Candidates vying to represent the new riding of Airdrie-Cochrane on the United Conservative Party (UCP) ballot are seeking top of mind concerns in the constituency as the race heats up.
Among these are broad concerns such as investor uncertainty, the future of the oil and gas sector and small business taxation, as well as constituency-specific concerns like 24-hour urgent care, traffic and growth.
To date, two Cochranites have registered and are actively campaigning – Morgan Nagel, who is serving his second term on Cochrane town council, and businessman Peter Guthrie, who has a varied background in engineering and agriculture.
There are no other candidates registered so far for the new riding, including for other political parties. The UCP founding convention takes place the first week of May and it is believed that nomination race announcements will begin shortly afterwards.
“The number one issue is the oil and gas industry – everyone seems to agree that the oil industry is the lifeblood of Alberta and for a lot people it’s too little too late with this government,” said Nagel, adding that it’s time for the country to get behind support of the “Canadian energy industry” rather than the “Alberta energy industry” – as it impacts all Canadians.
Nagel is conducting an online 20-question survey looking for feedback to help inform his campaign platform.
“I did promise policy would be driven from the ground-up,” said Nagel, touching on the concerns reflected through his survey questions – including the carbon tax, the hiring of anti-oil and gas industry advocates working for the province and the tabling of legislation by the NDP to cap greenhouse gas emissions.
Guthrie said he is also hearing plenty of concern regarding the carbon tax and overall taxation increases.
A former small business owner, Guthrie said he has visited 390 Cochrane businesses and 90 in Airdrie, listening to concerns from proprietors who say they feel they have been hit from every angle – an economic downturn, increased labour regulations, the carbon tax, rising minimum wage and across the board tax increases.
“Small businesses are the engine of our economy and they need to be revved up,” he said, adding that he “would advocate for a small business tax credit to bridge the gap through the first term of UCP government or until the cost of living can try to catch up.”
Following a recent speech by Minister of Finance Joe Ceci on missed targets, Guthrie said the big picture is that the economy is contracting, with growth largely in part-time work and the government sector.
“When you talk to people, they want to get back to work … we need to create stability in this province,” said Guthrie, adding that “uncertainty” is the buzz word he keeps hearing, and the culprit responsible for investor dollars sitting on the sidelines or pulling out of the province altogether.
On local interests, both candidates are hearing about Cochrane’s need for 24-hour urgent care options.
Guthrie said advocacy for secure funding is a must, pointing to Airdrie’s underfunded 24-hour urgent care facility, which he said residents refer to as a “waiting room” as it’s “running on a skeleton crew with hardly any resources.”
Misplaced education resources are another issue both have been hearing.
Nagel said teachers have expressed concerns about ballooning class sizes, wasteful government spending and a lag in resources for special needs students. He and Guthrie said they are also hearing worry about the ongoing lobby from public school proponents to cut independent school funding.
Guthrie said constituents are tired of government lip service – with little accomplished due to “congestion and bureaucracy of new policy coming out” making it difficult to get anything substantive done.
Nagel said the province must return to saving for the future – disciplined investment into the Alberta Heritage Fund.
Both are concerned the looming provincial budget, which is flagged as focusing on economic diversification and a path to balance, will create further investor uncertainty.
Guthrie said traffic is not a new concern in the constituency and he would advocate through regional, collaborative efforts and is in favour of a citizen’s advocacy group.
Nagel said he is hopeful the province will keep its commitment to fund the intersection project at highways 1A and 22 that is “beyond overdue.”
Learn more about each candidate at peterguthrie.ca and morgannagel.ca or on their candidate Facebook pages.
