last four years have made it very expensive. The cost of running my mom and pop business has gone way up. My hope is that the UCPs will be able to change or help businesses,” LaBerge said.