Kerry Towle may be new to the political arena but she is ready to put up a fight to earn a seat in the Alberta legislature for the next four years.
Towle, 38, is the Wildrose Party candidate for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake riding. This is her first time running as a MLA but she has always had her ear close to the political ground.
When her brother was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease in 2008 at age 32, Towle fought to get long-term care for him.
She said the appeal process was difficult, time consuming and frustrating.
Last year, her father had a stroke and Towle is taking care of him like she did for her brother until he died in 2011.
“I understand that for people in Sylvan Lake and Innisfail and surrounding areas, if we do not have a free flowing ability to have access to health care, we have a problem,” said Towle.
“Right now, the fundamental problem is that we have long-term care people sitting in acute care beds that clog up the system and costs us a lot of money and backs up ERs.
“If we can’t eliminate that problem, we have a bigger problem.”
Towle said bringing an urgent care centre to Sylvan Lake will be a priority for her.
Towle joined the Wildrose Party because the party allows for free votes in the legislature and does not kick members out of caucus.
Towle is an associate broker/co-owner of Royal LePage Weber in Innisfail. She lives just east of Innisfail with her husband.
She has two daughters, aged 20 and 10.
Towle and her husband were turkey producers until they sold their business in 2008.
“I feel this election could be a real turnaround in how politics is perceived and done in the province of Alberta,” said Towle.
“And that I will actually be able to stick up for my constituents.”
Towle said she lives and works in the riding and she has a vested interest in taking constituents’ issues to the legislature.
“I am not a career politician and I come with a party that is open minded and comes with refreshing ideas and willing to listen to its representatives through free votes through democratic reform,” she said.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com