The next provincial election is not expected to be called until late next year but Innisfail realtor Kerry Towle is already primed.
Last month the 37-year-old mother of two daughters was selected the Wildrose Alliance Party candidate for the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake riding, which has been held by Progressive Conservative MLA Luke Ouellette since 2001.
With speculation growing that a new leader and premier of the Tory government will call an election late in 2012 Towle said she aims to hit the ground running by meeting every one of the 30,000 constituents in the riding before election day.
“If I don’t meet every one of them I certainly will immediately after,” said Towle, who is also finalizing various fundraising events and meetings for her campaign.
Towle presents herself to constituents as an established businesswoman, and a former farmer with her husband. She is also a past employee within the health care system as well as in the federal government.
What this means for Towle is that she believes she is well connected to the community. She has a history of being visible to constituents and wants to continue that at a higher and committed level throughout the riding if elected next year.
“I live and work in this community and that is fundamentally one of the biggest reasons I got involved,” said Towle. “He (Ouellette) isn’t visible. I believe people in this community have a right to have contact with their MLA.”
The message Towle wants to put forward immediately is that the Wildrose Alliance Party represents a new beginning for all Albertans on the provincial political front.
“The Wildrose Alliance Party is not a right-wing fanatic group. We are just normal Albertans looking for a change. The riding is ripe for a change. It’s looking for a different view, a candidate that is more accountable,” said Towle. “The Progressive Conservative government as a whole is not answering to what people want.
“This isn’t about Luke at all,” she added. “It’s about a government that isn’t listening to Albertans.”
Towle said the two most important issues facing the constituents of the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake riding are property rights and health care.
She said her party’s health care vision for Albertans does conform with the five parameters of the Canada Health Act and that opening up the system for private sector delivery while paying for it with public money will make the system more affordable and sustainable for every citizen.
“Why not utilize some of these facilities that offer private services? We are thinking MRIs, knee replacements and hip replacements, and allowing Albertans to access these facilities with public money,” said Towle. “They (Tories) have created health super boards and all that and the money could have been spent better.”
She said the Wildrose Alliance Party would not bring back health care premiums for Albertans.
Towle said she believes the Tories have run out of innovative ideas for Albertans after four decades in power. She said no matter who the governing party chooses to succeed the retiring Ed Stelmach as premier the province will continue to flounder on the economic front, despite its enviable resource potential.
“It’s the same old crowd. I don’t think anything will change,” she said. “I think the Tory party itself is old and tired.”
