Thank You and Alberta Party's Growing Strength

I would like to thank everyone who had helped out on my campaign.  Without your support I would not have been able to put a campaign together.  I also want to thank the 57% of voters who came out to vote last night and I would like to see that number greatly increase next election.   I would like to say thank you to all the candidates who ran in Edmonton - Mill Woods, it was a pleasure to meet all of you.  You all ran excellent campaigns and I look forward to seeing you again next election.

My oldest daughter asked me this morning "why would Albertans who wanted change vote in a party they have had for 41 years?"  My answer to her was that Albertans did not want change for the sake of change but what they wanted was a positive viable alternative to vote for which was not there.  I told her that we cannot sit back and complain for the next four years but instead we have to get involved, be heard and build that alternative that Albertans want.

As you know, the Alberta Party was not able to win any seats this election but we ran a positive campaign, all 38 candidates did an outstanding job during the election representing our party and support for the Alberta Party has grown.  Before this election not many people have heard of the Alberta Party but after four weeks of meeting people on their door steps, presenting our platform at all the forums and getting our message of Dream Bigger out to voters has made us stronger then ever.

When I was out collecting my campaign signs, I had a constituent ask me for one of my signs.  People were stopping me to ask me about the Alberta Party and the results from the election.  People were impressed to see that we captured over 17,000 votes when votes splitting was evident in last nights election results.  I have had offers from people, who are not Alberta Party members to help set up Big Listen meetings as they want to be more involved with the Alberta Party.  The biggest complaint about the Alberta Party this election was that we were not able to run a full slate of candidates and people wanted to vote for the Alberta Party.

The Alberta Party is growing.  Get involved and be heard!

Your Vote Will Make a Difference

Your vote this election will make a difference.  You have the power to choose who is going to represent you in the legislature.  I know that one vote can make a difference and I know this because my vote helped change the political landscape of our province.

In 2009, the Alberta Party Board of Directors  had a choice to make, become a new party or accept an offer from the Wildrose Party to merge our two parties.  I had just joined the Board of Directors that day and I was serving as acting secretary for the meeting.  It was a long debate and when the time came to vote I counted 5 votes in favour of the merger and 5 against.  The room was silent and I was advised by the Board that I have yet to cast my vote.  My vote was the tie breaking vote that changed the future of the Alberta Party.  One vote. One Person.

I heard a similar story from a friend who helped me get my signs and flyers printed for this election.  He is a card carrying PC member who decided last minute to attend the PC Nomination Meeting for his riding.  It was a tight race between the two PC candidates and in the end it came down to one vote.  It was his vote that helped his candidate to win.  One Vote.  One Person.

This election is very important and your vote can determine who wins.  I urge you to vote for the candidate that you feel best represents you in the legislature.  By not voting or by spoiling your ballot on purpose, does fix the problems that we have in our political system.  The only way we can change the system is when we stand up, get involved and vote.  If you do not stand up for something then you will fall for anything.  This election Be Heard!  

Radio Sur Sangum Interview

I was given the opportunity to have a spot on Radio Sur Sangum (1440 AM, www.w1440.com) tonight from 9:00 PM to 9:20 PM to talk about the Alberta Party and my campaign.  This election is very important and Sur Sangum Radio is having all the candidates come out from the Edmonton - Mill Woods Riding to share their platforms.

It was a great discussion, I was asked about the my platform on Health Care, Post Secondary Education and Oil & Gas industry.  One message I wanted to get out to everyone was that the voters need to get out and ask the questions that matter the most to them.  Email your candidates and ask for an answer.

What amazed me the most was the discussion that happened after the show.  I met up with NDP candidates Sandra Azocar and Evelinne Teichgraber after my segment on the show and started having a fun political discussion.  After the show, we all stayed and chatted with Independent candidate Carl Benito and campaign volunteers and the staff of the radio station.  It was a good discussion on the lighter side of politics and the issues we have been hearing from voters during this election.

All in all to was a great evening.  I would like to thank the staff of Radio Sur Sangum for hosting this forum.

McKernan School Visit April 18th

Yesterday morning while on the campaign trail, I was asked if I was available to meet with some elementary students at Mckernan School yesterday afternoon.  The students at McKernan School were studying politics and were learning about the different parties and their platforms and ill be participating in a mock election come April 19th.

I met with the grade five and six students who were doing a presentation of the Alberta Party for their class.  I was impressed by the presentation as they focused on our Big Listen campaign, Dream Bigger Election Platform and what our party stood for.

I gave a brief history of my party and how we do politics differently.  I told them about the Big Listen and how we developed our party platform from the voices and ideas of all Albertans.  How we believe that politics needs to leave the mudslinging out and focus on a positive campaign.

The students bombarded me with lots of questions, such as, about the environment, what campaigning was like, what will be the first thing I would do should I become a MLA and so on.  We also discussed bit about the other political parties and their platforms, signs and party colours.

I had a great time and the students and staff at McKernan School were wonderful.

Questions from Constituents on the Campaign Trail

I have been asked some very good questions on the campaign trail by my constituents and by the Students of Edith Rogers School and McKernan School.  The two questions below are the most common I have been asked.

1. If you could do one thing while in office to leave a legacy, what would you do?

My legacy would be to get people to be more involved in politics.  It is clear that our democracy is dying when we saw in the last election where only 40% of Albertans decided to vote.  I would like to create a system where the MLA's have to actively engage their constituents on a regular basis and have MLA's be held accountable for their actions by having a yearly performance review done.

2. If you were elected MLA, what would be the first thing you would do?

I would follow the example set out by the Alberta Party. I will listen to my constituents, support good ideas in the legislature no matter which party has brought it forward and put my constituents first before my party.

I appreciate all the questions I have received and there are no silly questions.  Please share your views with me and ask the questions that matter to you most.  This goes for all candidates in this election.  Stand up an be heard.  

All Candidates Forum at Edith Rogers School

I attended the first and only All Edmonton - Mill Woods Candidate Forum at Edith Rogers School yesterday.  This forum was hosted by the students at Edith Rogers School where all the candidates were allowed to make a 10 minute presentation about themselves and their platforms followed by questions from the students.

The questions asked by the students were:

What is our platform for post-secondary education?

Why is our current MLACarl Benito running as an Independent Candidate?

What is our platform for Primary and Secondary Schools?

After the forum was completed the students came and chatted the candidates to ask more questions from the candidates.

I was asked:

What is my platform on the funding of programs for special needs students?

What legacy would I leave behind if I was elected MLA?

What is my platform for funding for Seniors?

This was followed up by the Rock Star treatment of the students asking for our autographs.

It was a great time to meet face to face with the other candidates in Edmonton - Mill Woods and share ideas.  I was disappointed that the Alberta Liberal and Wildrose candidates were unable to attend as these students would have like to hear the platforms of those parties as well.

I would like to thank the staff and students of Edith Rogers School for putting this forum together and I hope it was very educational.

Below is the link to the Global News coverage of the forum ( starts at the 5:38 mark).

http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/video/early+news+apr+13/video.html?v=2222789359#earlynews/video

The Signs are Ready!

Fresh off the press and assembly required

 I would like to thank everyone who has donated time, money and resources for my campaign.  Without your support, my campaign would not have gone very far and I would have been forced to make my signs from scratch again, which was very labour intensive the last time I ran.  We are half way through the campaign period and the momentum for campaign and the Alberta Party keeps growing.

Finished Product 

Downloadable Window Signs

My Election Platform for Edmonton - Mill Woods

Sue Huff is one of my inspirations to put my name forward as a candidate for the Alberta Party for Edmonton - Mill Woods.  Her platform was genuine and honest and has inspired me to adopt it just as other Alberta Party Candidates have already done.  

Please note, that I will not make any promises about how I will give back a portion of my MLA salary that is tax free to charity as voters in Edmonton - Mill Woods have lost faith in any politician who would make such claims.  I do support the idea that all MLA's Salaries be taxed fully and would work hard to ensure that they are.

As your MLA, I will: 

Listen and Connect

The Promise: I will actively engage in listening and establish two-way dialogue with my constituents to ensure that I am their best possible representative. I will adhere to the Alberta Party's MLA guidelines for conduct, which clearly state my obligations to do politics differently.

How: I will connect and build relationships through a variety of means.  I will facilitate regular Big Listens in my constituency to have meaningful conversations about the pressures facing my constituents and their hopes for this province. I will also bring the work of the Legislature to the people.  Constituents will identify their areas of interest so they can be notified when these issues come before the Legislature. I will ask for input from my constituents on these matters and will use this valuable input to guide and inform my work as their MLA. I will report back on the outcomes of debates and supply information on how I voted and why.

Be Accountable

The Promise: An independent Citizens’ Panel will conduct a yearly review of my performance as your MLA.

Who is on the Panel:  Through a variety of means, notices would be posted seeking volunteers to sit on this panel. The selection of the panelists would be fair, transparent and inclusive. The panel would be made up of a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 9 participants. The term would be for one year, renewable for a maximum of three years.

Panel's Duties:  The panel will review my promises and track my progress each year that I am in office. It would provide constructive feedback on how I can improve my work as the voice for the community. As this is a brand new idea, the panel would also be charged with making suggestions on how the review process could be improved.

Open to the Public: The panel would solicit input from constituents to inform their review and the public would be invited to attend and observe the yearly review.

Why not just use Recall? Some parties are suggesting recall as a method of creating accountability; however, I see it as a blunt-edged tool that has a number of limitations. It does not build relationships; it does not build trust or confidence between the politician and the public; there is no dialogue and no understanding. It also requires thousands of signatures, which may be very difficult and time-consuming to obtain, creating further anger and disillusionment. Ultimately, I see recall as a tool based on punishment, fear and anger. The Citizens’ Panel will be based on mutual respect, understanding and the desire for constant improvement.

Panel's Limitations: The panel would not have the authority to fire me, as that right ultimately lies with all the constituents, not just a small panel. If the panel is working well, being fair and constructive, it should never come to this.

Be a Strong Voice

The Promise: I will always stand up and speak out on issues that matter to my community.  I will champion better healthcare outcomes, schools as community hubs, local businesses, improved quality of life for all Albertans and more integrity in politics.

Unique Alberta Party Benefit:  I am not hampered by a party that demands unanimous and quiet obedience.  I am free to vote according to my community’s values and views.  On occasion, this might mean that I would vote differently from my fellow Alberta Party MLA's.  This disagreement is not seen as disloyalty, because I am expected to serve my community first and my party second.

Be Constructive

The Promise:  I will support good ideas no matter where they come from. I will be constructive in my criticism and I will always remember that my most important job is serving Albertans.

Proof: The Alberta Party has supported the New Democrats’ call for an end to deregulation of the utilities, the Wildrose Party’s stance on the undemocratic elements of the land use bills, and the Liberal Party’s call for increased transparency in our government. We have also supported the Premier’s decision to reinstate education funding, increase the funding for AISH recipients and provide stable, predictable funding to school boards. I am not afraid to acknowledge a good idea when one is presented, and will offer constructive suggestions on how to improve ideas that do not reflect what Albertans want.

Why: It’s time for a new approach to politics. Us vs. Them politics may make good headlines, but it is not working for Albertans. It turns people off and turns people away from politics.  Politics needs to become more creative, more innovative, more intelligent and more cooperative. 

My Unusual Family

Photo taken by K. Leddy

I have a very unusual family.  My three girls are actually interested in the political process.  We have lively discussions around the dinner table about current affairs and party politics.  In fact, all three were present during the creation of the new Alberta Party, patiently sitting through meetings and participating in Big Listens.  On the drive home from these events they give me their summaries, impressions and ask lots of questions. When I asked them if I should run in this election, their responses were:
"I thought you already were." - 13 year old
"You're going to, right?" - 10 year old
"This is news?" - 15 year old

My 13 year old went as far as asking if she could be my campaign manager.  My youngest demanded that she come along to see the Returning Officer about getting my name on the ballot.  My oldest is the first to debate party policy with me.  A very unusual family.

I am running for completely selfish reasons - I want Alberta to be great for my kids.  I have three amazing girls, but I also volunteer with some great kids through Scouts, Kiwanis and the Edmonton Wrestling Club.  I want to see every kid succeed and have the best of everything.  I want them to have a great place they are proud to call home.  We live in a great place and I want it to stay great for a very long time.

This weekend is about reflection and rejoicing in what is good in our lives.

Have a very Happy Easter.

My Post Card

Be Heard!

Over two years ago the people who came together to form the new Alberta Party decided that the way things were traditionally done to build a party's platform and policy just weren't working.  They threw out the old policy book and decided to ask Albertans three things; what pressures are you facing, what changes would you like to see, what things are you happy with.  We did this by meeting with small groups of Albertans so that everyone had a chance to share their thoughts and hopes for a better Alberta.  We called this the Big Listen.  You did not have to buy a membership to our Party and no one would phone you back to for donations.  Non-party members were even invited to our Policy Conference in 2010 and 2011 to debate and help form our Party platform.  Our goal was to get Albertans engaged and have their voices heard.

This election Albertans want change but Albertans have to decide on the type of change they want.  The foundation of the Alberta Party was based on real citizen engagement.  Our policy was built by what Albertans told us they wanted.  This Party is truly grassroots, as we have listened to all Albertans, not just those in our membership.

During this election, no matter who knocks on your door or contacts you via phone, remember to ask the questions that matter to you.  Take the time to look at and compare all the party platforms and ask the tough questions.  This province belongs to you.  Make yourself heard.

Welcome

Welcome to my campaign site.  I am the nominated candidate for the Alberta Party for the Edmonton - Mill Woods riding.

For those of you who do not know me I am a husband to a very understanding wife and father to three beautiful daughters.  I am active in the Edmonton Community as a Scout Leader, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Edmonton (Downtown), active volunteer in my church, executive member of the Edmonton Wrestling Club and a board member the Residential Aide Placement Service (RAPS).

I have spoken with many Albertans over the past four years and I heard that we need a change in the way we are governed.  People want a government that we can trust and respect.  A political system that is grassroots by design, engaging the people and that is open and transparent.

I look forward to meeting with you and please feel free to contact me should you have any questions.