Riding profiles
Spruce Grove- St. Albert
Brendon Greene, Green party
Age: 28
Occupation: Music teacher
Reason for running: “I grew up in my riding and I am passionate about citizen engagement ... I want to get young voters out to the polls and, being 28, I feel I am able to reach out to a younger generation …”
Top priorities: Introduce a corporate tax increase and progressive tax system. Abandon the newly introduced healthcare levy, fees and fines. Invest in municipal infrastructure, education, health care and seniors care. Invest in renewable energy. Phase out coal production by 2030, replace it with renewable power, improved efficiency, small-scale cogeneration, demand management, and natural-gas peaking capacity.
Website: www.greenpartyofalberta.ca
Gary Hanna, Alberta party
Age: 48
Occupation: High school biology teacher
Reason for running: “Alberta deserves better management than we’ve had over the last 44 years. The PC party began under (Peter) Lougheed with great intentions, and delivered on most of their promises. Every government since has caused a slow but steady decline in the province’s fabric.”
Top priorities: Implement a progressive income tax, increase oil royalties and raise corporate tax to deal with Alberta’s revenue and infrastructure deficits. Sustainable, consistent and adequate funding for optimal class sizes for our students. Supports for seniors such as quality public home care, affordable long-term and assisted-living facilities.
Website: www.albertaparty.ca
Trevor Horne, NDP
Age: 24
Occupation: Customer service representative
Reason for running: “I believe Rachel Notley and the NDP provide leadership on the priorities important to families. New Democrats will stop the PCs’ deep cuts to health care, education and seniors care. We’ll help create jobs and protect the services families depend on.”
Top priorities: Reward job creators with targeted tax credits and reward businesses that process our resources here at home. Invest in local schools, provide stable, adequate K-12 funding, roll back school fees and create a school lunch program. Invest in hospital repairs and front-line care, cut emergency wait times and provide more long-term care beds.
Website: www.albertandp.ca/trevorhorne
Reg Lukasik, Liberal
Age: 66
Occupation: Retired professor, commercial and military pilot
Reason for running: “We value honesty and integrity and expect our politicians to be empathetic and accountable. As a leader in the military, aviation, and the academic world, I believe people matter, and if elected I promise to listen, care, and act on your concerns.”
Top priorities: Create a health-care system which represents excellence and value for money spent. Alberta Health must be accountable for wait times, delayed surgeries and treatments, and employment practices. Build responsive education systems that meet Alberta students’ and families’ needs. Plan now to deal with the challenge of the baby boom, with a compassionate heart, and optimistic view and plan.
Website: www.albertaliberal.com/reg_lukasik
Rus Matichuk, PC
Age: 51
Occupation: President of Sumex Capital
Reason for running: “I want to work with community members, business leaders and government partners to build on the success we have had in Spruce Grove-St. Albert, and Alberta. We live in one of the fastest-growing regions and we need to ensure that it will remain the best place for people to live and work. …”
Top priorities: Create jobs and ensure children are prepared to enter an innovative workforce. Efficient, effective, accountable and transparent government. Health care that meets the needs of seniors and those with disabilities so everyone has a meaningful, productive role.
Website: RusMatichuk.pcalberta.com
Jaye Walter, Wildrose
Age: 36
Occupation: Certified financial planner
Reason for running: “I have been frustrated at the incompetence, questionable ethics and sense of entitlement exhibited by the PC government. I became interested in public service through volunteer work at municipal, provincial and federal elections. I joined the Wildrose Party because it provided the perfect fit with my values of honest, grassroots democracy. It’s time for a change in Alberta’s direction, and I want to be part of this change.”
Top priorities: Represent constituents. Participate in the Wildrose commitment to honest, transparent and good government. Ensure that Spruce Grove-St. Albert continues to be the best place to live.
Website: sprucegrove-stalbert. wildrose.ca/jaye_walter
Stony Plain
Erin Babcock, NDP
Age: 34
Occupation: Licensed practical nurse
Reason for running: “As a licensed practical nurse, I have seen our health system eroded; hospitals have been left overcrowded and without enough nurses and front-line staff. The NDP will invest in hospitals and front-line staff and stand up for what matters to families, like creating jobs and protecting health care, education and seniors care.”
Top priorities: Invest in hospital repair and front-line care, cut emergency wait times and provide more long-term care beds. Invest in local schools, provide stable and adequate K-12 funding, roll back school fees and create a school lunch program. Reward job creators with targeted tax credits and reward businesses that process resources here.
Website: www.albertandp.ca/erinbabcock
Matt Burnett, Green party
Age: 33
Occupation: Plumber
Reason for running: “I believe the Green party is the most important party in Alberta. We stand for honesty, integrity, and the responsible stewardship of our environment.”
Top priorities: Create jobs in renewable energy, establish a government subsidy or interestfree loan for consumer-grade solar and wind installations, and increase the feed-in tariff to reduce consumers’ power bills. Strike a citizens assembly to determine the best proportional representation system for Albertans and put it to referendum. Adopt an environmental bill of rights.
Website: www.greenpartyofalberta.ca
Mike Hanlon, Liberal
Age: 54
Occupation: Mediator
Reason for running: “I believe the role of government is to listen and to represent all sectors of society, not to dictate the will of those powerful, privileged few. I am a husband, educator, teacher, counsellor, principal, community member, conflict manager, bullying prevention advocate, servant leader and former police officer.”
Top priorities: Elected officials are the de facto voices of their communities to government, and listening must be the first skill an elected official possesses. Proper sustainable funding for education that benefits students, parents, educators and our communities.
Efficient health care delivery with a focus on wellness education.
Website: mike4stonyplain.nationbuilder.com
Ken Lemke, PC
Age: 63
Occupation: Politician
Reason for running: “My experience and knowledge of policy and operations has led to responsive leadership, open dialogue and accountability. …”
Top priorities: Financial leadership and spending restraint to fulfil the province’s 10-year plan, coupled with investment in infrastructure such as roadwork on Highway 779 and 628. Valuing people, families, and a safe, healthy society, including through enhanced service for the Stony Plain Hospital. Building capacity for aging in place, home-care, longterm care, and safety …
Website: kenlemke.pcalberta.com
Kathy Rondeau, Wildrose
Age: 51
Occupation: Managing director, learning and development analyst
Reason for running: “I believe in grassroots democracy. I believe that you work with the people in your community to understand the challenges and hear unique solutions to those challenges.”
Top priorities: Ensure unique education choices meet children’s needs and parents can choose which education system their child attends. Overhaul the health-care system so it’s about patients served and not dollars spent. Bring back trust and integrity to the relationship between taxpayer and government.
Website: wildrosestonyplain.nationbuilder.com/ kathy_rondeau
Sandy Simmie, Alberta party
Age: 64
Occupation: Retired entrepreneur
Reason for running: “I want to be part of a solution to make Alberta a better place for our children, grandchildren, seniors, the vulnerable and the marginalized. We need a government where, and I quote another source, ‘people come together and no one gets left behind.’”
Top priorities: Repair and reform major systems through consistent funding of public education with no school fees, improved public health care and seniors care, and a fully implemented and monitored poverty-reduction and prevention strategy. Diversify the economy and implement a progressive income tax. Implement and monitor a sustainable energy strategy and renewable energy policy.
Website: www.albertaparty.ca