With the 2015 Federal Election coming this October, the Cochrane Eagle, along with its sister papers, Airdrie City View and Rocky Mountain Outlook, have attempted to put together profiles of each of the four candidates running in the Banff-Airdrie (formerly Wild Rose) riding.
Each candidate was asked the same four questions, but the City View’s attempts to speak to one candidate on the phone was met with resistance.
Tell us about yourself.
I moved to Calgary from the Maritimes in 1996. After a decade in Airdrie working for Airdrie Family Services, my family and I moved to the Cochrane area in 2009. About that time, I began working for Alberta Health Services as a children’s mental health consultant. My wife Sharon, children Ceilidh and Ciaran, and I enjoy an outdoor lifestyle: climbing, hiking and kayaking, to name a few activities. I am an ultra-distance marathoner, competing in the 100km distance five times. I was ranked 28th in Canada in 2014 for the 100km distance.
Why should voters choose you?
I ran for the Green Party in 2011 and am running again – this time to win! Politics has changed in Alberta. We Albertans are a loyal bunch when it comes to party politics, but we’re not stupid. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…. Not this time!
What issues are most vital to you?
When they took office, Blake Richard’s Conservatives made lofty promises about the senate, transparency, parliamentary decorum and managing finances. They have failed in all areas. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has become increasingly closed, manipulative and controlling in his bid to maintain power. He has been caught telling outright lies on numerous occasions, even in the House of Commons.
Now Albertans have the chance to say, “Enough! We won’t believe the lies anymore.” The Conservatives have become arrogant and entitled.
Why are you running?
It’s time to try something new! I believe the Green Party offers the best option because it is focused on Canadians instead of party loyalties, ideologies and power. For Greens, it’s “People before power. People before politics. People before party.” Put me in Ottawa and you will have an MP who asks your views on what needs to be done, rather than an unresponsive MP who mails endless propaganda extolling the virtues of the expensive and secretive prime minister’s office.
Tell us about yourself.
I have served as the chair of the Parliamentary Tourism Caucus for the past four years as we have implemented the Federal Tourism Strategy and seen tourism industry revenues grow to $88.5 billion per year.
For the past two years, I have been recognized as the ‘best constituency MP’ and ‘hardest working MP.’ I have also had the privilege to serve as chair of the House of Commons Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.
It has been an honour to be your representative in Ottawa as a part of a strong Conservative government.
Why should voters choose you?
Since coming to office our Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, has focused on what matters to Canadians; such as lowering taxes, and protecting and creating jobs.
Canada has had one of the best job creation records in the G7, and created 1.2 million net new jobs. In addition, our government has created new measures to support Canadian families.
The Universal Child Care Benefit has been increased and expanded to include children aged six through seventeen, the Child Care Expense Deduction has been increased to $1,000 and the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit has been doubled to $1,000.
What issues are most vital to you?
Another issue that is important to both myself and our riding is the preservation of our national parks.
As such we have invested over $3 billion in our national parks improving highways, bridges and other important infrastructure. In Banff National Park alone, our government has recently invested over $160 million.
Why are you running?
I am running for re-election as the Conservative candidate for Banff-Airdrie in order to continue to serve constituents and our country on the issues that matter, such as keeping our economy strong and supporting Canadian families.
Tell us about yourself.
I am a husband, father of two young children, soccer coach and long-time Albertan. I have worked in the energy sector for 20 years advising governments and large energy companies on how to profitably improve our environmental performance and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I am a successful businessperson developing renewable energy projects across Canada with BluEarth Renewables, and the former Executive Director of the Pembina Institute, a nationally recognized energy and environment think-tank. Why should voters choose you?
When you cast your vote for me, you are choosing a progressive representative who knows how to build consensus, values engaging with constituents, and has the knowledge and capacity to influence decisions in Ottawa.
What issues are most vital to you?
It is critically important that we elect a government that governs for all Canadians with a focus on reviving our economy, protecting our environment, and restoring our democracy. Under Harper, Canada has fallen into a second recession in less than a decade. To recover, we need to diversify our energy sector and tap into the rapidly growing markets and jobs in cleaner and more renewable energy sources. Many middle class families are struggling and concerned about losing their jobs. We need a Canada Child Benefit that delivers more support for families in need, fairer taxes and an end to Harper’s tax breaks for the wealthy. Harper’s centralized control of decisions has eroded public trust in our government and our democracy – a democracy that Canadians deeply value and have fought to protect. We need to rebuild this trust by genuinely engaging people in decisions. This starts with electoral reform, reducing partisanship, and ensuring local representatives have free votes and influence.
Why are you running?
I am running in this election to end Harper’s failures and ensure the people of Banff-Airdrie gain real influence in the next government – a Liberal government. Serving as your Member of Parliament, I will focus on reviving our economy, protecting our environment, and restoring our democracy.
As election season heats up, the Airdrie City View has been conducting interviews with candidates in the Banff-Airdrie riding. Interviews asking candidates four simple questions (Tell us about yourself. Why should voters choose you? What issues are most vital to you? Why are you running?) have been completed with the Banff-Airdrie Liberal, Green Party and Conservative candidates.
On Aug. 8, Joanne Boissonneault was announced as the NDP candidate in the riding during a campaign launch in Jensen Park.
However, despite multiple phone and email requests for an interview with Boissonneault dating back to Aug. 11, no interview was secured as of Sept. 1.
Handlers did offer email responses as an alternative, but a phone call with Boissonneault appeared to be off the table.
“Please submit questions to this email address in point form,” said campaign manager Caleb Cummings in an Aug. 11 email to the City View. “Joanne will respond via email. All media inquiries will be handled this way for the time being.”
Further requests for a phone interview with the candidate were not met with responses from campaign staff.
The City View is unwilling to conduct an email interview, as there is no way to confirm statements in the interview are directly from the candidate.
“I would discourage any journalist from relying on email to conduct interviews with people,” said Terry Field, journalism professor at Mount Royal University. “I think in any case, when you’re talking about politicians or trying to discuss issues with politicians, (with) the complexity of issues they can’t really be effectively discussed by email, to get clarification (or) to ask for amplification.
“There’s no certainty that the candidate is actually answering the questions.”
According to a press release sent out by campaign staff, Boissonneault is an Airdrie resident who has served as a high school teacher in Alberta schools for the past 10 years, and has served three terms with the Alberta Teachers Association as a district representative.
Doreen Barrie, an adjunct assistant professor in the political science department at the University of Calgary, said lack of media access to candidates spoke to the “sorry state” of Canadian democracy.
