Fort Macleod resident running for Alberta Party
Fort Macleod resident Tim Meech is the Alberta Party’s nominated candidate for the Livingstone Macleod riding and will be running in the next provincial election.
Born in Lethbridge and raised in Okotoks, Meech and his wife and moved from Calgary and settled in Fort Macleod to raise their children and be closer to family. Meech is a member of the Elks of Canada service club and sits on the minor hockey board alongside his wife. In their spare time, the Meech family enjoys camping, hiking, and visiting Meech’s parents in Waterton.
For the past 15 years, Meech has worked in oil and gas drilling for the past 15 years, 13 of those being with the same drilling contracting company.
“Working in upstream oil and gas has definitely provided me with the get things done perspective that I believe is needed in the legislature,” Meech said.
Throughout all his pursuits, Meech says that he has always been politically-minded and has spent his adult life searching and researching a political party that is right for him and that he can support.
“The political climate has become very polarized and I believe that there is a middle ground that is being underserved,” Meech said. “I hope my political knowledge and fresh perspective will benefit those in my riding.”
Meech truly appreciates the extreme diversity found within the Livingstone-Macleod riding and is aware that as that diversity continues to grow, so does the cost of living and both he and the Alberta Party want to be as helpful as they can to that situation.
“We have been out talking to as many people as possible by hosting meet and greet events, going to community events, and social media engagement,” Meech said. “People have been very receptive to the Alberta Party message. They are tired of the old divisive nature of politics. The great part about the Alberta Party is the pragmatic, solutions-based approach we bring to the table. The tired, old, divisive, and combative ideologically driven way of politics will not help Alberta. It is time for something different.”
If Meech is elected, he would like to focus on the party’s shared goals that include providing children with proper, well funded education; providing universal healthcare, ensuring infrastructure is up to date, and many other pursuits that will benefit the people of Alberta.
“I plan to work tirelessly,” Meech said. “I am proud of the fact that disagreements we have with the government are driven by evidence-based policy decisions. I am worried that huge cuts in education and healthcare will disproportionately affect rural ridings. Physical, mental, and social health supports in rural ridings need to be as accessible here as in our urban centres.”
Meech says that the Alberta Party’s vision statement is "We will form a government committed to diversity, integrity, transparency, and collaboration. As leaders of positive change, we value inclusiveness, ideas over ideologies, and champion economic, environmental and social responsibility.” This statement, Meech says, provides a hope of overturning the negative stigma that has attached itself to politics over the years and he is hopeful that the voters see that.
“There seems to be this negativity that has entered the political world,” Meech said. “Constant bickering about ideological view points leaves the everyday works of making life better for Albertans behind.”
Meech says that the Alberta Party is focused on making life better for Albertans and to prove that their intent is sincere, the caucus has released a shadow budget. The shadow budget includes initiatives such as increased spending on K-12 education, an overview on schools are built and designed; infrastructure, empowering front-line healthcare professionals to advocate for innovative changes, and reforming the way EMS is dispatched so paramedics are able to spend more time in the communities.
“I believe that Alberta Party can take the province where it needs to be through fiscal and social responsibility,” Meech said. “My hope is that all Albertans have an affordable and great quality of life as our province has the capability to provide such, and I believe the Alberta Party has the answers.”