INNISFAIL - Randy Thorsteinson believes his Reform Party of Alberta is well placed to make an electoral difference in the riding of Innisfail-Sylvan Lake.
On one side are the two main contenders; Devin Dreeshen’s United Conservative Party and Jason Heistad’s New Democratic Party and their widely different views for the future of Alberta that has created unprecedented political polarization.
On the other side are separatist parties, and another that holds that ideology in reserve; views that do not align with Thorsteinson’s reform platform.
“I'm a reformer. I'm not a separatist,” says the 66-year-old Red Deer resident. “I think the difference for us is that we were never much for fighting with other parties. We're more concerned about creating solutions for the problems that we have in the province.
“The winners should be the ones that have the best ideas, and are able to get those ideas out to the highest number of people,” added Thorsteinson, who is the leader of the party and its only candidate for the 2023 election.
Most importantly, he agrees his party is strategically positioned to sneak up the middle to be a voice of reason during this tumultuous political time in Alberta’s history.
“Absolutely. We're so split; with the United Conservative Party, and the NDP so focused on their policies. I don't think they're doing us very much of a favour,” said Thorsteinson. “They're either fighting each other, or they have quite dramatic policy differences.
“I think what should be happening instead of that is just focusing on what Albertans need, what Albertans want, how do we pay for it and how do we make everybody's lives a little bit better.”
Thorsteinson, who owns Cascadia Motivation - a performance improvement firm for businesses - is no stranger to Alberta’s conservative movement.
He entered politics as president of the Red Deer riding association of the Reform Party of Canada in 1988.
Thorsteinson joined the Alberta Social Credit Party in 1991, and became leader the following year.
In 1999 he left social credit to look at other conservative vehicles, including the Alberta First Party, Alberta Alliance Party, and later the Strong & Free Alberta Political Action Committee; a political organization promoting conservative fiscal and social policies.
In 2016 he created the Reform Party of Alberta - committed to be fiscally conservative with mandatory balanced budgets, limited government, lower taxes and fiscal responsibility for future generations.
Thorsteinson holds this plan for health care as well, arguably the biggest single issue of the 2023 provincial election.
“We need to take a view of the dollars following the patient instead of getting stuck in all the bureaucracy,” said Thorsteinson. “So that the money will go to where it needs to go for people to get the health and wellness that they require.”
