INNISFAIL – Jason Heistad says he is offering real change for the thousands of citizens across the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake provincial riding.
The NDP candidate enters the race to challenge UCP incumbent Devin Dreeshen with impeccable credentials.
He is a four-term veteran of Innisfail town council who has always committed himself to be visible and active part of the community, specifically as a member of the town’s Welcoming & Inclusive Community Committee.
That commitment to community earned Heistad with the most votes of all 14 councillor candidates in the 2021 municipal election.
When Heistad announced to town council last January of his intentions to run in the provincial election he was granted an immediate leave of absence as he did not want to accept local tax dollars for non-council work while campaigning provincially.
“I just couldn't see myself sitting here for four months and being paid by the taxpayers,” Heistad told council.
Outside of council and his current drive towards provincial public service Heistad is also the current executive secretary-treasurer of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.
Heistad believes that experience and record prove he’s not only a good listener but a man who can be counted on to always get back to anyone who had a concern or problem and needed answers sooner rather than later.
“What I'm going to bring to the table is actually working with our citizens, the constituents and getting back to them. It doesn't matter which party or affiliation you have,” said Heistad. “My goal is to make sure I meet with all constituents. We need an MLA who is going to listen to everybody in this riding, and following up.
“I will be following up with everybody, and that has been a concern over the last four years with our current MLA. I'll be empathetic. I'm willing to listen, and I work hard. When you're in a leadership role you need to be very well grounded in what's going on within your own riding, and be accountable every day.”
After more than two weeks on the campaign trail the biggest issue he’s hearing at constituents’ doors is affordability. Many times the need is modest, he says.
“Just being able to put gas in their car, food on the tables, and just making sure they can get by daily. That’s number one,” said Heistad, adding there is also widespread concern with the quality of health care and education.
“Everybody's wants to make sure they can have a life in the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake riding where they're able to have all those things so they can get by,” he said.
“There's a lot of struggling out there in this riding and across the province, and as an NDP government we want to make sure life is affordable for all citizens.”
