High school students challenged Central Alberta election candidates on topics such as health care, the economy and post-secondary tuition costs ahead of the May 29th provincial election.
Red Deer Regional Catholic Schools hosted Red Deer’s first public election forum for the 2023 provincial election at École Secondaire Notre Dame High School on Tuesday morning.
In total, seven election candidates from four different ridings were asked three questions by students throughout the event, which lasted an hour and a half.
Candidates were first asked about how they would plan to create opportunities for job growth and long-term economic development.
“What we need to do is to continue what we’ve been doing. We have a province that is attracting more and more businesses,” said Adrian LaGrange, UCP incumbent for Red Deer-North.
“We’ve been able to diversify into the tech industry, … we’ve had growth in the film industry like we haven’t seen before.”
LaGrange added the UCP wants to provide younger Albertans with the ability to look into a variety of industries.
Jaelene Tweedle, NDP candidate for Red Deer-North, said stability is the key to job creation.
“We need to create stable jobs that allow people to make a decent living, that pull people out of poverty,” said Tweedle.
“When we’re looking at attracting investment and attracting businesses to come here, one of the biggest things any company will look for is stability. Right now you’re in a province without much stability.”
Students also asked candidates how they would assist the healthcare system and drop wait times in the emergency room.
Jason Stephan, UCP incumbent for Red Deer-South, said one of the “most important priorities” for Red Deer was to make sure the region was receiving equitable investment in health care infrastructure.
“Under the NDP, the Red Deer hospital was not a priority. They actually took it off the priority list,” said Stephan.
“Under our UCP government, we actually have announced a $1.8-billion investment in the hospital. That’s the largest single capital-funded investment in the entire province of Alberta budget. We have brought fairness and equity.”
Michelle Baer, NDP candidate for Red Deer-South, said health care in the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre was the reason she decided to run in this election.
“The situation at the Red Deer hospital didn’t just crop up overnight. If we were listening to the healthcare workers, we knew this was coming for the last 15 years and yet nothing has been done,” said Baer.
“Our plan is not just to work on the hospital, it’s to work on staffing. We will undertake the largest health care recruitment program that Alberta has ever seen.”
Tim Hoven, independent candidate for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, said the “problem with health care” is that decisions are made in Edmonton and not in local communities.
“You have bureaucrats removed from the system, removed from the people whose … lives they’re affecting, making the decisions and quite frankly it feels like they don’t care,” he said.
“We need to either increase decision-making at the municipal level or bring back some form of local health boards so we can have people advocating to improve health care here locally.”
Candidates were also asked about the challenges post-secondary students face regarding high tuition costs.
Jason Heistad, NDP candidate for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, said affordability is important for students.
“We need to make sure we’re looking after you and the future,” Heistad said, adding he wants to make sure students don’t have to be working multiple jobs just to fund their education.
Dave Dale, NDP candidate for Lacombe-Ponoka, said he wants to make sure Alberta youths stay in the province for their post-secondary education.
“We need to make sure you’re not going to Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto to go to university, college or whatever it is you choose to do,” he said.
“We’re going to freeze tuition, we’re going to fund post-secondary education.”
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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