INNISFAIL -- It's election day and the big messaging from all seven Innisfail-Sylvan Lake riding candidates is over.
Riding candidates had three critically important chances to pitch themselves and their stances on every issue of importance to constituents. The candidates were invited to a trio of primary all-candidate forums with the first being held April 4 in Sylvan Lake, followed by one in Innisfail on April 8 and the final in Penhold on April 10.
Six of the seven candidates were able to attend all three forums. Lauren Thorsteinson of the Reform Party of Alberta was not able to attend due to recent minor surgery. Riding voters, however, were able to get insights into the platforms from Danielle Klooster, the Alberta Party candidate; Independent candidate Ed Wychopen; Brian Vanderkley for the Alberta Advantage Party; Devin Dreeshen, the UCP incumbent; NDP candidate Robyn O'Brien; and Chad Miller, representing the Freedom Conservative Party.
In Innisfail the forum's most passionate moments came when NDP candidate O’Brien, while answering a question on health care, claimed her party was the “only” one to make a commitment to move on the expansion of the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre. She reiterated that claim two days later in Penhold.
“A lot of people have said maybe it’s vote buying, however, I have not heard any other party step up to make that promise. It is imperative that it happens,” said O’Brien, adding the NDP was responsible for making sure the $24-million replacement Autumn Glen seniors' residential facility in Innisfail was built.
However, Dreeshen reminded the audience the original deal to build the local replacement seniors' facility was made by an agreement between a federal Conservative government and an Alberta Progressive Conservative government in 2015 before the provincial NDP came into power.
“It got delayed by this NDP government and it finally got through and is getting built,” said Dreeshen, adding that the Red Deer hospital expansion was already on Alberta Health Services’ priority list after the last election. “It was Rachel Notley that removed the Red Deer hospital from the priority list in the first year of government.”
Forums in both Innisfail and Penhold also dealt with the election campaign's other widely discussed issues, including the carbon tax, health care, Bill 6, the Bighorn Country parks proposal, corporate taxes, government accountability, seniors' housing and child care spaces.
However, in Penhold the ongoing dilemma of finding answers to the rural crime plague was the most important issue on the minds of many, including the candidates.
"A lot of us are living in rural areas and a lot of us are scared about the fact that we can't defend our property and our families. The rules and the laws need to be tougher," said Miller when asked about solutions for rural crime.
Dreeshen said more pressure needs to be put on the federal government to bring in stronger legislation that stands a better chance of keeping criminals incarcerated. Dreeshen also said more court space is needed to ensure cases are not thrown out because it has taken too long to process the accused.
"We need to make sure we can process criminals and cases faster in court. And a lot of this is working with the federal government and other levels of government," said Dreeshen.
Klooster said her party would expand the role of provincial sheriffs to take the pressure off the RCMP, and allocate $10 million and lift the prosecutor wage freeze to bring in more Crown lawyers.
"We just do not have enough in our justice system to address everything," said Klooster.
O'Brien said the Notley government implemented the Rural Crime Reduction Study and worked "tirelessly" with the RCMP, and the results showed an immediate reduction in crime, including break and enters and thefts.
"It doesn't get solved overnight. It takes a lot of time. We are making real progress with this program and I want to see it continue," said O'Brien.
Vanderkley, meanwhile, said the courts need to have the "punishment fit the crime," noting the escalating numbers of repeat offenders who are not given appropriate sentences and are back on the streets too soon to commit more crimes.
Wychopen reminded the audience there is nothing in the country's constitution, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, that gives Canadians the right to own property,
"I believe we have the right to own property and the right to defend our property. I also believe we should be tougher on criminals," said Wychopen. "If you have a criminal who is out on parole or on bail and they create a new crime they should immediately go back and serve the full sentence they had for the previous crime before they even look at the next one."
