The Jean machine-Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean’ s campaign bus, that is-rolled into Lac La Biche County on Saturday morning. Jean and David Hanson, the Wildrose candidate for the Lac La Biche-St.
The Jean machine-Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean’ s campaign bus, that is-rolled into Lac La Biche County on Saturday morning.
Jean and David Hanson, the Wildrose candidate for the Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills constituency, were at Tom’ s Pizza and Steakhouse for a meet-and-greet.
Community members and a sprinkling of party supporters were in attendance to meet the Wildrose’ s new leader, share their views with the former MP and voice their concerns.
After leaving federal politics last year, Jean was elected to head the Wildrose Party last month, shortly before an early provincial election was announced.
In traversing the province on the campaign trail, he says he’ s heard the same concerns multiple times, concerns that were raised yet again in Lac La Biche.
The thoughts of local residents-and what they want to see-are along the same lines as those of other Albertans, he says, beginning with low taxes and balanced provincial budgets.
“We’ ve also heard clearly that people think the government wastes money, and that’ s why we want to reorganize our government and make sure it’ s transparent and accountable, and focuses on serving people instead of serving themselves,” he said.
One of the areas that need attention is healthcare, he says. The government is funneling large amounts of money into the healthcare system but isn’ t achieving the right results, he says.
“People are frightened by what’ s taking place in our hospitals,” he said. “46 per cent of our budget is spent on hospital care and we’ re not getting anywhere near top results.”
One aspect of his proposed solution to the problems is decentralizing the system and allowing communities like Lac La Biche to make more of their own decisions.
“We don’ t think that people in the ivory towers in Edmonton or Calgary should be making decisions for Lac La Biche,” he said. “We don’ t think it’ s reasonable that a dialysis machine is sitting in a bus,” he added, referring to the makeshift dialysis unit that’ s been permanently parked outside the local hospital since 2012.
While St. Paul area resident David Hanson is campaigning to represent this riding, Jean is running in the neighbouring constituency of Fort McMurray-Conklin.
Jean served as MP for the Fort McMurray-Athabasca riding, which contains Lac La Biche County, for almost a decade before resigning in January 2014. A longtime resident of northern Alberta, he says he’ s developed a certain fondness for the Lac La Biche community over the years.
“I came to Pow Wow Days down here in 1977,” he said. “I still remember coming here as a youngster with my family and coming to the different celebrations in Lac La Biche. I’ ve always enjoyed them thoroughly and I love Lac La Biche very much, just like I love all of northern Alberta.”
Election day in Alberta is May 5.
The POST and the Lac La Biche and District Chamber of Commerce are jointly hosting an all-candidates debate for the Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills riding at Portage College on April 28.
