It’s your choice Lethbridge: here are your candidates
The Lethbridge Herald reached out to all campaigns running in the city to give candidates an opportunity to present themselves to voters - in their own words - as to why they feel they are the best choice to represent our community with a seat in the legislature.
In the riding of Lethbridge-East the candidates are Helen McMenamin for the Liberal Party, Rob Miyashiro for the NDP and Nathan Neudorf for the UCP.
In the riding of Lethbridge-West the candidates are Pat Chizek for the Liberal Party, Braham Luddu for the Alberta Party, Shannon Phillips for the NDP and Cheryl Seaborn for the UCP.
We did not receive responses from all campaigns. These are the ones we did, presented by riding in alphabetical order:
Miyashiro says city deserves better
I’ve been serving this community for my entire career – 40 years – as a human services professional, Executive Director of the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization, and as a city councillor.
So when I saw what this government was doing to people in Lethbridge and Southern Alberta, I knew I needed to get involved. Talking with friends and family in Lethbridge, I heard so many concerns: whether it was the tens of thousands of people in our city have lost their family doctor, or can’t find one, or how hard families and seniors are being squeezed hard by the cost of living. Unfortunately, the UCP government has only made these things worse.
That’s why, when my wife Erin and I were watching the news one day, seeing another round of stories about how the UCP government was creating stress and anxiety for people in Lethbridge, she turned to me and said that if I ever did anything political again, it had to be with the Alberta NDP and Rachel’s team.
She was right, of course: Rachel Notley was the only leader who was taking these things that matter to our community seriously. There’s so much work that needs to be done to build a better future for Lethbridge, and Rachel is the only leader who will do that work.
Our city deserves better healthcare, a real plan to cut costs for families, and investments to help grow and diversify our economy. I’m proud to be part of a team that is actually going to do the work that we need and provide the leadership that we deserve by creating a teaching clinic for new doctors so we everyone in our city can have a family doctor, and investing in family health teams so we can get the care we need when we need it.
I’m also excited about Rachel’s plan to make life more affordable in our city by freezing electricity rates, cutting insurance premiums, and putting more money in the pockets of families and seniors.
Having been an advocate for seniors for the last 15 years of my career, I know well how UCP actions like de-indexing Alberta Seniors Benefits and shrinking prescription coverage for seniors has made life much harder for older members of our community – all at a time when they could least afford it.
Rachel Notley and our team, on the other hand, have an incredible plan for seniors that includes making the shingles vaccine free for many, reinvesting in the SHARP program so that seniors can stay in their homes safely, and protecting our pensions in law.
I know this community. I love this community. It’s where I grew up, and where I started my family. Lethbridge and southern Alberta deserve better than what we’re getting from the UCP.
And I would be honoured if the people of Lethbridge-East choose to send me to Edmonton to help solve the issues our community is facing and tell the stories of our region and its residents.
Neudorf running for an amazing community
As we head into the 2023 election, we all find ourselves inundated with “political messages” and, to be honest, the last thing I want to do is give you another one. So instead, let me begin then by saying “thank you” for voting for me to be the representative for Lethbridge East in 2019.
It has been an honour and privilege to serve this community in this capacity for the past four years.
While I brought a wide range of experiences and skills with me last time, I still had a lot to learn, and I’m still learning. I’ve worked through a lot of “rungs on the ladder.” Private member in the back benches, serving on committees, task forces, as committee chair, as Caucus chair and then Minister of Infrastructure and Deputy Premier. For a total of nearly 30 different appointments or positions over the term. These were predominantly focused on ensuring Lethbridge had a voice at the table.
Lethbridge is unique. As Alberta’s third largest city, it is neither rural nor metro and it serves a community catchment population of approximately 350,000 people. Making sure we are investing in what makes sense here, and not being put into a box really matters.
The investments into Exhibition Park, the airport, and broadband together, matter.
It’s why investing into expanding nurse’s training at the college and university by an additional 57 seats, matters. It’s why the big picture of twinning Highway No.3, expanding irrigation acres combined with the Agri-food Tax credit matter so much for us in the south.
Strategically targeted investment that will help our city grow and manage the growth that we’ve seen recently is crucial to get right. Projects like increasing surgical capacity, a new Renal Dialysis and a Cath Lab for our heath care stability and four major school projects acknowledge our growing community, our diverse community and our senior’s community.
Our amazing community is why I’m running this time, to help bring back a sense of “good government.” What I mean by good government is this - a government that cares, is competent and capable. The definition of caring is this; the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance and protection of someone or something. Namely, in this case, caring for you - Albertans. Competence and capability speak to having the necessary knowledge, skills and power or ability to achieve these results.
Today my appeal to you is based on character and my deep commitment to the qualities of caring, competence and capability and I offer all that I have to those to serve and represent you. So, on May 29th I humbly ask for your vote to continue that work.
Oh, and one last time: Under the UCP no Albertan will ever have to pay out-of-pocket for health care in Alberta. Ever.
Chizek believes Liberals can help unify province
I am Pat Chizek, the Alberta Liberal candidate in Lethbridge West. I am a retired public school teacher and I believe in the Alberta Liberal Party, which is a common sense centrist party, and we can help to unify this province and have a prosperous future.
The last two election cycles have seen the province go from the far left (NDP) to the far right (UCP), polarizing many people and it is time for middle ground.
On the Alberta Liberals platform, the first item is to listen to the people and work collaboratively with all the stake holders. For the economy we have will create “back to work grants” for the underemployed, and help small businesses by reducing bureaucracy and streamlining compliance procedures.
We will support oil and gas, we will address the skilled labour shortage, and we will support new industries like hydrogen, lithium, and semiconductors.
In the K-12 education, we will increase funding to the national average as we are far behind. We will help post secondary students with student loan reimbursement after graduation.
In health care we will work collaboratively with the healthcare professionals to improve the healthcare system and have sustainability for the future
At the campaign forums, I have heard the UCP candidate speak about what they announced in their budget and how that is most important.
I have heard the NDP candidate talk about the NDP leader and she is what is important. I am speaking about representing the people of Lethbridge West and their concerns for the people are most important. I am putting the people first.
Phillips focused on rebuilding health system
I have been honoured to be the MLA for Lethbridge-West since 2015, and I’m excited to be running for re-election to bring the concerns of Lethbridge and southern Albertans once again to Edmonton. Whether it’s the crisis in healthcare that’s left thousands of people in our city without access to a family doctor, advocating for public safety in our community, or telling the stories of seniors and families affected by the UCP’s bad decisions, I’ve been proud to bring our voice to the Legislature over the last eight years.
Before I was elected I worked in economic policy and communications for a decade with a focus on advocating for good jobs and a diversified economy. After the 2015 election, I served as Rachel Notley’s Minister of Environment and Parks, working to build a better future for Alberta by making our province a leader on environmental issues and ensuring that our province’s energy sector was well-positioned to continue creating jobs and prosperity over the long term.
Since 2019 I have served as Rachel Notley’s critic for Alberta Treasury Board and Finance. Through this work, I’ve seen firsthand the issues that the UCP has created with their spending priorities, their interference in pensions, and their inaction on insurance premiums. I’ve heard from so many Albertans – both here in Lethbridge and across the province - about the ways the government has made life more difficult for everyday working people, and I’m committed to fixing those things.
Of all the concerns that I’ve heard from our community about the UCP, one of the closest to the heart is the stress and anxiety many are feeling about Danielle Smith’s loose talk about our pensions and CPP.
For many of us, CPP is all that we have when we reach the end of our working life. We pay into it for our entire careers with the promise that it will be there to provide us with a dignified retirement.
We need a government that understands that, and won’t play games with our pension.
If I’m given the honour of continuing to serve Lethbridge-West, I will remain focused on a resilient, diversified economy for Lethbridge, with a revitalized downtown, addressing housing and public safety, and growing our technology, renewables and agriculture industries.
And most importantly, I will work toward rebuilding the healthcare system in Lethbridge, including fixing the crisis in finding a family doctor by building a teaching clinic for resident physicians, investing in family health teams, and properly staffing our hospital.
Seaborn driven by grassroots democracy
I’m Cheryl Seaborn, and I’m thrilled to share a little bit about myself with you. Born in the beautiful province of Nova Scotia, I eventually found my way to Southern Ontario where I spent my childhood and met my amazing husband. From there I began the journey of being a stay-at-home mom and raising our five incredible children.
Life took an exciting turn when we decided to move to Lethbridge, Alberta with our young children. My husband started working in the ag industry, working there for more than 20 years.
When my kids were older, I enrolled at the University of Lethbridge to get my degree as a Registered Nurse. I was awarded the Gold Medal of Honour for academic achievement when I graduated and cannot speak more highly of their nursing program and my positive experiences there. It was an enriching experience that deepened my understanding of healthcare and ignited a desire to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
After completing my nursing degree, I had the privilege of working in various healthcare settings, including continuing care, home care, and palliative care. These experiences gave me a profound appreciation for the importance of free, accessible and quality healthcare for all individuals, regardless of their circumstances.
I then became a site manager of rural hospitals starting in Fort MacLeod, Raymond, and most recently in Cardston. Managing these hospitals allowed me to work closely with dedicated frontline workers.
I also had the privilege of working with members of the Kainai Nation and was recently awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee award for my positive relationship building with members of the Blood Tribe.
I have a deep respect for their culture and practices and was honoured to have worked with and learned from them during my time at the Cardston hospital. It was during this time that I realized the incredible power of collaboration and engagement. By listening to the valuable insights of others, we can create policies and initiatives that truly address the needs of our communities.
My husband and I are also small business owners, having run a successful small business right here in Lethbridge for over 20 years.
Driven by my passion for grassroots democracy and my unwavering belief in the strength of collaboration, I made the decision to run as a candidate for the United Conservative Party.
I am committed to being the voice for our community, advocating for your concerns, and working tirelessly to create positive change. Together, we can build a future that brings prosperity, opportunity, and well-being to every resident of our constituency.
I am honoured to have the opportunity to run as your MLA for Lethbridge-West; to serve you and represent your interests. With your support, we can foster a community where everyone’s voice is heard, and no one is left behind. Let’s embark on this journey together, uniting our ideas and passions to create a brighter future for all. Let’s bring positive change to Lethbridge-West and keep Alberta moving forward!