After she began her search for a new political home more than a year ago, Penhold resident Danielle Klooster, found her way to the Alberta Party.
The party’s grassroots development and moderate political position appealed to her and she has now put her name in the running for candidacy for the Alberta Party in the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake riding.
“I had a lot of people express support for me running and after a lot of discussion with family and people I trust I decided to go for it,” said Klooster.
While she said she has always been a more of a conservative person, she was concerned with the lack of public engagement by the conservative party and thought the Alberta Party has done a good job of connecting with people.
“The Alberta Party was a grassroots party that has been interested in engaging the grassroots people all the way along,” said Klooster.
Along with the public engagement aspect Klooster said that she felt that the moderate policies of the Alberta Party fit in with her views that promoting business and social programs are important for Albertans.
Klooster also agrees with the Alberta Party’s desire to work on depoliticizing politics and focusing more on making decisions that benefit Albertans.
“Right now I have a problem with the political process and the party process bleeding into government decisions,” said Klooster, adding that she thinks Albertans are tired of feeling like a lot of government decisions are made by what will benefit specific parties and not the people. Klooster has been a resident of Penhold for 10 years but has lived previously in Edmonton, and Innisfail.
As a lifelong Albertan, Klooster said that she has always had a passion for the province and in the last few years while working in community development her interest in politics has peaked as well.
Klooster is currently serving her second term as a Penhold town councillor and works with the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce during the day as a manager of policy, advocacy and communications.
If elected as an MLA, Klooster would have to leave both of these positions, which she said was a hard decision to make.
“That was a big part of the deliberation because I am so passionate about my community,” said Klooster.
She will be able to continue on council and with the chamber until the election is announced but will then have to take a short leave of absence from both.
However, until then Klooster said she would be continuing to talk to residents of the constituency and if elected hopes to address issues in the area such as the labour shortage and economic development in central Alberta.
