Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills NDP candidate Cheryl Hunter Loewen says if elected on May 29 she will work to support local schools and other public services.
Born in Didsbury and raised Carstairs, Hunter Loewen is seeking public office for the first time in the riding. She has degrees in Economics and Law, both from the University of Alberta.
She worked 20 plus years in the energy and technology sector before now practicing public sector law. She lives in Edmonton.
“I am jumping into the political fray, as they say, because I couldn’t sit back much longer,” Hunter Loewen said. “I firmly believe that Albertans deserve far better government than what we have been getting under the UCP.”
An NDP government would bring a level of stability not seen under the UCP, she said.
“We have had nothing but chaos and in-fighting and instability from Danielle Smith and the UCP for months and months and months,” she said. “Alberta NDP will work on providing service and the good governance that Albertans deserve.
“The first issue and the biggest thing I hear on the doorsteps, when I ask people, ‘How are you feeling about the upcoming election?’ and the number 1 response I get is they are anxious and they are worried and they are very, very uncertain about the future and their children’s future.”
In the area of education and student support, Hunter Loewen says changes are needed in the region and provincewide.
“The UCP has cut the teaching staff and the educational assistants,” she said. “They haven’t kept pace with the population growth in these communities, and in particular in Carstairs and Crossfield.
“Classroom sizes are far, far to large. The children are not getting the one-on-one (instruction) that they need.”
Supporting and promoting health care in the district would also be one of her priority tasks, she said.
“People are concerned about the crisis in the health-care system,” she said. “The UCP has cut funding in all of the core public services that we rely on here (in the riding) to grow and live in a community that is wonderful.”
Inflation, automobile insurance rates and utility costs are all of concern to local residents, she said.
Hunter Loewen planned to take part in a candidates’ forum at the TransCanada Theatre in Olds on May 10.
